Chairwoman Bishop said it had “no chance to pass.”

Sept. 27, 2007, 3:58PM
Metal Bat Ban Bill Hits Stiff Opposition

By MARK SCOLFORO Associated Press Writer
© 2007 The Associated Press

HARRISBURG, Pa. — Opponents of a proposed ban on the use of metal bats by youth baseball and softball players in Pennsylvania warned lawmakers Thursday that mandating wooden bats would be no safer, add costs and create new problems for tournament organizers.

Little League Baseball Inc. president Stephen D. Keener said he cannot remember any player using a wooden bat at the Little League World Series during the past quarter-century.

"Essentially, the kids coming to Williamsport would have to check their bats at the border," Keener said.

After a 90-minute hearing by the House Children and Youth Committee on the proposed metal bat ban, the chairwoman, Rep. Louise Williams Bishop, D-Philadelphia, said it had virtually no chance to pass.

"The committee thus far has not been favorable," said Bishop, who has received more than 100 letters in opposition.

Under the bill, violations of the ban, which would apply to players 17 and younger, would result in fines of $25 for players and $50 for organizers. New York City has imposed a similar ban for high school players.

The sponsor, Rep. Michael B. Carroll, a freshman Democrat from Luzerne County, said he became convinced while watching his son's league that metal bats can produce dangerously fast hits that do not leave sufficient reaction time for fielders, particularly pitchers.

"Judging from some of the comments, it doesn't sound too optimistic for the bill's future," he said.

A Pennsylvania high school athletics official said the age limit in Carroll's bill could give an unfair advantage to 18- and 19-year-old students, who would be old enough to use a metal bat. Bradley R. Cashman of the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association said it also would be costly for schools to keep replacing splinter-prone wooden bats.

Gov. Ed Rendell told reporters Wednesday that he considers metal bats more dangerous than wood, although wooden bats are more likely to break.

"There's a line that has to be drawn," Rendell said. "If we are going to ban metal bats, we ought to look at creating some level of assistance for the youth leagues."

The lighter metal bats are considered easier for players to handle, particularly younger children, and generally result in more hits. Metal bat proponents say that helps keep children interested in the game.

"Nobody's going to want to play if they can't hit the ball," said Katie Gaul, a 17-year-old softball infielder from Mechanicsburg. She spoke against the ban at a Capitol news conference organized by Don't Take My Bat Away, a coalition supported by sporting goods companies and youth league organizations.

Keener said there is no evidence that wooden bats are safer. Since the early 1960s, six Little League players have died from balls that were hit with a wooden bat, and two have died from balls struck by a metal bat (both occurred in the early 1970s).

Pony Baseball and Softball president Abraham Key said Carroll's legislation would force his league to move its annual World Series for 13- and 14-year-old players to another state. The tournament is held each August near league headquarters in Washington, Pa.

"I can assure you many states and cities would welcome our Pony League World Series," Key wrote. "However, our first desire is to maintain the event in Pennsylvania."

Keener declined to say whether the Little League organization would pull out of its Pennsylvania home if the state bans metal bats, but said it would make running the annual tournament in South Williamsport much more difficult.