I have a lot of respect for NYC Mayor Mike Bloomberg. There is no mayor in the country who has been as strong on public health as Bloomberg. Today, however, he hit a foul ball.
The mayor vetoed a bill that would have outlawed the use of aluminum baseball bats in all NYC high school games. The bill was passed because it is believed that balls hit off aluminum bats may be more dangerous to players in the field, especially pitchers. Kids are able to swing an aluminum bat faster than a wood bat and there is a bigger "trampoline" effect for the ball coming off an aluminum bat. As a result, the ball comes off the bat at a much higher rate of speed.
Opponents of the bill say the data just isn't there to support the idea that more kids get hurt when aluminum bats are used. I say, so what?
Here's the thing. Smart Little League, high school and college teams that use aluminum bats in games practice with wood bats. Why? Because you learn to be a much better hitter with wood bats. With an aluminum bat you can hit the ball in on the handle and still get a relatively good hit. With a wood bat you really need to focus and concentrate on getting the "sweet spot" of the bat on the ball. Make kids use a wood bat as they learn the game and you'll create better hitters.
So I say, let's make baseball a better game and if we make it a safer game at the same time then that's a nice bonus.
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If I follow your argument, then isn't is a GOOD thing ("base hit") that Bloomberg vetoed the bill...thereby ALLOWING aluminum bats at games? Or did you WANT him to ban them...but only because wood bats hit better, not because they are safer?
ReplyDeleteNo. You don't want kids using aluminum bats because it makes it so much easier to get a hit. I want aluminum bats banned because it forces kids to learn to be a better hitter.
ReplyDeleteOn the safety issue I think that if a switch to wood bats makes the game safer then that's a bonus I'll take.