If you’re a fan of Major League Baseball you know that “crack” sound all too well. It is the sound of the bat making contact with the ball. But it is a sound that is often lacking in high school baseball, where aluminum and other metal – as well as other space age materials – are also allowed. Some are claiming that these lighter bats mean that there is an increase in the exit speed that could be considered dangerous. In fact, in recent years there have been incidents of injuries of players.
As a result the National Federation of State High School Associations has adopted new guidelines that will come into affect in 2012 on the performance of non-wooden bats. While still not allowed in the majors, aluminum bats were introduced in 1971 as a cheap alternative to wood – although the earliest metal bat was patented in 1924. The majors have never allowed anything but wooden bats, citing competitive and safety reasons, but since the 1970s aluminum bats have been popular with little league and amateur baseball, including at the high school and college level.
The irony is that while aluminum was often a cheaper alternative to a quality wooden bat, advances including titanium bats, lightest grade but still strong aluminum Louisville Sluggers and even double walled bats, and finally composite bats have given players the edge – but at a cost. Today a good wooden bat might cost $50 to $70, while the most advanced bats can cost $400 or more! The argument for aluminum is that it is nearly impossible to break and thus worth the extra money; that and the fact that it can give a performance edge.
Of course safety is what matters most. An advantage in performance not only endangers the other players, but it can spoil the nature of the game.