So, did any of you watch the 2,047 hours of coverage from the Little League World Series?
I did. I just can't see to take my eyes off of it at this time of the year and it's one of the few non-football related events I'll tune into to watch.
Let's face it. The Sox are done, and so are the Cubs so like all Chicagoans it's time to focus on football.
And to this day for me the Little League World Series is still fun to watch.
I know, the kids should be in school, we shouldn't be putting all of that attention and focus on 11 and 12 year old kids and all of that. But I bet you've watched it now or in the recent past.
The eventual championship team hailed from California this year, and if you saw even a glimpse of the coverage you had to have seen the tremendous amount of home runs hit in this year's tournament. The 2009 series actually set an all time record for home runs hit.
Now I know what your thinking here. Juice. Steroids. Those darned 11 and 12 year old kids are loaded up, right?
No, I at least certainly hope not. It actually say's so right on the sleeve of every World Series jersey, that the players take an oath of I Won't Cheat.
Cool.
Yet while the Eastcoast Sports Programming Network celebrates the sudden outburst of power that has come from 11 and 12 year old kids (and I certainly wondered aloud about a few of those kid's ages) why doesn't anyone talk about the composite Flintstone sized bats that are all the rage on the youth baseball and softball circuit?
Ever actually swing one of these extremely costly bats?
Long gone are the days of the crack of the bat or even the ping of the old school aluminum bats.
Want your kid to hit it farther than ever? Then by all means shell out the $300-$500 plus and hear the deadened ping of the new styled composite bats and watch that ball take off like never before.
So do these bats really make a difference? Go ahead and swing one for yourself and see.
To an old school guy like myself, the new school bats are like swinging a loaded feather-weighted railroad tie. More power, a bigger barrel than ever before with half of the calories of your old bat.
Kids can get the bat around a fastball faster than ever thanks to modern technology, and the scary part is the ball will go farther and faster than ever before. Need proof? You just watched it this past week plus via the LLWS.
So while I'm glad the kids Don't Cheat anymore and that's a good thing, are loaded bats with the state of the art technology really that much better?
2 Comments
Mario Scalise said:
Great piece, and not just cause you're a football guy. As a little league coach, it bothers me when I see some kids stepping in to the batters box with these advanced bats. And I'm bothered that parents and coaches actually are ok with them buying and using these bats. It's a false sense of ability for these kids. They take a swing, turn on a good fastball because of the bat, launch the ball because of the bat, and think it's all on them. And the worst part of it all is the danger facing the pitcher and the fielders. There needs to be an end to it.
ruralvoice said:
I wrote to Steve Keener, President and CEO of Little League Baseball and received a very comprehensive and enlightening reply. I thought I would share it here as it pertains to this topic. I really appreciate Mr. Keener's forthrightness and quick reply (same day, 9/19/09)--
Mr. Greene --
Thanks for your note and your perspective regarding composite bat use in Little League play. This is a very complex issue and I won't attempt to take you through all of it in an email response, but what I will do is assure you that Little League International is attentive to the matter and is currently working through USA Baseball and its' Bat Advisory Committee (comprised of some of the most knowledgeable scientists on this subject) to determine the future direction of non wood ( composite, aluminum and other materials) bat performance standards in youth baseball. An independent field testing study, under the direction of this distinguished group, will be completed later this month at Brown University. Upon completion of the study, recommendations will be made to all youth baseball organizations specific to any necessary modifications or changes to the current non wood bat performance standards. Little League Baseball is in complete support of this independent study which will address the very issue of your concern.
You may also may know that in 2011, the NCAA will replace its current BESR performance standard with a new standard, BBCOR. The science involved in the development of the BBCOR standard is out of my area of expertise, but I do know that it will require all non wood bats to perform as close to wood bats as possible. The National HS Federation will adopt this standard as well as the teenage divisions of the Little League program. This new standard applies only to 2 5/8" barrel bats. Little League only allows use of 2 1/4" barrel bats in our 12 and under divisions and we are working through the USA Baseball committee to address these bats as well. You may also be interested to know that the NCAA would not share its data or testing results on composite bats with any of the 15 or so USA Baseball member organizations ( LLB, PONY, Babe Ruth, Dixie, AABC and others). Thus, the reason for our own independent testing.
Thanks again for sharing your thoughts with me and I hope you'll take some comfort now knowing that LLB, and all youth baseball organizations, are attentive this matter and will address it appropriately.
Steve Keener
President and CEO
Little League International
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