Wood Bats

[Rich]

Originally Posted by WhatWuzThatBlue

Okay...I admit that I never played with an aluminum bat. My formative years held the glory of Louisville Slugger and Adirondack squarely in its grasp. My high school years were filled with memories of bats being broken like toothpicks on cold, Spring days. My parents didn't think it was necessary to pay for batting gloves, so I got fistfulls of bees nearly every game. I liked the sound of a ball coming off of a wood bat and never really catered to the hybrids as they came out. Even now, I work a few Fall wood bat tourneys and the clock turns back forty years.

The reason I wax nostalgic is that the Chicago Public School system is considering an all wood bat policy. They would like to institute this change beginning next Spring. The board justifies it because they feel that metal bats are teaching our youths very little. Now, the CPS is not rolling in dough and I know that each program will need a couple dozen bats to last the season. The economy of it is striking. Yes, a metal bat (don't call it aluminum, pops) costs a king's ransom, but so does a box of future kindling.

Do any of you work High School or college ball that mandates the use of wood bats?

No, but I assign/work a 44-team adult league in Wisconsin that is all wood bat.

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--Rich

[DG]

Many years after my playing career was over my oldest son became old enough to play and I went out to buy him a Louisville Slugger, like I used to use. To my dismay, all the bats were aluminum, so I adjusted my thinking and bought him an aluminum bat.

These days the only games I work that use wood bats are the adult leagues, and the summer wood bat leagues for college players.

[tiger49]

In Ontario Canada all baseball after the age of 15 is Wood Bat.

[SanDiegoSteve]

I have worked the USABF 18+ traveling All-Star wood bat leagues, as well as for NABA 40+ wood bat league, which featured some former pros. I love the sound of the ash or the maple when the ball is struck solidly. It takes me back to my youth.