Montana? Really? MONTANA???

[MrUmpire]

Montana Jury Awards $850,000 in Aluminum Bat Lawsuit | Flathead Beacon

[SanDiegoSteve]

I feel bad for the family, but if anyone thinks that they were unaware that aluminum bats are potential lethal weapons in the hands of a good hitter, then I have a bridge in Brooklyn I'd like to interest you in.

[Mrumpiresir]

Wouldn't break my heart if aluminum bats were outlawed. We do wood bat tournaments in the fall and there are probably fewer dingers hit but otherwise the game is the same except for the sound of the ball striking the bat. This may also be the reason those bats cost $300.00 plus.

[MrUmpire]

Originally Posted by Mrumpiresir

Wouldn't break my heart if aluminum bats were outlawed. We do wood bat tournaments in the fall and there are probably fewer dingers hit but otherwise the game is the same except for the sound of the ball striking the bat. This may also be the reason those bats cost $300.00 plus.

The main reason they cost $300 is that kids are no different today than we were in the late 50's when we hounded our parents to buy Keds because they would make us "run faster and jump higher."

[SanDiegoSteve]

Originally Posted by MrUmpire

The main reason they cost $300 is that kids are no different today than we were in the late 50's when we hounded our parents to buy Keds because they would make us "run faster and jump higher."

Other than the fact that the brand of sneakers that promised to make us "run faster and jump higher" was P.F. Fliers, that's a great comparison.

[mbyron]

Originally Posted by SanDiegoSteve

Other than the fact that the brand of sneakers that promised to make us "run faster and jump higher" was P.F. Fliers, that's a great comparison.

Keds help you "run faster and jump farther." Subtle distinction.

[UmpJM]

While my heartfelt condolences and sincere empathy go to the Patch family for their loss, I am simply incredulous that Hillerich & Bradsby was unable to retain effective counsel for this suit.

Because the bat didn't have a warning label on it??? In a LEGION game????

Sometimes, baseball is a dangerous game.

GMAFB.

JM

[jicecone]

Originally Posted by UmpJM (nee CoachJM)

While my heartfelt condolences and sincere empathy go to the Patch family for their loss, I am simply incredulous that Hillerich & Bradsby was unable to retain effective counsel for this suit.

Because the bat didn't have a warning label on it??? In a LEGION game????

Sometimes, baseball is a dangerous game.

GMAFB.

JM

And sometimes you have to pay for helping it to be that way.

[SanDiegoSteve]

The B.F. Goodrich commercial for P.F. Flyers:

[jkumpire]

Originally Posted by jicecone

And sometimes you have to pay for helping it to be that way.

People died from being hit by batted balls before the advent of the metal bat. I disagree with the lawsuit, even if I grieve with the family affected by it.

[Kevin Finnerty]

Originally Posted by Mrumpiresir

Wouldn't break my heart if aluminum bats were outlawed. We do wood bat tournaments in the fall and there are probably fewer dingers hit but otherwise the game is the same except for the sound of the ball striking the bat. This may also be the reason those bats cost $300.00 plus.

I do wood bat scout ball, wood bat 18U, wood bat 25U, wood bat college scrimmage games and intrasquad games, as well as all the regular H.S. and 18U and 25U metal. There are several major differences other than fewer homers.

Batters universally swing at fewer pitches, and fewer inside pitches especially. They're hesitant to swing at pitches they can't barrel up for certain, because wood is so unforgiving.

There are fewer poorly struck balls that make it over the infield. You don't see guys getting labeled or cued and still muscling it over the shortstop or second baseman with wood.

Pitchers challenge way more hitters. There are some pitchers that play with every batter when he's using metal against him. I see some of the same pitchers in scout ball as I see in H.S. And I see some of the same pitchers in Saturday wood bat that I see in Sunday metal bat. They pitch to metal and wood noticeably differently. My son pitches in college and he pitches to wood differently. He’s also a less aggressive batter in scout ball than in conference ball (metal).

Pitchers also pitch inside more. They're less concerned in there, because they jam more batters with wood.

Shortstops and third basemen don't play deep as often. The ball gets to them slower, and in the case of the third basemen, they’re also less fearful on bunt plays when they crash, or when they play up on a speedy batter.

Outfielders uniformly don't play as deep and fewer flares drop. Like the man said, the drives don’t go as far with wood.

There is noticeably more bunting. Fewer drives; fewer extra bases; fewer runs; more manufacturing of runs. It makes sense. Also, it’s easier to bunt accurately with a wood bat.

There are actually more, but I am tired and sore from all the running around I did today umpiring a wood bat intrasquad game.

P.S. I also hope metal bats are outlawed. A case of pro stock wood bats cost about the same money as an Easton Stealth ... and they last longer.


From the article: "The attorney said the family's victory will not likely change the way aluminum bats are used, but that it could help give momentum to efforts calling for a switch to wood bats in youth baseball."

And there will be an attorney who will someday say that the growers of this maple tree should have warned the bat company that made it into a bat that it might shatter when hit by a baseball and the shrapnel from the shattered bat that put out his client's eye would have had no chance to do so if the bat company had mandated the use of safety goggles when using the bat.

[Mrumpiresir]

Kevin, Everything you said is true. I guess what I was trying to say is that from the umpire's perspective, it really doesn't matter.

[Kevin Finnerty]

Gotcha'

But it was fun to get going with that. So ... thanks!

[jwwashburn]

Originally Posted by SanDiegoSteve

The B.F. Goodrich commercial for P.F. Flyers:

The next time I go rock climbing, I want shoes like those~!

[jwwashburn]

Originally Posted by jicecone

And sometimes you have to pay for helping it to be that way.

What a load of hooey. Who would they have sued if the kid broke his neck sliding into second? Should they sue the league?

I have five children. I cannot fathom the grief of one of them dying. I cannot fathom blaming the bat company, either. They sell bats that help you hit the ball harder and farther.

I cut myself pretty bad a few years ago making a ham sandwich. I did not sue the knife company. They sold me what I wanted: a very sharp knife.

There was a case several years back when a bat company was sued for some serious injuries in Slow Pitch softball. ASA had tested the bats and ok'd them but, the manufacturer was selling a hotter bat than the one tested. The bat company in that case did something wrong. In this case, the bat company did not do anything wrong.