going batty ??

[greymule]

When metal bats began seeing general use (early 1970s?—I can't remember exactly when), many players continued to use their wooden bats. The metal bats cost more and didn't hit the ball any farther. They didn't "ping," either; in fact, I couldn't tell by hitting the ball whether the bat was wood or metal. Metal took over not because the bats were juiced, but because they didn't break or splinter, and were impervious to water.

I remember when only genuine sluggers could hit a Dudley Day-Nite over a 10-foot fence 300 feet away. Now even the E-leaguers have trouble keeping the ball in the park, and the sluggers hit the ball 400 feet.

Many leagues now mandate a deader ball to compensate for the red-hot bats. I'd rather see a normal ball used with bats that meet a uniform (reasonable) standard for "liveness."