The reaction and subsequent outcry after what happened on March
11 when Marin Catholic pitcher Gunnar Sandberg took a liner off the
head has been somewhat expected.
It seems every few years, after a pitcher is injured as a result
of a come-backer hit off a metal bat, parents, grandparents,
coaches, public officials and anyone that has an opinion calls for
the removal of all things aluminum.
The reaction and subsequent outcry after what happened on March 11 when Marin Catholic pitcher Gunnar Sandberg took a liner off the head has been somewhat expected.
It seems every few years, after a pitcher is injured as a result of a come-backer hit off a metal bat, parents, grandparents, coaches, public officials and anyone that has an opinion calls for the removal of all things aluminum.
When Sandberg took a line drive to the head on March 11, the 16-year-old pitcher suffered swelling of the brain and was put into a medically-induced coma as a result. He didn’t wake for approximately two weeks.
Shortly thereafter, District 6 Assemblyman Jared Huffman called for a three-year moratorium that would ban the use of non-wood bats from high school baseball games — a political reaction that should have come as a surprise to no one.
But however expected the metal-bat uprising becomes following a metal-bat tragedy, Huffman’s bill should be taken seriously. Representing Marin and parts of Sonoma counties, Huffman would like to explore the safety of metal bats, which are used throughout the country at all amateur levels.
From college to high school to Little League, the ping! of a metal bat is now synonymous with the game, and somehow ridding the amateur level of metal bats seems like an impossible task, especially with all the data that is available, none of which seems to prove anything.
Take, for instance, a 2002 study by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. The analysis found that of the 17 deaths caused by the impact of a batted ball from 1991 to 2001, nine were caused by balls hit off of wood bats.
Furthermore, there is evidence scattered across the Internet that says the difference in speed of a baseball coming off a metal bat to a wooden bat is minimal. Of course, if you believe those lab tests, I have a bridge to sell you.
There is no question that the velocity of a baseball coming off a metal bat is far greater than that off a wooden one. I have no concrete evidence to back this up, with the exception of thousands of hours logged watching baseball games.
Look no further than that go-to answer for when someone thinks professional baseball players should use metal bats — you know, to make the game more fun.
“Are you crazy?” anyone that’s ever seen a Major League baseball game would say. “They’d kill each other!”
As for the study by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, that could very well be a mere coincidence. Although, it should be pointed out that a line drive to the head is a line drive to the head — it likely won’t matter if it’s coming off a metal bat or a wooden one. That’s simply part of the danger that comes with playing baseball.
But while we’ll get to cost in a bit, what never seems to be mentioned in these studies is the “sweet spot.” On a metal bat, the sweet spot is roughly twice as large than on a wooden bat, meaning balls will be hit harder and with greater frequency off a metal bat as a result.
Balls can come off a wood bat just as fast as those that come off a metal bat, but they certainly won’t happen as frequently.
“But just as a pitcher, you feel a lot safer (against a wood bat),” said Jeremy Kirby, a pitcher who plays in the San Jose Men’s Senior Baseball League, which plays with both metal and wood bats, depending upon the age division. Kirby, who used to operate the Kirby Bat Co. in Watsonville, has been hit five times in his career while standing atop the mound.
Any pitcher who has logged some innings probably has a story to tell about an errant come-backer, though. The growing frequency to these stories should be enough to change most people’s minds, but the issue, as always, is money.
Money was the original reason why the amateur levels went from wood to metal in the 1970s. Metal bats, although expensive, could last for years, while wood bats, which were relatively inexpensive, shattered all too frequently.
But when a metal bat already costs $400, and pitchers seem to be getting hit by line drives at a growing rate, doesn’t the cost argument of a wood bat seem to be borderline ridiculous, even a little insensitive?
Full disclosure: I have no kids, and will not be paying $60 to $75 anytime soon for a wood bat, or $400 for a metal one. And I know schools are broke and families are struggling, too. But when will the expected metal-bat uprising after the metal-bat tragedy actually turn into change?
There are now bamboo bats, which don’t break as easily as the standard maple or ash, while composite wood bats actually come with a warranty — a quick Internet search reveals composite wood bats selling for roughly $100, some of which even come with a 120-day no-break warranty, which would last a kid pretty much the entire spring season.
But while I don’t think anything will happen, it’d be interesting if Huffman’s bill is passed. Three years would be a perfect time frame to see how wood bats have improved, how often they still break, how the game is played using them and whether metal bats should be reintroduced into play.
Or, we could just say there isn’t a safety problem, and instead force pitchers to wear helmets — you know, because there isn’t a safety problem.
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Bryan Granger tossed a no-hitter on Saturday in a seven-inning game against Alisal. The San Benito junior struck out 10 — seven in the last three innings — and allowed two walks and one hit-batsman.
It is the first no-hitter for the Balers since March 8, 2008, when then-freshman Darin Gillies struck out six in a five-inning affair against Alisal.
On Friday against Alisal, Gillies allowed one hit over three innings.
Not to pile on the Trojans or anything, but they were also no-hit last year when Gilroy’s Michael Hartman threw a perfect game on April 21, while earlier this season, Mustang Tyler Price tossed a perfect game against Alisal on March 16.
——
Due to space constraints, I’ll mention these two brief college notes now with the hope of going more in depth at a later date.
Former Baler Lizzy Gatto, a 2008 graduate of San Benito High, is currently leading the softball team at Canisius College with a .376 (37 of 98) batting average. She has started in all 34 games for the Griffins, and boasts eight doubles, a triple and three home runs, as well as a .571 slugging percentage and .456 on-base percentage.
Winners of seven straight, Canisius, which is located in Buffalo, N.Y., is 22-14 overall and 6-2 in the MAAC.
Meanwhile, Brian Haggett is doing very well for West Valley College. The former Baler currently has 46 hits, which is tied for 25th in the state. He was recently batting .418, which was ranked 28th in the state, although has since dropped from the top 30 rankings in the state.
Haggett is currently batting .300 (36 of 120) with 12 doubles, two triples and 22 RBI. He has a .433 slugging and a .380 on-base percentage.
