Bat Safety is Primary Concern for Upcoming Little League Season

There are few things as quintessentially American as Little League baseball. As spring quickly approaches, the breaking in of new gloves, try-out preparation and, of course, player safety, will be on the minds of parents and their youngsters.

Little League International made the safety of young baseball players a priority at the end of 2010, banning composite baseball bats — bats made with metal alloy barrels to decrease weight and increase strength and power, similar to metal alloys used to improve the performance of golf clubs and lacrosse sticks.

In the hunt to gain a competitive edge, composite bats have gained popularity over their aluminum-barrel counterparts. Safety problems, however, arose as players' sought the lightest bat with the most power and bat manufacturers have scrambled to meet the growing demand. The result has been baseballs flying off of bats faster and farther than ever; farther than any Little Leaguer should be able to hit, if you ask Rich Scott, owner of in Windsor.

Scott's has provided equipment to Little League players and teams in central Connecticut for more than 30 years, and Rich Scott has seen an increasing concern over the safety of players faced with line drives that seem to be flying faster each year.

"No one wants to see junior get hurt,” Scott said.

Each year, there are instances of Little Leaguers being injured by hard line drives fielded on baseball diamonds that are significantly smaller than those at the Babe Ruth and high school levels. To address the issue, Little League International commissioned a study of composite-bat performance that was conducted by the University of Massachusetts - Lowell.

Stephen Keener, president and chief executive officer of Little League International, said, "the maximum performance standard for non-wood bats in the divisions for 12-year-olds and below is a bat performance factor of 1.15."

"The research found that composite bats, while they may meet the standard when new, can exceed that standard after a break-in process,” he said at the time of the moratorium's announcement.

The initial ban allowed the use of aluminum-only bat barrels, ensuring safety, but leaving players and parents with an unusable composite bat that can cost up to $200.

The ban has made it difficult for consumers, said Scott. But, he continued, parents who recently bought a composite bat might be glad to hear that Little League International has begun retesting the banned-bats, and many have been approved for play, particularly those made by companies that are baseball staples, such as Easton and Louisville Slugger.

A partial list of approved bats can be found on the Little League International Web site. According to the site, bats have undergone an "accelerated break in process" in which some have continued to fail, but others have proven to be safe.

To determine whether a composite bat has been approved, ask a local sports equipment distributor or local Little League officials.

Vice President of Little League International Patrick Wilson said the organization has kept local Little Leagues abreast of the banning and retesting process.

"Going forward, we will let our leagues know which ones meet the standards for the Little League Baseball 12-and-under divisions," he said.

The bat-ban does not apply to Little League softball.