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High schools ban composite bats because of danger to fieldersby Sara Forhetz, KY3 News
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WILLARD, Mo.-- Composite bats, which can cost as much as $400, are now illegal in high school baseball. They have long been banned in college ball. Willard baseball coach Scott McGee says it has a lot to do with safety of the players, and he supports the ban.
Composite bats are made of carbon and, over time, that carbon builds in one spot. It then creates a hot spot on the bat. This can also happen if a player hollows out the bat. This "hot spot" acts like trampoline. When the ball hits it, it launches off the bat much faster. The ball can travel at 20-30 mph faster than it normally would, which can be dangerous for the pitcher and other players on the field. Under the new rule, adopted by high schools all over the country, bats with composite handles would still be legal; it's the barrel of the bat that is the issue. Aluminum bats will still be allowed along with wooden bats. McGee says he's seen some places selling these $400 bats for just $70 or $80, so it looks like a great deal, but players should make sure they know what they're buying and that the bat is legal. There have been several incidents involving these types of bats. A 13- year-old boy in Vermont died after being struck in the head by a ball from a composite bat. A 16-year-old high school pitcher in Illinois was also hit by a ball coming off a composite bat, and it put him in a coma for two weeks. After the coma, he needed brain surgery and had to learn basic life skills all over again. Two high school baseball players in California were also killed after they were hit from balls off those kinds of bats. Most Viewed
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