Girls using illegal bats. Lawsuits?

[MTR]

My point if a College coach is concerned over hotter bats then it should be a concern for the younger teams.

Didn't notice anything special when I saw them in MD on the Road to Beijing tour.

And does anyone else see the irony that it was, allegedy, his baseball counterpart in Knoxville that blew the whis.....er, sounded the alarm about the hot bats in NCAA baseball.

 

[splinterpicker]

The best hitting team I have seen was a 12u team playing up in 14u. They all were swinging RT. I still believe it is the person useing the bat. A good hitter is just that. I do not care for cheaters at all, but good hits are comming from good hitters. I tell my pitchers if you throw a change up over the middle of the plate, look out its comming right back at you. So is it a good hard hit or a mistake on the pitcher.

 

[qwikvr6gti]

You should absolutly take legal action against the parents.

 

[RobD]

So, if a wood bat is used and it breaks, and part flies into the infield and a girl get hit and hurt, the parents should sue the batter and her parents? Or if a hard hit line drive or ground ball off a aluminum or wood bat hits a girls and busts up her face, there should be lawsuits there to? Its the same situation, but a different bat. You cant discriminate and sue because it happened off a composite bat. Accidents can and will happen in all sports. If a bat is confiscated after a girl hits a good hard ball back at a infielder, they may be able to prove if it was shaved or not, but you wont prove a thing if it was rolled, since rolling is the equivalent of a well broke in bat you will see no difference. With all the emphasis on lifting weights, better technique, etc, girls are hitting ball harder and further than ever before. With this, there will be injuries from using any bat. Nobody wants to see their kid get hurt when playing sports, but fact is, it happens. I think it would be really hard to prove much in order to have a chance for a lawsuit.

 

[MTR]

So, if a wood bat is used and it breaks, and part flies into the infield and a girl get hit and hurt, the parents should sue the batter and her parents? Or if a hard hit line drive or ground ball off a aluminum or wood bat hits a girls and busts up her face, there should be lawsuits there to? Its the same situation, but a different bat. You cant discriminate and sue because it happened off a composite bat. Accidents can and will happen in all sports. If a bat is confiscated after a girl hits a good hard ball back at a infielder, they may be able to prove if it was shaved or not, but you wont prove a thing if it was rolled, since rolling is the equivalent of a well broke in bat you will see no difference.

Myth that too many people believe

 

[FPMark]

There are specifications mandated for compliance of bats used by every sanction in fastpitch softball. If a bat is altered to exceed these spec's, then it is illegal for use. It is my opinion that the sanction should take a stand that illegal bats will not be tollerated. The only way to enforce it is to assure stiff penalties for deliberate violation. I also believe that, should an illegal bat be used when a child gets hurt, there should be a willingness to press criminal charges for negligence. Legal prosecution and law suits are two different things, even though being convicted would most likely result in law suits of some sort. If there are no penalties for violation, why have a legal specification?

RobD, If a wood or other type bat is legal for use, then the batter or parents cannot be held liable for any accident that results in an injury. Playing sports is not completely safe from injury, This is why the sanctions require bat spec's, to keep injuries from escalating.

 

[absdad]

If a bat is confiscated after a girl hits a good hard ball back at a infielder, they may be able to prove if it was shaved or not, but you wont prove a thing if it was rolled, since rolling is the equivalent of a well broke in bat you will see no difference.

I used to believe that too, but learned that's just not the case. You can in fact, determine if a bat has been rolled. Umpires are being schooled on how to detect a rolled bat. A simple sheet of paper.

 

[RobD]

For something like a lawsuit or to be prosecuted, it would have to be proven beyond a doubt and there is no way that would happen. The only way to really police it would be to have the equipment and a tech at every single game and test every bat to make sure it dont exceed the 98mph rule. To make any bat produce to that bats maximum, the ball has to be hit solid and hard or you wont see any advantage of having a composite bat. I think the talk about illegal bats and lawsuits are being way overblown. So many are looking for any little excuse to file a lawsuit. It is like when a batter shows bunt and the first and third basemen come charging towards home, then the batter pulls back and swings away. If that batter smokes one and hits one of the charging infielders, will everyone scream for a lawsuit then to? It wouldnt matter what bat was used in that case.

 

[Amy in AZ.]

The incidents of people being injured by rolled and shaved bats, is occurring mostly in slowpitch. When an accident occurs, the bat must be secured by hopefully, the umpire. There are steps that are in place to see if the bat has been altered. Of course, manufacturers do not want their bats altered and there are laws in place for that, too.

Why is bat doctoring illegal?

 

[RobD]

Shaving is more dangerous than anything as a shaved bat has a quite a bit more snap than something like rolling and has the danger of breaking and splintering because of thinning the walls. Rolling may increase performance quicker , but it dont perform any better than being well broke in. With this testing it wont show higher than with regular use. Didnt some of the older bats exceed 98 after break in and that was why they were discontinued? I would think if it becomes a big issue, the older bats will be banned to.