Little League Bat Info Page

If you are wondering the difference between BBCOR and a BPF... or comp vs. alloy... or you want to know which bats will be allowed this season... Little League has put all of this information and more on one page. Here's more info regarding the new Little League bat info page. Keep in mind that Myers Park Trinity is currently associated with Little League, Inc. in only the 5- through 12-year-old baseball divisions. Our older divisions and our Softball program do not fall under Little League rules.

Little League Bat Regulations Announced For 2012

Little League International has announced its bat regulations for the 2012 season. There do not appear to be any major changes at the Major League level and below. The composite bat moratorium and updated list of approved composite bats remains in effect. Here is more info.

Keep in mind that the Myers Park Trinity Softball division, as well as our Junior League baseball division and above, are NOT governed by Little League.

The History of Metal

With all the talk going on this year about the safety issues surrounding composite metal bats, I found this article on the history of aluminum bats interesting. The quality of these bats has come a long way since they were first introduced in 1970 - from the hunk-o-metal I used while playing on our fields, to the lightweight alloys and composites of today with a nearly can't-miss sweet spot. Enjoy...

More Composite Bats Get LL Waivers

Little League has granted several more waivers under its composite bat moratorium at the Majors Division and below:  a couple of DeMarini CF4's and some of last year's Easton Stealth models. The Stealths are surprising to me, as they are quality bats and I had figured the older model composites would be too "hot" to pass Little League testing. Here is the updated list of waivers.

Only Five Composite Bat Waivers So Far

Little League Baseball, Inc. has been testing various composite bats for the past few weeks to see which ones might be granted a waiver under the recent moratorium on the use of such bats at its Majors Division and below.

So far, only five bats have received a waiver:  the Mattingly Ballistk, Easton Omen -10, Easton Omen -12, Easton Stealth Speed -12 and Louisville Slugger's TPX Maverick. Sorry boys - no Combats yet.

First Youth Composite Bat Waiver Granted

Little League, Inc. has announced the first youth composite bat to be tested and receive a waiver of the moratorium instituted on December 30th for its Majors Division and below. I don't know that anyone in our league has it, but it's a Mattingly Balistk. I have doubts that many more will get a waiver, but we'll have to wait and see over the coming weeks. Here is the page where Little League will list all waivers. And remember to check here for all approved non-composite barreled bats.

More Info From Little League on Composite Bats

Little League, Inc. has provided additional information on its composite-barreled bat moratorium, which was announced on December 30th for its 12-and-under divisions of play. Williamsport released an article today on its website with clarification on various aspects of the decision.

Little League points out that it has not created new bat standards, but is rather enforcing its existing safety guidelines (1.15 BPF). Through scientific testing, it was discovered that composite-barreled bats, once broken in, were exceeding those standards.

More helpful to coaches and parents, Little League included in today's information a short FAQ section at the bottom of its article, a link to its Facebook discussion on the subject, and most importantly, a detailed list of specific non-wood bats that are currently approved for play in 2011. I received my own new bat today and was relieved to see it on the list.

I will continue to post more information as I get it. At some point, they will publish a list of any composite bats receiving a waiver, if any. Click on the "Bats" label below for more info.

Immediate Moratorium on All Composite Bats

Little League Baseball, Inc. has placed an immediate moratorium on the use of all composite bats in its Major League and Minor League Baseball Divisions and below.

This decision extends its previously announced moratorium on such bats in the Little League Junior, Senior and Big League Divisions. The rules for these three older divisions do not apply to Myers Park Trinity, as we are affiliated with the Babe Ruth League at those levels. The moratorium also does not apply to MPTLL Softball, but it does affect our Major League, National League (minors) and American League (machine pitch).

The new ban refers to any bat constructed with a composite barrel, which means it is made with a woven composite of metal fibers. This construction provides such advantages as lighter barrels, less vibration and greater energy transfer. It is my understanding that composite handles are still allowed.

Little League's recent study conducted at the University of Massachusetts at Lowell found that new composite bats meet the required Bat Performance Factor (BPF) of 1.15 or below. But once broken in, the bats can exceed these mandatory safety standards.

At this time, all composites are banned. But as they did above the Major League level, Little League will allow bat manufacturers to apply for an exemption on certain models. If any models are approved for such an exemption, Little League will post them on its website.

But for now, this means we will be using aluminum bats this spring - which isn't all bad. There are several good aluminum alloy bats on the market to be had. And if they are considered to be safer for use on our small field, then we should welcome the change.

For more information on composite bats and this recent announcement, check out the article posted by Little League and read through my previous posts regarding bats.

Happy New Year!

Still No News from Little League on Composite Bats

Oh, how I hate to bump the awesome picture of Bob Feller down the page. But we must move on....

This is just a reminder, before any new Christmas morning bats are opened (although probably not used out in the winter wonderland that surely awaits us). Little League has not announced any results of their study on the safety of youth composite-barreled bats. They did put out this brief message after Thanksgiving, but it really says nothing.

I am surprised they didn't do all this a little sooner, like before the shopping season. The bat companies cannot be happy. But we'll look for the results from Little League next week, as they are supposed to make an announcement by January 1st. They will probably do the same thing they did with their Junior and Senior League (although this does not affect MPTLL's Junior and Senior Babe Ruth divisions), and post a list of those composite bats that will be approved for play in 2011 Majors and Minors. It could be that many of the bats we know and love are banned. We'll just have to keep waiting and find out.

Happy Cyber Monday

The holiday shopping season is kicking it into full gear. Here are some ideas for the baseball player or fan in your house.........

Equipment:

You might want to hold off on bats if you're considering the composite variety. Little League would be helpful to announce the results of their study before Christmas. But if not, you can either wait to see which composites will be allowed, or go ahead and look for a good aluminum alloy bat.  CloseoutBats.com usually has great deals on Eastons.

For other equipment, BaseballSavings.com has low prices, but stock is often limited. Locally, you can go to In the Game Athletics, a good baseball store in Matthews behind Target. Dick's Sporting Goods has all the basics and is pretty good for gloves, like Nokona, Wilson and Rawlings. Omega at Park Road or the Arboretum also has a decent, although small baseball section.


Clothing:

Baseball Savings is great for pants. Dick's would be the place for Under Armour. Need a good hat - go to Lids.com. They have every type of MLB team hat you can imagine. There is also plenty of good fan gear at shop.MLB.com.


Movies:

If you're looking for a good family baseball flick, you can't go wrong with Field of Dreams, The Sandlot, or Little Big League.


Training Aids:

The best thing a player can have in the backyard is a tee and a net. He can work on his swing and use the net for throwing too. Baseball Savings is a good place to go for these and other training aids. There are loads of options.

Composite Bats Update

Minor update regarding Little League's position on composite bats (see my previous post about this issue).....

Little League has contracted with the University of Massachusetts at Lowell to immediately study the performance levels of various composite bats to see which ones are considered safe for play. They plan to announce their findings by the first of the year.

As of now, most composite bats are still allowed in the Major League division and below. But any models that are found to have a Bat Performance Factor (BPF) or Accelerated Break-In (ABI) measurement beyond Little League limits will most likely be banned for 2011. Stay tuned....

Statement from Little League Regarding Composite Bats

Parents and coaches might want to hold off on buying their next composite baseball bat. In a September 1, 2010 statement from Little League headquarters in Williamsport, PA, the organization has announced an immediate moratorium on the use of composite bats at the Junior, Senior and Big League levels.

Composite bats are widely considered to be the most technologically advanced sticks on the market. Their barrels have an interior woven composite of metal fibers, which provides three distinct advantages over aluminum bats: lighter barrels, less vibration, and greater energy. That's why people say the ball seems to "jump" off a nicely broken-in composite bat.

The National Federation of High School Associations placed a temporary ban on composites in July, and now Little League has followed suit. But the Little League moratorium only applies to the Junior, Senior and Big League divisions. Myers Park Trinity is associated with Babe Ruth in those age groups and is therefore not affected by this ruling. It does not apply to the Little League 12-and-under divisions, at least yet.

But stay tuned. As you can see in the last paragraph of the Little League announcement, they are considering banning the bats at the younger levels prior to Spring 2011. Here is the LINK.