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.

Laying Off the Doughnuts

Here's an interesting article from the Wall Street Journal about the actual effect that swinging a weighted bat in the on-deck circle has on your swing at the plate.

Baseball players have used bat doughnuts or other types of weights for many years in order to make their regular bat feel lighter during their at-bat. Doughnuts are not allowed in Little League, and technically neither is the on-deck circle, but players often use two bats or a weighted bat sleeve to warm up.

But scientific testing has proven that swinging a weighted bat in the on-deck circle actually slows down your swing at the plate by activating slow-twitch muscle fibers best used for endurance, not the quick burst of speed needed to hit a fastball.

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.

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.

Titanium Necklaces: Do They Work?

If you've watched a baseball game on TV lately, you've no doubt seen titanium necklaces draped around the necks of many professional players. If you watched the World Series, you may have noticed the new braided Phiten Tornado being worn by several. Anyone can buy one in his favorite team's colors, and sales have skyrocketed. 

Since Phiten is an official MLB partner, they are very common in the game.  Some like them big and flashy.  Some not only wear them around their necks, but also on their body as discs.

Many players swear by them, but few know what they actually do. Some say they increase energy or balance. Some say they are a muscle relaxer (if that's the case, I need to wrap them around my bad back). The company claims they "regulate and balance the flow of energy throughout your body."  In turn, this "helps to alleviate discomfort, speed recovery, and counteract fatigue by restoring the body’s natural healing powers."

But doctors point out that no scientific evidence has shown that the liquid titanium, or "aqua-titanium," that the necklaces are infused with actually has any healing powers. They have not been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration, so that basically classifies them as a fashion accessory.

Fox Charlotte recently produced the story below on titanium and magnetic necklaces, and interviewed some area players, including one of my own former players, Colin Walls, about whether they actually "work," or if there is merely a placebo effect at hand. I think many young players might agree that they look cool, but I'm not sure they are worth the $25-$50 price tag unless one can actually fix my back.

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.