New Rules for High School Bats

by Ted Johnson

Contents:

• Aluminum Bat Regulations
• Grace Period
• The Weight Issue
• Do New Bats Ruin the Game?

Aluminum Bat Regulations

The National Federation of State High School Associations announced early in 2000 that in January 2001 prep players have to conform to new bat regulations. The NCAA instituted the new regulations last season with no controversy. It's not clear if high school coaches will feel the same at the end of 2001.

Prior to January 1999, all aluminum bats for high school and college could have a maximum barrel diameter of 2.75 inches. The new regulations make the collegiate bat skinnier and heavier, and now the prep bats will have the same specifications. This change was implemented because NCAA officials came to believe the modern aluminum bats gave hitters an advantage.

It is an issue of hot debate that caused great rancor in the bat business. Easton, an industry leader, was so upset it sued the NCAA. That suit has been dropped, but there still is confusion because there are two standards in existence, collegiate and prep. That confusion should disappear this year.

Grace Period

"What has happened historically," said James Sass, marketing director for Louisville Slugger, "is that the high schools have followed the colleges. But in implementing the new changes, there usually is a grace period." That grace period was 2000.

Sass pointed out that bats purchased for the 2001 season will have to conform to new standards. High school bats are now required to have a barrel diameter of 2 5/8 in. Also, the weight-length ratio is changed from a minus-5 standard to a minus-3, the same as collegiate bats. The latter issue is what troubles bat manufacturers.

The ratios work like this: A bat used to be five units lighter in weight than length. That is, a 35-inch bat could not be lighter than 30 ounces. Now that 35-inch bat must weigh at least 32 oz. - just three ounces lighter.

The Weight Issue

At the high school level, the new regulations will affect freshman and sophomores, many of whom don't have the strength to whip a 31-inch, 28-ounce bat. These younger, less developed players may have to play a 29-inch bat that weights 26 oz., and that makes it difficult to get proper plate coverage.

"In high school, there will be about three guys per team who have the ability to swing minus-3 bats," said Sass. "If you take the diameter down and affect the weight, it is going to affect high school baseball dramatically."

What a 23-year-old fifth-year senior can swing differs greatly from what a 15-year-old high school sophomore can control.

"There is a point of diminishing returns for both styles of bat and for heavier bats," said Jim Darby, Easton's marketing director for bats. The key is balance. A big, strong hitter can swing a heavier bat because they have the strength to get the bat head moving fast. When the colleges went to a minus-3 standard, that's fine. You're talking about a 23-year-old guy. It's not so easy for the high school kids."

Do New Bats Ruin the Game?

Behind this issue looms the bigger question: Do bats make a difference? After all, when they made their way into amateur baseball 20-some years ago, it was for economic reasons. Aluminum bats didn't break and therefore proved more economical to school sports budgets.

That said, today's bats have become high-tech wonders. Easton was an aluminum company that used its expertise to create top-notch bats. Many design features sound ominous, but Darby feels the impetus has been put on the tool, not the man - or teenager - swinging it. He cites statistics showing hitting averages in college having undergone minimal increases in the last 10 years. The average number of home runs is relatively the same, too. In the same span, the number of home runs currently being hit on average in Major League Baseball has increased, and those players use wood bats.

"The players of today are better athletes," claimed Darby. "The athletes of 20 years ago aren't as big and strong as the kids of today."

It also has to be said that the way young players advance through levels is different today than two decades ago. Today's player tends to focus more on one sport, play it much of the year and improve his or her skills by attending camps, which offers more personalized instruction of the highest kind. Serious younger players today spend more time playing their sport.

"When I talk to players and coaches, they buy for this season, so nothing really has changed," Darby said. "Use what's best for the player."

About the Author: Ted Johnson has covered sports for 16 years, first as a journalist in a newspaper east of San Francisco, then as a freelance writer. His experience in sports includes covering the San Francisco 49ers, San Francisco Giants, Oakland ABs, Golden State Warriors.