Proposed change to the CWS

[ShockerFever]

I would throw in another pro on the wood bat side of the argument: safety.

It is scientifically proven that the inelasticity of a metal bat results in less reaction time for the pitcher. This alone is enough reason for me to advocate a switch.

And yes, I am a traditionalist who hates the 'ping' sound and sawed off bloop doubles to the opposite field.

I have only heard of one death in baseball on the field recently and it was a minor league game with a wood bat.

Tell these families there's no difference between aluminum and wood.

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/16/sp...ewanted=1&_r=1

Did any of those examples you listed happen in college?

College players may have a bit more reaction/reflex time than Little Leaguers or High Schoolers. Either way, like Charlie said, a line drive off a wooden bat can kill you just as well. And things like this happen in sports. It sucks. It's unfortunate, but it's part of the game you play.

Pretty soon you have tee-ballers playing with wooden bats and all of a sudden the field shrinks from 9 players to 6 because there's no need for outfielders at that level because no balls would get out of the infield.

[CharlieHog]

There are a lot of ways that college football and the NFL differ. From rule changes like 1 or 2 feet in-bounds to the way the refs call fouls. It's makes it a very different game.

College basketball and the NBA are even more different. Should college basketball lighten up on the traveling rule because that's how it's done in the pros? Should they move the 3 point line back the pro-line? For that matter maybe we should make American basketball more in line with international basketball, change the lane to match, etc. Maybe we should make the college shot clock 24 seconds.

Etc.

Sports fans in this country are blessed to have a lot of different sports to follow. Enjoy them for what they are instead of insisting that everything be the same.

[ShockCity]

I would throw in another pro on the wood bat side of the argument: safety.

It is scientifically proven that the inelasticity of a metal bat results in less reaction time for the pitcher. This alone is enough reason for me to advocate a switch.

And yes, I am a traditionalist who hates the 'ping' sound and sawed off bloop doubles to the opposite field.

I have only heard of one death in baseball on the field recently and it was a minor league game with a wood bat.

Tell these families there's no difference between aluminum and wood.

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/16/sp...ewanted=1&_r=1

Did any of those examples you listed happen in college?

College players may have a bit more reaction/reflex time than Little Leaguers or High Schoolers. Either way, like Charlie said, a line drive off a wooden bat can kill you just as well. And things like this happen in sports. It sucks. It's unfortunate, but it's part of the game you play.

Pretty soon you have tee-ballers playing with wooden bats and all of a sudden the field shrinks from 9 players to 6 because there's no need for outfielders at that level because no balls would get out of the infield.

In March of this year, Andrew Sanchez, a college pitcher for Cal
State Northridge, sued the maker of Louisville Slugger bats and
the NCAA after his skull was fractured by a line drive in an
April 1999 game against the University of Southern California.

[ShockerFever]

Start the season right at the end of the NCAA basketball tournament and end with the CWS right before school starts. Someone tell me why the NCAA doesn't do this. It will bring in more money with more schools in the north getting serious. Someone explain this madness to me.

Say goodbye to the NBC World Series. Say goodbye to the Cape Cod League and every other form of summer ball.

Say goodbye to Omaha because they would never allow for it.

Say hello to 100-degree first pitches in a large majority of the country.

Say hello to players being on campus 365 days a year. Talk about BURNOUT.


It sucks the way it is but there's just no way around the disadvantages this sport offers.

[ShockerFever]

There are a lot of ways that college football and the NFL differ. From rule changes like 1 or 2 feet in-bounds to the way the refs call fouls. It's makes it a very different game.

College basketball and the NBA are even more different. Should college basketball lighten up on the traveling rule because that's how it's done in the pros? Should they move the 3 point line back the pro-line? For that matter maybe we should make American basketball more in line with international basketball, change the lane to match, etc. Maybe we should make the college shot clock 24 seconds.

Etc.

Sports fans in this country are blessed to have a lot of different sports to follow. Enjoy them for what they are instead of insisting that everything be the same.

BINGO.

(This was what I was trying to say Newshock, which Charlie articulated magnificently.)

[ShockerFever]

I would throw in another pro on the wood bat side of the argument: safety.

It is scientifically proven that the inelasticity of a metal bat results in less reaction time for the pitcher. This alone is enough reason for me to advocate a switch.

And yes, I am a traditionalist who hates the 'ping' sound and sawed off bloop doubles to the opposite field.

I have only heard of one death in baseball on the field recently and it was a minor league game with a wood bat.

Tell these families there's no difference between aluminum and wood.

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/16/sp...ewanted=1&_r=1

Did any of those examples you listed happen in college?

College players may have a bit more reaction/reflex time than Little Leaguers or High Schoolers. Either way, like Charlie said, a line drive off a wooden bat can kill you just as well. And things like this happen in sports. It sucks. It's unfortunate, but it's part of the game you play.

Pretty soon you have tee-ballers playing with wooden bats and all of a sudden the field shrinks from 9 players to 6 because there's no need for outfielders at that level because no balls would get out of the infield.

In March of this year, Andrew Sanchez, a college pitcher for Cal
State Northridge, sued the maker of Louisville Slugger bats and
the NCAA after his skull was fractured by a line drive in an
April 1999 game against the University of Southern California.

Ok, thanks.

So one college example in the last how many years?

It sucks but it happens. I've also heard plenty of injuries that have happened with wooden bats, including a first-base coach being killed a couple years ago in the minors, as Charlie said.

It's not enough of a difference to completely change the whole idea of the sport.

[ShockCity]

The whole idea of the sport is aluminum bats? I don't agree with that.

[ShockerFever]

The whole idea of the sport is aluminum bats? I don't agree with that.

I didn't articulate that very well. There's so many differences between college baseball and professional baseball. This being one of them. Don't try and make this a professional grade sport when you don't have to.

[shocky]

Say goodbye to the NBC World Series. Say goodbye to the Cape Cod League and every other form of summer ball.

Don't care about the NBC and really don't about cape cod league. Most fans don't IMO. They will get players for the NBC World Series, just not from the NCAA. I care about the health of college baseball, not summer leagues. You can play summer league all you want after you graduate from WSU...GO Shox!

Say goodbye to Omaha because they would never allow for it.

This is just crazy. Omaha needs the CWS a lot more than the CWS needs Omaha. Omaha will host this game in January if it had to. If not, there are many cities just waiting to take their place. Trust me on this one.

Say hello to 100-degree first pitches in a large majority of the country.

Is this not BASEBALL...BOYS OF SUMMER..HOTDOGS..BEER???? Skip work to catch a game on a sunny afternoon?? What would you rather have? 100 degrees or 35 degrees. You can do better than that for an argument.

Say hello to players being on campus 365 days a year. Talk about BURNOUT.

Most of these guys, if not all, would be playing and not going to class for most of the season. How great would that be for an athlete. Also, when I was going to WSU most athletes stayed in Wichita and trained the whole year. Plus, hot coeds all year long. Ya...I feel sooo bad for those baseball players and their burnout. I'm sure they will get over it some how.


It sucks the way it is but there's just no way around the disadvantages this sport offers.

There is, without a doubt, a way to improve the sport. But no one is willing make the tough choices that may upset the college baseball apple cart. Southern schools just have it to good with the status quo. Kids off campus during the summer. Weather advantage that forces northern teams to schedule at their parks for 1st half of the season. Weather as a recruiting tool as well. They will hold on to the status quo like grim death. I can't say I blame them, except it's completely unfair.