|
OT Lawmakers Look To Ban Metal Bats
New Jersey lawmakers are trying to ban metal bats, stating that they are
more dangerous than wooden bats. A child was struck by a ball hit off a metal bat and is now in a coma. Now, I'm not trying to minimize what happened to the child, but isn't this a bit too far? Its just another thing that someone is trying to take from us. I was talking toour neighbor yesterday about how the place has changed. He's well into his 70's and said that if I were around back then I would be horrified of all the freedoms we've lost over the past 50 years. I remember when I was in elem. school, for show n tell I took 30.06 bullets, yes LIVE bullets. No one thought anything of it. We used to take our guns to school for hunting afterwards across the street! I used to ride in my parents cars IN the back windows! Yes I know its all for safety, but its just another bit of life "THEY" take away. If "they" stop telling us how to live safely then maybe we wouldn't have to be building all these damn houses and projects and taking away all the land! Sorry had to rant. But there is wood content,, WOODEN BATS!!! Anyone make they're own wooden bat? Shopdog |
OT Lawmakers Look To Ban Metal Bats
I remember in the 6th grade a boy took his swing and let go of the bat. It went right back at the catcher's face and the end of the bat went right into one of his eyes (can't remember which eye), and he wore that black eye for almost two weeks. The metal bat didn't do anything wrong, it is where on the child's head the ball struck him. I remeber riding in the back seat of he car unrestrained, but the cars were cars then and not made out of plastic and fiberglass. I also rmember taking the Mauser from WWII to school, kind of like show and tell. No one thought a thing of it. I am always referring to the "good old days" and someone quickly reminds me that they weren't so good. Maybe not, but they were better than some we have now. |
OT Lawmakers Look To Ban Metal Bats
Shopdog wrote:
New Jersey lawmakers are trying to ban metal bats, stating that they are more dangerous than wooden bats. A child was struck by a ball hit off a metal bat and is now in a coma. Now, I'm not trying to minimize what happened to the child, but isn't this a bit too far? Its just another thing that someone is trying to take from us. I was talking toour neighbor yesterday about how the place has changed. He's well into his 70's and said that if I were around back then I would be horrified of all the freedoms we've lost over the past 50 years. I remember when I was in elem. school, for show n tell I took 30.06 bullets, yes LIVE bullets. No one thought anything of it. We used to take our guns to school for hunting afterwards across the street! I used to ride in my parents cars IN the back windows! Yes I know its all for safety, but its just another bit of life "THEY" take away. If "they" stop telling us how to live safely then maybe we wouldn't have to be building all these damn houses and projects and taking away all the land! Sorry had to rant. But there is wood content,, WOODEN BATS!!! Anyone make they're own wooden bat? Shopdog Guy running a shop up the road a bit made one a while back. Can't quite see anyone using it at a game though. http://www.customwoodcrafter.com/ballbat.htm Joe |
OT Lawmakers Look To Ban Metal Bats
"Shopdog" wrote in message
Sorry had to rant. But there is wood content,, WOODEN BATS!!! My turn, then ... Bats shouldn't be made from anything but wood! Just compare the satisfying sound of a wooden bat hitting a ball with the aggravating, metallic ping of a metal bat. The sound of an aluminum bat hitting a ball, akin to someone scraping fingernails on a blackboard, is a crime against nature, Mom and Apple Pie, and could only be enjoyed by some dufus who wears his baseball cap backwards .... indeed, there oughta be a law! Now, someone else's turn ... -- www.e-woodshop.net Last update: 10/29/06 |
OT Lawmakers Look To Ban Metal Bats
"Swingman" countered with "Shopdog" wrote in message Sorry had to rant. But there is wood content,, WOODEN BATS!!! My turn, then ... Bats shouldn't be made from anything but wood! Just compare the satisfying sound of a wooden bat hitting a ball with the aggravating, metallic ping of a metal bat. The sound of an aluminum bat hitting a ball, akin to someone scraping fingernails on a blackboard, is a crime against nature, Mom and Apple Pie, and could only be enjoyed by some dufus who wears his baseball cap backwards ... indeed, there oughta be a law! Now, someone else's turn ... Metal bats, wooden bats, it has all been done before. How about a polypropylene bat, the Brooklyn Smasher? http://www.coldsteel.com/92bs.html |
OT Lawmakers Look To Ban Metal Bats
Swingman wrote:
Bats shouldn't be made from anything but wood! Neither should hockey sticks. |
OT Lawmakers Look To Ban Metal Bats
FWIIW, I understand that in eastern Europe, where you can't have
firearms, that an aluminum bat is the weapon of choice among thugs, etc. You can see where this is all heading... |
OT Lawmakers Look To Ban Metal Bats
"Lee Michaels" wrote in message Metal bats, wooden bats, it has all been done before. How about a polypropylene bat, the Brooklyn Smasher? So, instead of the satisfying sound of a wooden bat or the tinny sound of an metal bat, what sound do you get? |
OT Lawmakers Look To Ban Metal Bats
"Upscale" wrote "Lee Michaels" wrote in message Metal bats, wooden bats, it has all been done before. How about a polypropylene bat, the Brooklyn Smasher? So, instead of the satisfying sound of a wooden bat or the tinny sound of an metal bat, what sound do you get? You get the swarmy, unsettling sound of PLASTIC!! It is similar to the sound of your credit card going through the scanner, only much louder. What could be more contemporary and american than that? (I have had no experience with this bat.) The above remarks were my crude attempt at a metaphor of some kind. It should be pointed out that the above bat was primarily designed as a serious, non-firearm weapon. As though the wooden and aluminum bats were somehow or another inadequate in this respect. |
OT Lawmakers Look To Ban Metal Bats
"Shopdog" wrote in message
news:uFF1h.3662$B44.847@trndny07... New Jersey lawmakers are trying to ban metal bats, stating that they are more dangerous than wooden bats. A child was struck by a ball hit off a metal bat and is now in a coma. Oh--BASEBALL bats. I thought at first that they were on about some kind of Halloween decor. Now, I'm not trying to minimize what happened to the child, but isn't this a bit too far? Its just another thing that someone is trying to take from us. I was talking toour neighbor yesterday about how the place has changed. He's well into his 70's and said that if I were around back then I would be horrified of all the freedoms we've lost over the past 50 years. I remember when I was in elem. school, for show n tell I took 30.06 bullets, yes LIVE bullets. No one thought anything of it. We used to take our guns to school for hunting afterwards across the street! I used to ride in my parents cars IN the back windows! Yes I know its all for safety, but its just another bit of life "THEY" take away. If "they" stop telling us how to live safely then maybe we wouldn't have to be building all these damn houses and projects and taking away all the land! Classic example of idiot legislators going after the wrong end of the problem, probably because "if it only saves one life" and "for the children" (two of the scariest phrases in the English language when uttered by a politician) can be combined to get votes and banning aluminum bats is _easy_. The real problem seems to be that kids are more vulnerable than adults to "commotio cordis", a condition where a light impact to the chest at just the right time can induce fibrillation, and when they're tired from exercise they beome even more so. Doesn't matter if it was an aluminum bat, a wooden bat, or a thrown ball, if it hits at just the right time and in just hte right place the kid goes down and if he doesn't get prompt and competent help he stays down. 50 mph on a softball will do it for a healthy adult--that doesn't take an aluminum bat. What makes more sense to me is a triple strategy--teach the kids to protect themselves--that's as simple as holding your gloved hand in front of your chest when the ball is in play and you aren't actively in the process of trying to catch it (not a problem for fielders IMO, the runner shouldn't be square-on to the ball anyway so if I understand the mechanism correctly he's less at risk); teach the coaches and officials to administer CPR to kids and require that they have a current certificate in order to coach or officiate; require that _somebody_ have an automatic defibrillator available at each game--how this will be paid for and who's responsible is why the legislators get paid the big bucks. Sorry had to rant. But there is wood content,, WOODEN BATS!!! Anyone make they're own wooden bat? Shopdog |
OT Lawmakers Look To Ban Metal Bats
|
OT Lawmakers Look To Ban Metal Bats
My son has played organized baseball since he was 5 and he is 15 now
and everybody has always used a metal bat. They were just coming into being when I was in Little League and have come a long way. I remember when he was 9-years-old and I saw a somewhat smallish 10-year-old who wasnt all that good literally CRUSH a ball that almost took off the pitchers head. It was then and there that I realized something is way wrong with metal bats and it isn't the stupid "Ping!" sound either. The ball was definitely coming off the bat harder and faster than off a wooden bat. I have done a lot of reseasrch and have come to realize that a metal bat is supposed to do just that: Increase the speed the ball comes off the bat and the distance. The way it does that is they have come out with more and more metals that can be made into a bat with the walls being thinner and thinner and more flexible. Inside the metal bat is a bladder like in a football. This bladder contains various type of pressurized gas. WHen the walls of the bat are flexed into the bladder, the ball literlaly springs off the bat with ungodly power and speed. Colleges have been thinking about switching from metal bats to wooden ones again as well. The metal bats, obviously, last a lot longer because they rarely break. But when the players use a wooden bat for the major league scouts, their balls fall 40-50-60+-feet shorter than they normally would. This turns a player who is a home run hitter into a hitter that hits long flyball outs. This proves the theory that a ball is hit further with a metal bat than with a wooden bat. Finally, I know it is harder for fielders, especially outfielders, to play their position with metal bats because a dinky little pop to the pitcher sounds the same as a double against the fence. Not that somehting like that should make a difference but when a skinny little kid can hit a ball a lot harder than he is supposed to, it gets dangerous. And don't forget: 9- and 10-year-olds pitch from 48-feet away and their reflexes are not nearly as developed as an older person and if that skinny little kid hits a ball like a 16-year-old, don't you think that puts the pitcher at a severe disadvantage? I will get off my soapbox now... |
OT Lawmakers Look To Ban Metal Bats
J. Clarke wrote: "Shopdog" wrote in message news:uFF1h.3662$B44.847@trndny07... New Jersey lawmakers are trying to ban metal bats, stating that they are more dangerous than wooden bats. A child was struck by a ball hit off a metal bat and is now in a coma. Couldn't the kids just wear a chest protector, like you can use for Cricket http://www.barringtonsports.com/cric..._Protector.htm ? |
OT Lawmakers Look To Ban Metal Bats
Shopdog wrote:
snip He's well into his 70's and said that if I were around back then I would be horrified of all the freedoms we've lost over the past 50 years. I remember when I was in elem. school, for show n tell I took 30.06 bullets, yes LIVE bullets. No one thought anything of it. We used to take our guns to school for hunting afterwards across the street! snip At the end of WWII, when that 70's neighbor was maybe 10 years old, there were less than 150 million people in the USA. We just passed 300 million a few days ago. The amount of land hasn't changed except when Alaska & Hawaii were granted statehood. That land across the street where you used to hunt, probably has houses on it today. The point is that more people in the same space create more demanding conditions. Lew |
OT Lawmakers Look To Ban Metal Bats
wrote in message I will get off my soapbox now... Before you do, what about the schools that are banning playing Tag now? |
OT Lawmakers Look To Ban Metal Bats
"Edwin Pawlowski" wrote wrote in message I will get off my soapbox now... Before you do, what about the schools that are banning playing Tag now? If I ever get a surplus of time, I will write a book detailing all the things that happened to me in elementary school. People think I make this stuff up. They are horrified. And it was just a typical country school where I grew up. Example; If a ball went over the fence, we needed three guys to retrieve it. Two to keep the angry, territorial bull distracted. And one to recover the ball. Needless to say, the two bull distractors were are fastest runners. And the reason we used two was if one fell down. And the fact that almost no one at our school had money enough to wear those fancy tennis shoes to play soccer. We just used our regular work/logging boots. |
OT Lawmakers Look To Ban Metal Bats
"Swingman" wrote in message ... "Shopdog" wrote in message Bats shouldn't be made from anything but wood! Just compare the satisfying sound of a wooden bat hitting a ball with the aggravating, metallic ping of a metal bat. The sound of an aluminum bat hitting a ball, akin to someone scraping fingernails on a blackboard, is a crime against nature, Mom and Apple Pie, and could only be enjoyed by some dufus who wears his baseball cap backwards ... indeed, there oughta be a law! //////////////////////////////////////////// About as annoying as the "ping" from those non wooden drivers everyone seems to be using this day and time!!! |
OT Lawmakers Look To Ban Metal Bats
On Tue, 31 Oct 2006 19:00:58 GMT, Lew Hodgett
wrote: We just passed 300 million a few days ago. The amount of land hasn't changed except when Alaska & Hawaii were granted statehood. That land across the street where you used to hunt, probably has houses on it today. The point is that more people in the same space create more demanding conditions. Lew I'm with you, Lew. I believe that there is a critical density of population that describes the difference between living a decent life and not. I have no backup for this, in a scientific sense, but it is a strong feeling in me. A strong feeling is usually a synthetic judgment about a condition. It is not scientifically informed but it is the end result of your experience in life. There is perhaps a perfect density that describes the boundary between the vibrance associated with a strong community vs. the dehumanizing aspects of overcrowding. I grew up in a small town that was the focal point of the surrounding agricultural community. As you say, the places that I used to hunt and fish are now covered by houses. It seems far too urban to me. New arrivals admire it for its rustification. Go figger. I believe that the Nation State took over from the City State concept because of density. Although it addressed volume - I do not think that the concept addressed quality of life. But, here we are. Regards, Tom Watson tjwatson1ATcomcastDOTnet (real email) http://home.comcast.net/~tjwatson1/ |
OT Lawmakers Look To Ban Metal Bats
On Tue, 31 Oct 2006 10:35:06 GMT, "Shopdog" wrote:
New Jersey lawmakers are trying to ban metal bats, stating that they are more dangerous than wooden bats. A child was struck by a ball hit off a metal bat and is now in a coma. Now, I'm not trying to minimize what Never mind bats and bullets, the politicians really must do something about one of the deadliest scourges that affects all our kiddies, and our old folk too. See: http://www.dhmo.org/ |
OT Lawmakers Look To Ban Metal Bats
On Tue, 31 Oct 2006 19:00:58 GMT, Lew Hodgett
wrote: At the end of WWII, when that 70's neighbor was maybe 10 years old, there were less than 150 million people in the USA. We just passed 300 million a few days ago. .... The point is that more people in the same space create more demanding conditions. I recall reading some (sociological?) studies years ago done with lab rats. As I recall, as their population density increased, the rate of aberrant behavior increased much faster than did the population. Sort of like the rats were being forced inside each others "fight or flight" radius. Wonder if that's why there seems to be so many two-legged vermin these days. |
OT Lawmakers Look To Ban Metal Bats
"Lew Hodgett" wrote in message That land across the street where you used to hunt, probably has houses on it today. The point is that more people in the same space create more demanding conditions. I can't agree with that assumption. Sure, the population has increased, but the density of people in the cities was horrid at the turn of the 20th century. Just look back at the old neighborhoods in large cities, the sweat shops, etc. and you will find most of us are living in much better conditions. Our parents and grandparents fought for better conditions in the workplace and in housing, but now the politicians are just taking control of every aspect of our lives. The tenements of New York City or Chicago did not need all the rules that an HOA in a suburb of California has in place today. Years ago, teachers with 50 students in a classroom had better control than teachers can have with 15 students today. |
OT Lawmakers Look To Ban Metal Bats
Barry Lennox said:
On Tue, 31 Oct 2006 10:35:06 GMT, "Shopdog" wrote: New Jersey lawmakers are trying to ban metal bats, stating that they are more dangerous than wooden bats. A child was struck by a ball hit off a metal bat and is now in a coma. Now, I'm not trying to minimize what Never mind bats and bullets, the politicians really must do something about one of the deadliest scourges that affects all our kiddies, and our old folk too. See: http://www.dhmo.org/ I would hazard a guess that 9.9 out of 10 politicians would make a stand on this issue if the nearly-as-moronic press ran with it. LOL The most elaborate pretense I've seen this year - so far... Greg G. |
OT Lawmakers Look To Ban Metal Bats
Edwin Pawlowski wrote:
I can't agree with that assumption. Sure, the population has increased, but the density of people in the cities was horrid at the turn of the 20th century. Just look back at the old neighborhoods in large cities, the sweat shops, etc. and you will find most of us are living in much better conditions. Yes, living conditions were not the greatest in the inner part of most major US cities, but an escape for a few hours on a Sunday into the open country side was a relatively short distance away. Central Park in NYC was built specifically to provide some "escape space" for people living in the city. Cleveland had the Metropolitan Park System known as the Emerald Necklace with includes golf courses, a polo field, lakes, etc for the same purpose. I'm certain many other older established cities around the US have similar facilities that were probably established during the last quarter of the 19th century. The cities and all the congestion they represent, have engulfed these "green" facilities. If these facilities were to be established today, it simply would not happen. The cost would be totally prohibitive. The demand for housing space has/is swallowing up open space at an alarming rate. There are simply less and less open spaces where people can be alone, pass a little gas, and just plain get away from other people. The population here in SoCal is expected to double in the next 20 or so years. There is simply not enough infrastructure to support that kind of growth. Increased population density is inevitable if that growth is to be handled. Our parents and grandparents fought for better conditions in the workplace and in housing, but now the politicians are just taking control of every aspect of our lives. Most politicians respond to voters. Very few offer original ideas since you can lose elections that way. As a result, voters can complain, but they also need to look in the mirror. Years ago, teachers with 50 students in a classroom had better control than teachers can have with 15 students today. I had my rear end kicked by my coach, a 6'-4", 250 lb, former pro football player, when I was a freshman in high school. I knew better than to let my parents know what happened. I kept my mouth shut and got on with life. If a teacher tried that today, they would be in court defending themselves from a lawsuit filed by the parents. Times have certainly changed, and not necessarily for the better. Lew |
OT Lawmakers Look To Ban Metal Bats
On Tue, 31 Oct 2006 19:20:33 -0500, Tom Watson
wrote: On Tue, 31 Oct 2006 19:00:58 GMT, Lew Hodgett wrote: We just passed 300 million a few days ago. The amount of land hasn't changed except when Alaska & Hawaii were granted statehood. That land across the street where you used to hunt, probably has houses on it today. The point is that more people in the same space create more demanding conditions. Lew I'm with you, Lew. I believe that there is a critical density of population that describes the difference between living a decent life and not. I have no backup for this, in a scientific sense, but it is a strong feeling in me. A strong feeling is usually a synthetic judgment about a condition. It is not scientifically informed but it is the end result of your experience in life. There is perhaps a perfect density that describes the boundary between the vibrance associated with a strong community vs. the dehumanizing aspects of overcrowding. I grew up in a small town that was the focal point of the surrounding agricultural community. As you say, the places that I used to hunt and fish are now covered by houses. It seems far too urban to me. New arrivals admire it for its rustification. Go figger. I believe that the Nation State took over from the City State concept because of density. Although it addressed volume - I do not think that the concept addressed quality of life. But, here we are. Regards, Tom Watson tjwatson1ATcomcastDOTnet (real email) http://home.comcast.net/~tjwatson1/ And each generation becomes calloused just enough to make it through their respective lifetime. My grandfather would be appalled at what bothers me. His father would be in shock. Just down the street the Isle of Shoals sits out on the horizon. It always appears the same to me as it does to each generation. But if my great grandfather could stand on the shore and look out with me he'd probably state that its moved. |
OT Lawmakers Look To Ban Metal Bats
On Wed, 01 Nov 2006 06:44:37 GMT, Lew Hodgett
wrote: I had my rear end kicked by my coach, a 6'-4", 250 lb, former pro football player, when I was a freshman in high school. I knew better than to let my parents know what happened. I kept my mouth shut and got on with life. If a teacher tried that today, they would be in court defending themselves from a lawsuit filed by the parents. Times have certainly changed, and not necessarily for the better. Agreed 110%. Almost everybody has turned into a goddamn sissy- we need more kicks in the ass, and less sensitivity. Nothing corrects abject stupidity quite as quick as a crack in the mouth- put an end to the stupidity, and we'll all have a nicer place to live, city and rural alike. And it never took politicians to legislate that before. Parents can do it just fine, as long as they're not threatened with jail if they spank a kid for lighting the neighbor's cat on fire. Whiny, self-indulgent kids grow up to be whiny, self-indulgent adults. Even if they're good kids, they need to learn acceptable risk taking behavior on the playground- or they grow up to be weak and timid. Everyone used to know this crap, I don't know how it all got turned sideways like it has. It's ironic that as we as a species continue to breed like rabbits, there are some idiots working as frantically as possible to make sure that not only does every single person *survive* as long as possible, but that we take extra care that no one need suffer anything worse than a paper cut. |
OT Lawmakers Look To Ban Metal Bats
Honestly, I believe that it is the parents fault now days. Just look at how
many children go unsupervised for long periods of time. Remember back when if an adult saw you screwing off, they'd walk up to you and "talk' to you, or grab you by the ear and take you off to your parents. Now, if someone did that they would be in court up to their ass. When I was young just the thought of my father finding out I did something I wasn't supposed to kept me from doing it. The phrase just you wait til your father gets home was enough to make me wish it was only jail. But, I am not going to let that happen to my kids, with my son all I have to do say that " you really disapointed me" and that make my son genuinly sad. The phrase wait til your father gets home still means something in this house. Oh, I don't ever hit him, but don't tell him that. He is a very good child with normal boyish behaviour, and I like that. I let him get away with certain things yet there are others that simply don't fly here. I tell him to go to bed he goes and without a fuss. It falls to us the parents to stop this problem. Searcher |
OT Lawmakers Look To Ban Metal Bats
"Shopdog" wrote in message news:lVb2h.10056$gf5.2159@trndny01... Honestly, I believe that it is the parents fault now days. Just look at how many children go unsupervised for long periods of time. Remember back when if an adult saw you screwing off, they'd walk up to you and "talk' to you, or grab you by the ear and take you off to your parents. Now, if someone did that they would be in court up to their ass. When I was young just the thought of my father finding out I did something I wasn't supposed to kept me from doing it. The phrase just you wait til your father gets home was Yeah! I remember. My parents always seemed to know who, what, when, where before I even got home. Thank God there were no video cameras back then. Of course, my parents did not seem to need any. |
OT Lawmakers Look To Ban Metal Bats
On Wed, 01 Nov 2006 14:23:03 +1300, Barry Lennox wrote:
On Tue, 31 Oct 2006 10:35:06 GMT, "Shopdog" wrote: New Jersey lawmakers are trying to ban metal bats, stating that they are more dangerous than wooden bats. A child was struck by a ball hit off a metal bat and is now in a coma. Now, I'm not trying to minimize what Never mind bats and bullets, the politicians really must do something about one of the deadliest scourges that affects all our kiddies, and our old folk too. See: http://www.dhmo.org/ That website (and a companion dedicated, IIRC, to oxygen di-hydrate) has relly been spruced up since last I saw it. What we need now is one dedicated to aluminum bat bladder gas and its effects on the environment. Ya know what's really sad? ... Such a site probably already exists. Bill |
OT Lawmakers Look To Ban Metal Bats
"Shopdog" wrote in message news:lVb2h.10056$gf5.2159@trndny01... Honestly, I believe that it is the parents fault now days. Just look at how many children go unsupervised for long periods of time. Remember back when if an adult saw you screwing off, they'd walk up to you and "talk' to you, or grab you by the ear and take you off to your parents. Now, if someone did that they would be in court up to their ass. When I was young just the thought of my father finding out I did something I wasn't supposed to kept me from doing it. The phrase just you wait til your father gets home was enough to make me wish it was only jail. Not lack of supervision, but lack of value or morality, which is what keeps you from stealing when nobody's around. As kids we played in great gaggles for hours on end in isolated areas of the neighborhood as well as in the street, where the expansion joints made a somewhat elongated diamond for baseball. But we knew we could be sent home by any adult, and tried to put on our most civilized demeanor in front of them, even the ones we hated, because treating adults with deference was the _right_ thing to do. All you have to do is look at the way adult/child relationships are portrayed on the great broadcast teacher to understand those days are gone. Who's the smart one, parent or child? Refreshing to see "leave it to Beaver" episodes where the loving parents carefully allow just enough freedom to sample the dangerous waters, while waiting to reel to safety. Almost as if they knew something about the business of life through experience. If you don't have to defer even to the authority of your parents, imagine what kind of a citizen you'll become. |
OT Lawmakers Look To Ban Metal Bats
|
OT Lawmakers Look To Ban Metal Bats
Tom Veatch wrote:
Wonder if that's why there seems to be so many two-legged vermin these days. I suspect that is from a lack of being smacked up side the head by parents who truly cared when they were young. Lew |
| All times are GMT +1. The time now is 06:16 AM. |
Powered by vBulletin® Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright ©2004 - 2014 DIYbanter