Although Oakland does not currently have any plans to switch from aluminum to wood bats, I believe the parents need a full explanation of how we arrived at this decision.
I, as well as the members of my travel and recreation committees have spent an extensive amount of time debating the issue. In our meetings we have discussed that there is no scientific evidence that proves wood bats are any safer than metal bats. The only factor that presents concrete evidence for making the game safer, is the use of a lighter compression baseball, in lieu of the traditional balls that are commonly used in Little League games today. With that in mind, here is what Oakland is doing to protect our children.
Oakland is not a Little League charter member; we play our own independent town rules and league. Since we are not a Little League member we can make changes without the approval of Williamsport, PA. One such Oakland adaptation, contrary to Little League is that we increase our field size, as the boys grow. When our children are in 3rd/4th grade, they play on a field that includes a 46ft. pitching mound and 60 ft. bases (this is the standard size Little League playing field). As our boys move to 5th/6th grade we stretch the field to the dimensions of 50 ft. 6 in. pitching mound and 65 ft. bases. When the boys reach 7th grade and beyond, they play on a standard high school/professional size field of 60 ft. 6 in. pitching mound and 90 ft. bases. These changes allow the players in the field to be further away from the batter and the batter to be further from the point at which the baseball is being pitched, as the children get bigger and stronger. In contrast, the Little League affiliated towns will allow a young 7th grader (12 yrs old by April 30th or 13 by May 1st) to continue to play on the 46ft. pitching mound and 60 ft bases.
Oakland uses the lighter compression baseball that is discussed above. The ball used in recreation is a Diamond DOL-2 baseball. It looks, feels and may sound like a hard pro-like ball, but it doesn’t fly off the baseball bat the same way. Lastly, we outlawed the so called “big barrel bats”. These are bats that are larger than the standard 2 ¼ in. diameter. The sweet spot on these big barrel bats is bigger and significantly affects the velocity of a batted ball.
Some points for parents or fans to take note of: First, because of these recent Oakland precautions, there hasn’t been a recreation home run hit over the fence on field 5 (the 5th/6th grade) in 3 years. Secondly if you ever drive past the Senior center you will then drive between field 8 and field 9. Take note and compare the two field sizes. Field 9 is our 46/60 field and field 8 is our 60/90 field. Little league allows the young 7th grader to play on the small field (field 9) size.
A lot of thought and concern has gone into these decisions. I will continue to study this issue, keeping the safety of our children as our focus and ultimate objective. I always welcome healthy discussion, thoughts or statements you may have regarding this or any other issue.
See you at the ball field,
Mike Guadagnino
Baseball Commissioner