News story

Bat Battles Boiling Over -- Mid-year Bat Bannings Split Associations

Sept. 1, 2003 – Senior Softball-USA

The battle of the bats has turned into a full-fledged war that is threatening to shake the foundation of softball in America. There are now three bat standards used to sanction bats in different national softball organizations ˆ and hundreds of leagues and local softball clubs that are dependent on national organizations for insurance are struggling to sort out what it all means.

To add to the confusion, two national associations ˆ USSSA and NSA ˆ banned different bats using the same basic test. The Miken II is not allowed in either USSSA or NSA, but NSA has also banned the Easton Synergy and the Louisville Slugger Genesis (both composite bats) in June.

Meanwhile ASA, which was at the center of the bat controversy last year because it banned several popular bats in mid-season, has come out with a new standard that will go into effect January 2004.

The two remaining sanctioning organizations, ISA and Senior Softball-USA, are currently using the original 1.20 bpf standard and have not banned any bats in 2003.

"We have seen nothing to justify mid-year bat bannings," said Terry Hennessy, chief executive officer of Senior Softball-USA.

"There has been no increase in batted-ball injuries or any studies that show the bats pose a danger to our players," he said. "In addition, we have adopted a lower compression ball and the pitching box to give pitchers more room to maneuver."

Four of the five national associations ˆ ASA, ISA, NSA and Senior Softball-USA ˆ met in January to discuss adopting a common bat standard.

ASA agreed to share information on the standard it was developing with the other associations. In turn, the other associations agreed to look at the new ASA standard as a possible common bat standard in 2004.

"We will be presenting the new standard at the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association (SGMA) on Oct. 2-4 in Dallas ˆ and we would like to welcome other associations to come to the meeting to have any questions answered by the experts," said Kelly McKeown, ASA director of marketing.

USSSA representatives declined to attend the January meeting with other associations. USSSA had decided to simply modify the existing 1.20 bpf standard for 2003.

"The 1.20 bpf was designed to test aluminum bats," said Jim McCarron, USSSA director of officials. "Bats were tested at the COP (center of percussion), because that was the sweet spot of the aluminum bat. However, composites actually hit better up and down the barrel of the bat."

And so "bat profiling" was introduced into the test. Bats were tested at three spots along the barrel instead of only at the center of percussion.

USSSA asked manufacturers beginning in September 2002 to send in bats to be approved for use in USSSA events for the 2003 season.

This year, USSSA never actually banned the Miken II, according to McCarron. The association did not approve it for use in USSSA "because the company never sent the bat in for approval," he said.

Through the early part of the season, the bat controversy simmered near the surface, with players wondering which bats to buy ˆ and which bats would continue to be legal in 2004.

Then in June the lid blew.

Following a batted-ball injury to a player during an NSA tournament, NSA and SPA quickly banned the Miken II, Easton's Synergy and Louisville Slugger's Genesis bats.

The bats failed to meet the new 1.20 bpf profiling test.

Hugh Cantrell, president of NSA, said his organization was first to adopt the profiling test.

"We felt it was necessary in the interest of safety to test the bats using the 1.20 profiling test," he said.

Ridge Hooks, executive director of SPA, wrote to senior managers on June 8 of the ban:

"We have just received the results of the most recent bat test from the New York University Testing Center (Dr. Brandt)∑ The following are the results:

"1. The Miken Ultra II did not pass the old bpf standard nor the new bpf standard.

"2. The Easton Synergy did not pass the old bpf standard nor the new bpf standard.

"3. Louisville Slugger simply did not offer either model of the Genesis for approval."

The effect of the ban by NSA and SPA was immediate and loud.

Managers and players lambasted the decision to pull the bats in mid-season and, within days, a petition to organizations to stop mid-year bat bannings swept through the internet.

Jim Landis, a member of the National Summit Advisory Board, wrote the following to National Senior Softball Summit delegates:

"I've conducted an on-line survey of senior players because of the recent and current bat-banning of one composite bat .. Miken's Ultra II,"

"This action by USSSA, NSA and SPA, occurring after this 2003 season has begun, has put great stress and confusion on players who purchased their Ultra IIs in good faith, believing the bat was approved for the 2003 season by ALL nine softball organizations.

"The net universal response from senior players is, as expected: shock, anger, confusion and contempt toward the banning organizations," he wrote.

"The players who speak to me don't agree with this banning behavior. Here's their "vote" on the question I posed to them via e-mail:

"Question: 'Do you agree that mid-season bat-banning of any bat by any softball organization should stop immediately for the remainder of this 2003 season?'

"Results: 177 "yes" .. 1 "no."

Based on this overwhelming support, we are asking for "no further bat-banning of any bat by any organization through 2003," wrote Landis.

As national softball associations approach the second half of the 2003 season, they begin looking at a possible long-term solution ˆ a common bat standard. And the best bet appears to be the new ASA standard.

"We are looking at this for the good of the sport," said Chet Tyl, executive director of ISA.

NSA's Cantrell was cautiously optimistic, indicating that NSA was interested in sending a representative to look at the new ASA standard. "We are not looking to make any changes in our standards, but we are always open to possible improvements," he said.