Dear Parents:

Please be advised that the Board of Directors of the Plainview Baseball Association has recently adopted a policy that all children who are enrolled in the majors baseball division will be required to use only wood bats for all games and/or practices for the Spring 2007 season. No aluminum or other type of metal bat will be allowed at any game or practice. Each team will be supplied with a number of new wood bats purchased by the Plainview Little League so that it will not be necessary for you to purchase a new wood bat in order to replace the metal bats which most children own.

At the present time there is an ongoing debate within baseball circles about banning the use of metal bats in youth baseball games. Little League Baseball, Inc., the international organization based in Williamsport, Pennsylvania that charters the Plainview Little League as well as thousands of other little leagues opposes a ban on metal bats, but has promulgated new standards and specifications for metal bats. There are however various school districts and youth baseball programs that have chosen to ban the use of metal bats. The debate about metal bats involves issues relating to safety, the technical aspects of hitting and the nostalgic allure of "pure baseball".

Although scientific research between the use of wood and metal bats is not yet complete, there is no dispute that baseballs hit off of a metal bat travel at a substantially higher velocity than balls hit off of a wood bat.

In a Little League game where the pitcher is no more than 46 feet from home plate, the use of wood bats will give both the pitcher and other in-fielders more split-seconds to react and avoid being hit. Although baseball can never be a completely risk free sport, the prohibition of metal bats would appear to reduce the risk of certain injuries.

Some of the scientific studies have also found that metal bats not only generate greater exit speeds, but also contain a larger "sweet spot,"

which means that a batter can drive a ball back into the field even when hitting the ball near the handle or the end of the bat. The absence of a large "sweet spots," requires children who utilize wood bats to develop better batting and hitting skills. Simply stated, it requires more skill to hit a ball with a wood bat than with a metal bat. Many baseball observers and experts note that it is a better game played with wood bats, and that a greater emphasis will be placed on children learning fundamental skills. Finally, there are many people involved in youth baseball who believe that eliminating metal bats would help restore the sport of baseball to its historical roots. Although both the scientific and statistical evidence on the issue of metal bats is not yet complete the Board of Directors of the Plainview Baseball Association has chosen to take a proactive approach on this issue by its decision to mandate the use of wood bats only in the majors division for the Spring, 2007 season. We believe that our decision isboth appropriate and proper.

For those parents who still feel the need to purchase a wood bat please note that Little League standards provide that all wood bats shall not be more than thirty-three (33) inches in total length, nor more than two and one-quarter (2 '/a) inches in diameter, and not less than fifteen-sixteenth (15/16) inches in diameter [7/8 inch for bats less than 30 inches] at its smallest part. As always we welcome your comments, questions and/or inquiries at either our web site "WWW.PlainviewBaseball.Org" or
at 349-0032.

Dave Vanderpool

President Plainview Little League