Batting this debate around

Sports wouldn't be the same without lively debate.

Arguments have raged for decades about better teams, better players, better sports. It's tough to imagine athletics without debate over something.

High school baseball is no different, although the current lingering debate over the safety of metal bats versus wooden bats is far more serious than the jabs between Cubs and White Sox fans.

With teenagers' well-being at stake, steps are continually being taken to make sure the players stay out of harm's way.

The only problem is that there's no general agreement on whether there's a measurable difference in the safety level of using either bat.

"There's been a lot of talk about it, but there's no real momentum to switch over to wood bats," said Benet baseball coach Jeff Bonebrake, the president of the Illinois High School Baseball Coaches Association. "We'll see where it leads down the road, but right now there just isn't enough out there to support going to wood bats."

It's like the classic legal argument where you line up your group of experts and I line up mine. Passionate and knowledgeable opinions reside on both sides of the debate, a back-and-forth battle lobbied for and against by the bat companies themselves.

The IHSA delved into the issue two years ago by conducting a study with 32 teams over the course of 400 games using wooden bats instead of aluminum. No difference in safety could be determined.

Still, the debate continues because of the injuries sustained from baseballs roaring off aluminum bats at a higher speed than off wooden bats. The question, though, is whether the injuries are more severe off metal bats.

Some organizations have been convinced enough to make the change. The use of metal bats is banned in high school games in New York City and in North Dakota, the lone state with a ban.

The Chicago City Council recently debated the issue, but it took no action despite testimony from injured players and relatives of a young man who was killed by a baseball struck off a metal bat.

Experts on the other side of the argument note the dangers of broken wooden bats and the flying shrapnel that poses a safety risk. Either way, the potential for getting injured is a major concern.

"You look at some of these maple bats and they're breaking all the time," said Glenbard South baseball coach Mike Riley. "You've got pieces of wood flying through the field. That can be as dangerous as anything off a metal bat."

Non-safety issues linger as well, specifically cost and practicality issues.

The IHSA study noted that an average of one wooden bat broke in every game during its 400-game experiment. At a cost of about $50 a bat, that's quite an expense. More than likely it'd be passed along to the players.

The other issue is the practical use of wooden bats. While it's true they help hitters hone their skills by forcing them to connect on a smaller sweet spot, only the tiniest percentage of high school players will ever use wooden bats again at the professional level.

Many players will compete at college, but they still use metal bats. If colleges ever switch to wood, chances are you'll see it spread to the high school level as well.

But regardless of those side issues, safety remains the top priority. If it's absolutely proven that wooden bats save lives you'd see a change.

Up to now, though, the evidence is mixed at best. Whether a ball screams off a wooden bat or a metal bat, the results can be devastating.

Until a definitive answer is found, the best we can hope for is quick enough reflexes to get out of the way in time.

kschmit@dailyherald.com