Baseball: NCS Board Votes Down Proposal to Implement Wood Bats

A proposal by the Marin County Athletic League seeking an immediate moratorium on metal bats in North Coast Section baseball games was voted down by the NCS Board of Managers Monday.

East Bay Athletic League commissioner Don Nelson said there was a long discussion, but ultimately the board voted not to change the rules mid-season.

The MCAL unanimously voted to ban non-wood bats from high school baseball games after Marin Catholic pitcher Gunnar Sandberg was struck with a line drive at approximately 100 miles per hour in a practice game against De La Salle on March 11. 

"I was in favor of letting the kids use whatever bat they want as long as it was approved (by the National Federation of State High School Associations)," Nelson said. "The ball comes off the bat a little bit faster (with metal bats), but there are statistics that show the difference in reaction time is only about two-hundredths of a second."

Several coaches feel the motion was an emotional response to an unfortunate event.

"I think that what happend at Marin was awful," San Ramon Valley baseball coach Chris deClerq said. "But I definitely think its one of those unfortunate things that happen in sports."

Sandberg experienced a traumatic brain injury and was placed in a medical induced coma. He is currently rehabbing at a San Francisco rehab hospital according to the CaringBridge.org site maintained by his sister.

It would have been a surprise to most if the board approved the motion considering how late it is in the season. 

"I would have been shocked if they changed the rules this late in the season, it would have been crazy," Amador Valley baseball coach and athletic director Lou Cesario said. "It would have completely changed how the game is played. In high school you have a lot of pitchers throwing middle-away to get guys out. If they all had wood bats, pitchers would be pitching inside. They'd be trying to throw to the weak part of the bat and a lot more guys would get hit (by pitches)."

The issue will likely be revisited in the offseason, but the NFHS announced in July a series of changes that would go into effect in 2012. 

"Say you go to all non-wood bats and a kid gets hurt with a wood bat. Do you stop playing baseball?" Nelson said. "We'll deal with this forever. I dont think we'll ever go to all non-wood bats."