The Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association (SGMA) announced support for consumer choice in the growing legislative debate over non-wood bats in baseball and softball. While some local legislative bodies in New York and New Jersey are considering a ban on any bat type other than wood, SGMA stressed that baseball is already one of the safest sports and that continued oversight and monitoring by the sport’s governing bodies means the bats produced for play are equally safe, whether wood or non-wood.

In the wake of the New York City legislation banning metal bats from high school play, SGMA has joined a recently-formed coalition representing coaches, players, youth baseball enthusiasts, and batmakers. The group “Don’t Take My Bat Away” aims to educate the public and state and local legislatures of the safety standards already in place to minimize risk of injury from batted balls. The group also hopes to convince state and local legislatures that, because both wood and non-wood bats perform the same, this is not a safety issue, but rather an issue of choice.

“Baseball and softball today are very safe sports,” said SGMA president and CEO Tom Cove. “The governing bodies of these sports make safety and injury prevention a priority at all levels; by developing scientific equipment guidelines, the national associations and player leagues have created an environment for players that virtually eliminates the variance of risk on different types of bats. As an industry, we appreciate their careful consideration of the risk factors and the opportunity to produce equipment that complies with their strict safety standards. By regulating the maximum ball exit velocity for both wood and non-wood bats, the leagues provide choice and – more importantly – a safer and more enjoyable environment for participants of all ages and abilities.”

SGMA stressed the significance of enabling players, parents, and coaches to make informed equipment decisions based on the safety guidelines and standards set forth by the sports’ governing bodies.

“Today’s data show a much safer on-field environment for players. Unfortunately, many state and local legislators haven’t yet had the opportunity to see or understand the numbers,” explained Cove. “We hope to educate them on the truth about baseball and softball safety issues before banning any type of equipment. We’re talking about the bats that are manufactured to meet very strict safety standards which are set forth by the sport’s governing bodies – who have the greatest concern for the safety of their players. Further, these bats are only approved after undergoing stringent testing by an independent third party to ensure compliance.”