Write a short summary of the text that includes three of the central ideas the author presents in "Should Metal Bats be Banned i
n Youth Baseball?".
On March 11, 2010, a high school pitcher in California was facing a player using a metal bat, when he was hit in the temple by a line drive travelling 100 mph. His skull was crushed, and he spent weeks in a coma. Fortunately, after surgery and months of rehabilitation, he survived. The accident brought to the forefront an issue that has been a safety concern ever since the 1970s when metal bats began being used instead of wooden bats. Metal bats are dangerous and should be banned by youth sport leagues for several reasons. Baseballs hit with metal bats travel at a higher rate of speed than those hit with wooden bats. Researcher J.J. Crisco studied aluminum bats and found that they produced a “trampoline” effect, which means the baseball springs off of the bat at a high rate of speed. This happens so fast that pitchers and infielders don’t have time to react, which places them in danger. The New York Times reported that baseballs hit with metal bats travel almost 20 mph faster than baseballs hit with wooden bats. This is a huge difference to a player trying to make a play on a line drive in time. Consequently, the high rate of speed makes using a metal bat dangerous. In addition, there have been many instances of players getting hurt by baseballs hit with metal bats. According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, between 1991 and 2001, 18 players were killed by batted balls, and only two involved wooden bats. This proves that wood bats are safer than metal. Also, The New Yo r k Times reports that several lawsuits have been won by parents who sued metal bat makers after their child had been hurt. After being presented with evidence about the dangers of aluminum bats, judges and juries agreed they are responsible for injuries. Therefore, the high rate of injuries proves that metal bats are unsafe. Some people claim that wooden bats are too expensive to supply to youth leagues because they are not as long lasting. This is true. Even so, a higher cost should not matter when safety is concerned. Metal bats endanger the lives of young baseball players. First, they make the baseball travel at a high rate of speed, making it difficult to catch. Secondly, they have resulted in many injuries. Banning metal bats is necessary in order to save the lives of young players, and everyone concerned should contact their local lawmakers.
