Would a switch to wood be better for baseball?

• Price is a major concern.
• Wood and BBCOR very close in quality.
• Wood is breakable, BBCOR not so much.
• Changes would be good for high school baseball's popularity

In case you have not noticed, the bats in high school baseball are not what they used to be.

In 2011, a rule change prohibited any and all aluminum bats that did not have a "BBCOR" stamp on it. Why is that stamp so important? BBCOR stands for "Batted Ball Coefficient of Restitution" and the idea behind the bats is to minimize the trampoline effect of a ball jumping off of a bat.

In theory, it would cut down on the risk of a batted ball screaming back at a pitcher's head, and would give the pitchers and infielders a little more of a reaction time on line drives. Ohio High School Athletic Association Assistant Commissioner Jerry Snodgrass says the BBCOR term basically means to reduce the speed of a ball off the bat.

"(BBCOR is a) fancy term but basically a measurement of the speed of a ball coming off a bat. And, as you may know, BBCOR bats are significantly less 'live' than the old BESR (Ball Exit Speed Ratio) bats."

In 2012, high schools had to also make the switch to BBCOR stamped bats only. What the manufacturers do is basically deaden the bat to make it as close to wooden-bat power as possible. Snodgrass explained the process high school baseball had to go through.

"The BBCOR bat standard went into the college ranks a few years before high school and the implementation for high school was over a 2- or 3-year period ... simply to give schools time to purchase and incorporate bats into their inventory (though most players today have their own expensive bats)," Snodgrass said.

Going through tests

But, how much different is the BBCOR bat from a wooden bat? B. Elliot Hopkins, director of sports, sanctioning and student services for the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS), recognizes research shows wood and BBCOR are very similar.

So it begs the question, why not just make the switch to wooden bats?

The biggest difference is the BBCOR bats will not break on inside pitches. But, would education and the strength of high school aged players help reduce the number of broken wood bats if a change was made?

Change is not always easy. Even though wood bats are allowed for high school, the NFHS does not mandate them.

States and teams can make the decision to change to wood bats, but a nationwide switch would have to come from the NFHS. And they are happy with results they have found from research.

"Wood bats are allowed for high school baseball. We do not mandate them. It is up to each individual school and state. We are comfortable with the BBCOR standard currently. If science is able to provide a different or better standard, then we would investigate that scientific research," Hopkins said.

Any change would most likely come from the college level down. Snodgrass knows the research put into rule changes is important and should be done to the fullest extent. The NCAA has the best research and the NFHS relies on a lot of its findings, Snodgrass said..

"The NFHS does not maintain testing facilities — especially due to the complexity of it, so they rely on the same tests used by the NCAA which has the financial resources to conduct elaborate tests."

Cost-benefit analysis

But there may be a bigger difference; price. It could get expensive for high schools to keep buying wooden bats every year instead of just three BBCOR bats. However, you can buy a performance grade Hard Maple C271 wooden bat from Louisville Slugger for $49.99. Or, you could buy three Louisville Slugger Prime 915 BBCOR bats for $399.99 a piece (most high schools buy three bats for three different lengths).

That's $1,200 for just three bats; instead of 24 wooden bats for the same price. Each of those wooden bats will have about the same power as the BBCOR bat.

Crestline head coach Steve Garberich sees the price as a major influence in weather a change would even be considered.

"I think if they break a lot then there will be a big cost. We use these BBCOR bats for a couple years unless they change the specs. If the price was right on and everyone was on the same playing field, then I am for it. I just see a lot of broken bats especially with the cold springs that we have. We got one new bat this year and got a good deal on it. If the wooden bat's price is right and we could get eight to 10 of them for the price of one BBCOR then it could be something worth looking into," Garberich said.

Some relief could come from the players themselves. Most parents buy bats and high schools normally do not have an overwhelming expense for them.

If parents are willing to pay $400 for a BBCOR bat, would they be willing to spend the same amount for eight wood bats?

Snodgrass knows a lot of players have their own bats, but believes the simple fact the bats could break would put the schools' expenses in a tough situation.

"On the expense side of things, no doubt it is significant today. However, since most kids have their own bats, the majority of schools today do not really experience that much in the way of expenses. And, given the breakage possibility of a wooden bat, when it is all said and done, might be a wash for a school," Snodgrass said.

Finding the Sweet Spot

One major complaint is the wood bats have a smaller "sweet spot" than the BBCOR. As the years progress and the research continues, BBCOR bats will likely shift to approximately the same size sweet spot as wood.

In theory, high school baseball players will be swinging a bat made of composite aluminum that will contain the same benefits as swinging a wood bat. The only difference is, parents and high schools will be paying $350 more per bat. The cost is just one reason why Colonel Crawford head coach Joe Swartzmiller is in favor of the wood bats along with many others.

"I am all for wood bats. Personally I like them better than the bats we use now. As far as financially, the cost can be cheaper with more bats. The bats we use are really expensive just for one bat. So, the overall cost can lower at the same time buying more bats. Another thing would be the weather. If it gets down to a certain temperature it can ruin these BBCOR bats. That's a lot of money being ruined. I just wish we went back to the old BESR bats and call it a season," Swartzmiller said.

Speaking of Weather

Spring sports in Ohio deal with the famously unpredictable weather conditions. The makeup of the BBCOR bat does not fare well in the cold and the use of the bats could lead to the possibility of never being able to use them again. Manufacturers recommend that composite BBCOR bats not be used in sub 55-degree weather.

North Dakota has dealt with the weather factor. In a 2007 USA Today article, an interview with Shanely High School coach Joel Swanson stated, "Two years ago we played 29 games in temperatures below 45 degrees. We paid $2,100 for seven (metal) bats, and a month into the season, six had broken. We're working with small budgets in a lot of small schools. Every penny counts."

Shanely High School is located in Fargo, North Dakota, where weather is always a factor.

Learning Curve

If the switch is made, a need for education on using wooden bats would be essential. It could be the first time for a majority of players using a wood bat. And there would be a learning curve. Wynford head coach Joe Staab knows there is a huge difference in a player's approach with a BBCOR bat in their hands compared to a wood bat. He has even provided his players an opportunity to get a few swings in with a wood bat in the school's batting cages.

"We have a couple in the cage and the kids really do notice a difference. If a change like this ever happens, the coaches would have to teach the kids how to hit with wood bats," Staab said. "The inside pitches need to be hit further out in front instead of letting it in on your hands. Another thing to look at is player safety. Broken bats could add a potential hazard. An inside pitch on the BBCOR bats is a slow roller and the bat is still usable."

Many think a change would never happen for that reason alone.

Broken bats may lead to a bigger safety risk than line drives at a pitchers. In 2008, Major League Baseball saw its worst season with broken bats. According to a report by Quinn Roberts of MLB.com, that year saw a broken bat rate of one per game.

Since, MLB has made efforts to reduce that number through programs and regulations. In recent years, the rate has dropped to just a half a bat per game. Regulations have contributed to the drop.

Major League Baseball is also trying to sway players from using low-density bats that have big barrels with hallowed-up cups at the end.

With the same education, high schools would see an even bigger drop in broken bats per game. Due to differences in strength, a lot of the bats would not break in high school in the same situations as Major League Baseball. While most players would say that it was the wood's fault that the bats break, most of the time, the players hit the ball on the wrong part of the bat to cause the break.

Before a decision is made, one thing is certain: more research and plenty of time will pass before a switch can be made.

Jake Furr is the sports writer for the Bucyrus Telegraph-Forum and a former high school baseball player. Your thoughts and opinions can be sent to him via email at jfurr@gannett.com or call him at 419-610-5034. Follow on Twitter @JakeFurr11