The Chicago Tribune deserves praise for its front page story
The Chicago Tribune deserves praise for its front page story, “More safety gear urged for young ballplayers” (June 2, 2008), for calling the public’s attention to the need for greater safety on the baseball diamond.
As parents, we encourage our children to excel at sports, often compromising safety for a winning pennant. This is a mindset in our nation that must change. Where does it say that our children should accept and face the risk of a life threatening injury, such as a traumatic brain injury, simply because they play baseball? Serious injuries inflicted as a result of the lack of proper equipment are simply unacceptable.
The biggest contributor to serious injuries is metal baseball bats because they propel the ball farther and faster than baseballs hit with a wooden bat. Yet, a bill introduced this spring by state Rep. Robert S. Molaro to ban their use in all organized games involving children under age 13, failed to make it out of committee and onto the House floor. It’s unfortunate: more injuries could easily be prevented by the use of a wooden bat
This issue could still be resolved if all local baseball leagues simply chose to ban the use of metal bats. They should do so – for the sake of our children and their parents.
