Pony Bat Rule

[benz99]

Does anyone know if there is a rule in Pony Mustang league ball about barrel size & drop size. A kid was using a -11.5 coach pitch big barrel bat. IMO this is a 5-6 year old bat to help a little kid hit a T-ball or machine pitch & wasn't made for a Mustang big kid to swing so he can get a big barrel around quicker. I really didn't care if the kid used it so he could hit the ball I just thought it was more a safety issue of swinging a 15 oz 2 3/4 barrel bat. I didn't think there was anything in our rule book about it but the bat clearly says coach pitch only.

[ralanprod]

There isn't a PONY rule against it. The walls of those bats are so thin that they aren't going to hold up to a pitch with any speed. That's why they say for t-ball/coach pitch only.

If it concerns you, just go to the league officials and point out that those bats are dangerous due to the fact that they can break when used against live pitching. That's the bigger issue.

[benz99]

That's what i figured that it wouldn't hold up. I just wasn't sure if it was a rule as far as drop & barrel size. I didn't even notice the bat cuz it looked just like a Miken bat. Another dad said he was using a coach pitch bat & the director of the league said he shouldn't use it for safety's sake. Thanks

[Grizzly]

We play Dizzy Dean, but last year we played a PONY tournament so I was issued a 2008 PONY rule book. The PONY rule on bats in the 2008 rule book is:

"Wooden, metal, graphite or ceramic bats, manufactured specifically for baseball play, which are round and not more than two and three-fourths inches (7.0 cm) in diameter at the thickest part, nor more than 42 inches (106.7 cm) in length, are acceptable. Bats manufactured specifically for use in T-Ball play, shall not be used when the ball is pitched by a player, coach or pitching machine."

[benz99]

We play Dizzy Dean, but last year we played a PONY tournament so I was issued a 2008 PONY rule book. The PONY rule on bats in the 2008 rule book is:

"Wooden, metal, graphite or ceramic bats, manufactured specifically for baseball play, which are round and not more than two and three-fourths inches (7.0 cm) in diameter at the thickest part, nor more than 42 inches (106.7 cm) in length, are acceptable. Bats manufactured specifically for use in T-Ball play, shall not be used when the ball is pitched by a player, coach or pitching machine."To me it's more of a in good conscience how can you use a coach pitch bat clearly stated as such that was intended for a 6 yr old in a 10 year old kid pitch league,,thanks for the rule

[scorekeeper]

There isn't a PONY rule against it. The walls of those bats are so thin that they aren't going to hold up to a pitch with any speed. That's why they say for t-ball/coach pitch only.

If it concerns you, just go to the league officials and point out that those bats are dangerous due to the fact that they can break when used against live pitching. That's the bigger issue.

How is it more dangerous? Do non-wood bats break apart the same way wood bats do, does it splinter and send shrapnel out all over the place, or it is something else?

[benz99]

I think it's a combination of it breaking apart and being a way lite bat that a big kid will be able to generate a ton of bat speed & a huge composite hitting surface

[ralanprod]

How is it more dangerous? Do non-wood bats break apart the same way wood bats do, does it splinter and send shrapnel out all over the place, or it is something else?

They actually tend to break into two pieces. The aspect that makes this particular bat more dangerous, is that it is being used in a manner that it was not intended.

[hitnpeas]

Coach Pitch bats are intended for coach pitch but only because of their big barrel/short length dimensions. That said, with exception to one CP model that comes to mind, they are NOT less durable compared to other baseball bats. They are basically big barrel bats 26-28" long and are a fairly new marketing tool to sell what are essentially Sr. League bats with shorter lengths. It is no more unsafe than someone hitting a Sr. League bat or a 2 1/4" Combat B1/B2. I've got several models of CP bats and we use them with live pitching all the time. Ive got hundreds of hits on both using LL baseballs and adult/machine pitching, with no signifcant sign of durability issues. If the rules don't say they can't use them, I would not have a problem letting them in. I have yet to see a bat completely split in two and fly out into the field when being used by a LL'er. I've had composites break in HS and in Softball, but I seriously doubt a 10 y/o is going to hit a pitch and swing with enough force to break the bat in two and still send the broken half into the field of play with much force if any at all. It will crack but not fly toward the opposing players.