Korea Baseball Softball Association conducts public hearing on bats used in 18-and-under competition

On Wednesday, February 28, the Korea Baseball Softball Association (KBSA) held a public hearing on the bats to be used in the Under-18 (High School) tournament, which was successfully concluded with a presentation by the official selectors and the gathering of various opinions from the participants.

Presided over by Professor Park Jae-beom of the Department of Physical Education at Seoul National University, the hearing was chaired by Jang Kang-hoon (Sports Seoul), columnist Lee Kum-kang (Greater St. Louis Umpires Association and Missouri State Athletic Association), Ma Hae-young (Korea Baseball and Softball Association, Korea Little League), and Choi Min-kyu (Korea Baseball Association).

The main presentations included opinions from the field, including professional and amateur baseball coaches and officials from certified bat manufacturers, clarification of the definition and understanding of non-wood bats (alloy, hybrid, composite, etc.), which were previously recognized only as aluminum bats, the importance of thorough operation and management of the bat certification system, the diversity of interpretations and implications of game data, and the need for careful consideration of the overall situation, including the sports industry and the college admissions system.

In addition, the results of a survey conducted by the Association and the evolution of student-athlete performance data (batting average, hits, home runs, runs batted in, on-base percentage, ERA, strikeouts, average pitches per game, etc.) since the transition to 안전놀이터 wood bats in 2004 were shared, as well as references to non-wood bat testing methods and standards.

While the hearing on bats in U18 competition was ultimately a formal discussion about the future of student-athletes, USA Baseball plans to continue to gather input from a wide range of stakeholders, including coaches, players and parents, on a variety of issues.

About 90 people attended the hearing and said, “It was an opportunity to clearly understand non-wood bats, and I wish there were more events and opportunities like this in the association system,” and “After all, it is for the development of student baseball. I felt that many interested and concerned people attended the hearing. It was a good experience,” “It was interesting to see the different interpretations of the same game data,” “I think there are some things that need to be verified by organizing a group of experts. I would like to see a careful approach, clear procedures, and a sufficient grace period,” and “I would like to see the process proceeded with caution.

A preference survey of attendees at the end of the public hearing (using a straw poll) showed a strong preference for wooden bats, with 30.9% in favor of non-wood bats, 67.9% in favor of wood bats, and 1.2% neutral.