Another step in the wussification of America

[whodeyAtown21]

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,356505,00.html

WAYNE, N.J. — A New Jersey couple, whose son was struck in the chest with a line drive, is planning to sue the maker of a metal baseball bat used in the game.

Two years ago, Steven Domalewski was pitching when the ball slammed into his chest and stopped his heart. He was resuscitated but now has brain damage and is severely disabled.

The family contends metal baseball bats are inherently unsafe for youth games because the ball comes off them much faster than from wooden bats. The lawsuit will also be filed against Little League Baseball and a sporting goods chain that sold the bat.

An attorney says Domalewski will need millions of dollars worth of medical care for the rest of his life.

The bat maker says while it sympathizes with Steven and his family, the bat is not to blame for the injury.

[whodeyAtown21]

Two things wrong with this:

a) trying to get more rules in place to make sports less "dangerous". Like no playing tag, no goalie in children soccer games, etc.

b) this lawsuit is like suing bic because I marked incorrect answers with my pen.

[kantuckyII]

Good golly guy..their child is ruined for life. I'm not so sure that the metal bat had anything to do with it but..why? it's just a silly game, most will never play a moment after Little League anyway

I do recall about 12 years or so ago a news group like 20/20 or one of those trying to interview Officials for Little League in PA as to why they don't have a face sheild rule in place and they refused to talk to them..'No comment' the guy shouted as brushed by them running into their offices. I just don't understand that.

I don't see why it would hurt to modify the ball somewhat that they use for Little League. It's been proven that little guys at that age can easily be killed if the ball strikes them directly over the heart as their rib cage is so small. I remember a terrible incident where a local high school boy was killed about a dozen years or so ago after being struck in the chest with the ball.

[kantuckyII]

Here's a little more about the kid you're talking about..

WAYNE, N.J. - She wraps her arms around her son, gently raising the spindly 14-year-old boy off a couch to his feet. She hugs him and rubs his back, whispering "I love you" over and over. Steven Domalewski moves his head to kiss his mother, but all he can manage are slurping sounds in front of her lips. His head flops onto her shoulder, spent from the effort.

Less than two years ago, Domalewski was a happy, healthy star pitcher on a youth baseball team coached by his father. He loved martial arts, climbed every tree on the block and zoomed down his street on inline skates. He once shot an arrow into the wall of his basement rec room.

Now Domalewski is severely disabled, left with brain damage after being struck in the chest by a line drive that stopped his heart while he was playing in a youth baseball game.

His family plans to file a lawsuit Monday against the maker of the metal bat that was used in the game, against Little League Baseball and a sporting goods chain that sold the bat. The family contends metal baseball bats are inherently unsafe for youth games because the ball comes off them much faster than from wooden bats.

There has been a string of injuries the past two decades involving metal bats launching balls that have killed or maimed young players across the country. The Domalewskis' lawyer claims bat manufacturers put speed ahead of safety; one even advertised a bat so powerful it is capable of "beaning the third baseman" with a line drive.

Attorney Ernest Fronzuto says Domalewski will needs millions of dollars worth of medical care for the rest of his life.

Other than the word "Yeah," which he repeats over and over, or "Dadada" which he sometimes utters when he sees his father, Steven cannot speak. He also can't walk or stand on his own, and needs help with everything from using the bathroom to eating.

"My son is serving a sentence, and the only thing he did was pitch to an aluminum bat," said his father, Joseph Domalewski.

programs for years.

In 2003, Brandon Patch, an 18-year-old pitcher for an American Legion team in Helena, Mont., was hit in the head by a line drive off an aluminum bat and died several hours later. In Pennsylvania, 15-year-old Donald Bennett was struck in the face by a line drive from a metal bat while pitching in a 2001 game, causing him to lose an eye.

[whodeyAtown21]

It's terrible what happened to the boy...but these people are taking advantage over tragedy. Yes, they need help with the bills, but suing the makers of the bat? COME ON! Sue the batter!

It's a tragedy that this boy was hurt so badly...but how many times does this happen? I know I'm very b&w and maybe kind of offensive to some...but what's next? Playing football with a Nerf ball instead of a regular one because the regular football is too hard?

[kantuckyII]

In 2002, the U.S. Consumer Safety Product Commission ruled that there was inconclusive data to support a ban on metal bats in youth and high school baseball games. Its own study found that from 1991 to 2001, there were 17 deaths nationwide because of batted balls — eight from metal, two from wood, and another seven of unknown origin

This article says that:

CHAPEL HILL -- Thirteen boys died playing Little League baseball between 1987 and 1996, a new University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill study shows. During that decade, officials recorded 29,038 injuries and 1.69 injuries per 1,000 participants per season -- an injury rate revealing the sport is safe, researchers say.

I'd say if you were one of the parents of the 13, you'd beg to differ. They can change the ball slightly using a soft core and it would avoid many of the deaths but you would still be able to cause the kid a lot of pain

[Tigercannon71]

I dont like the suing part, but Im all for using wood bats instead of metal bats in little league. The pros use wood why cant the rest of the teams from little league to college use them.

[caglewis]

I take it that "wussification" is a derrogatory term.
Why is promoting safety a "bad thing"? Must players get injured in order to "prove" themselves adequate as competitors? Is that your goal?

[mvlnewlex]

you take a risk in every thing you do in this life. I played little league. being a pitcher, also played alittle first base and right field. I recall a line drive whistling past the left side of my forehead. I felt the breeze in my eye. I also recall taking a line drive off the testicles.

I also played football. getting banged up. its violent.

heck, we used to play tackle football in the backyard after school every night.

I believe sports help a child develop as a person. the benefits outweigh 1 catastrophe out of a million. I know there are well meaning parents who are overprotective. I know there are moms in this country who see a horror story on the evening news and freak out.

if we let childhood athletics become a field for lawyers and lawsuits, the United States of America will forever lose a part of its heart and soul.

thats the truth.

[hdfatboy]

It's terrible what happened to the boy...but these people are taking advantage over tragedy. Yes, they need help with the bills, but suing the makers of the bat? COME ON! Sue the batter!

It's a tragedy that this boy was hurt so badly...but how many times does this happen? I know I'm very b&w and maybe kind of offensive to some...but what's next? Playing football with a Nerf ball instead of a regular one because the regular football is too hard?

Whodey - I agree that suing the bat manufacturer is wrong - baseball is dangerous, and most parents should know that - but looking for things to reduce the risk to kids isn't necessarily a bad thing. Particularly if there are easy remedies to problems. In this case, I think that (outside the potential for protective equipment) there is very little you can do without altering the game. A softer ball (ie., t-ball) would do more to reduce injuries than a wood bat...but you'd drastically change the game in terms of hitting power. Some would argue that this might increase competitiveness in the play because you'd have fielders making more plays on the ball..I am not so sure.

That said - it is incumbent upon people involved in youth sports to make them as safe as possible. Remember, there was a time when football players grew their hair long instead of wearing helmets - when facemasks weren't used - when hockey players didn't wear helmets - etc. I don't think improving safety is necessarily "wussifying" anything - it is being smart. Sure, you can take it too far, but I certainly don't want my kid killed when something could've prevented his/her death simply because someone want to be "manly".

As a personal example, my kids ride dirt-bikes - when they ride they wear a lot of protective gear (that a lot of kids don't wear), including neck protection. In my day, I rode in tennis shoes, jeans, and crappy helmet from K-mart...I don't think that was because I was tougher, I think it was because my parents didn't even consider spending the extra money on protective gear..it wasn't necessarily the norm - my opinion is that if that $20 protector keeps one of my kids from being paralyzed, it was well worth the wussification.

[LICKING COUNTY FAN]

This is sad these type of parents need to stay away from the real world and leave real people along.

[biggdowgg]

I used a wooden bat in Senior League when I was 14.

We were in a District Tournament when I hit the pitcher's leg with a line drive off of the wooden bat. The ball still came off fast enough to break his leg.

I sure wouldnt have wanted to be pictching against you with any bat...and dang sure not with one of these new bats they have today

[Tartanblue]

couple things I would like to see little league do is as said before go to a little softer ball and even a wood bat...I can see the softer ball being done, but I just dont see little league changing the bat because of cost in how many bats would have to be replaced when the wood gets cracked also with that I could see parents going to court over a broken wooden bat hitting their child and hurting them. Another thing is I would like to see Little league make a chest guard a rule that covers the heart, it will not completely stop the blow but it will deaden it instead of the kid taking the blunt of the hit. Some girls and probly guys already use them.

[whodeyAtown21]

It's one thing to require protective gear, it's another to *hypothetically* wrap all children in bubble tape before playing.

I'm for safety, but there's a line to cross. And it's mainly about the parents just looking for a reason to destroy America more by suing for no reason.

[kantuckyII]

I'm goin' to guess you have no children yet whodeyAtown21? until you do, you just wouldn't understand.

In many places, metal bats are already outlawed. Balls could receive a slightly different core, it would react, for the most part, just like a baseball used in the pro's but..it would be less likely to cause a fatality

[whodeyAtown21]

I'm goin' to guess you have no children yet whodeyAtown21? until you do, you just wouldn't understand.

In many places, metal bats are already outlawed. Balls could receive a slightly different core, it would react, for the most part, just like a baseball used in the pro's but..it would be less likely to cause a fatality

wrong kantucky. I do. I have a son. I want him to be completely safe, but I don't want to take important elements out of the game. I'm totally fine with the bat thing because it might encourage kids to get stronger to hit farther, but I'm not fine with the suing thing. Maybe wussification is a wrong term, but I made the article mainly for the lawsuit part. Maybe I didn't portray my views very well in this thread, but I just don't want to see more things like the ban of tag.

[orange-n-brown 365]

looks good

[mstangmom]

They make several types of chest protectors nowadays for pitchers to wear that do not interfer with performance. I hope the attorney remembers to ask her why when she went to buy the bat, why didn't she out of concern for her child buy a chest protector for his safety.

[abuck76]

I also think alum. bats should be outlawed....just another way for corp. america to make money... Tjhis new trampoline technology is amazing, but dangerous.. the ball comes in and on contact will compress the bat and then the ball will recoil with exponentially increased speed off the bat.... its a wonder more haven't been killed or injured... very simple...outlaw it, use wooden bats...some injuries will occur, but not with the potential for disaster............

[Tigercannon71]

I think one of the problems lie in the weight height ratio. Im coaching minor league and you got bats that are -12 and -15. They feel like toothpicks in my hands. Maybe if they make it like in high school where they can only be a -3 difference you can make it safer for the kids.