Better Protection for Little Leaguers : Use of ‘safety ball’ in kids’ games is no threat to an institution as hardy as baseball

Many things have threatened baseball over the years, yet it still stands. How high on the list of potential calamities can be a ball designed to reduce injuries to Little Leaguers?

Some Laguna Niguel parents want their Little League teams to use a “safety ball,” one with a softer core that is said to reduce injuries. The national group Little League Inc. leaves decisions on use of the ball to local organizations.

A study by Michigan State University found 73% fewer injuries among teams using the new ball. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission reports that the number of baseball-related deaths is rising, with children from 5 to 14 years old accounting for about one-third the 254 deaths reported since 1973. For their part, Little League officials say statistics do not reflect the game’s true safety, because many of the deaths and injuries cited in studies have occurred in youth leagues other than Little League or in unorganized “pickup” games.

The Rancho Niguel Little League, presented with the parents’ concerns, allowed the softer ball to be used in its division for 5- and 6-year-olds but has OKd it in only the first five games of its division for 7- and 8-year-olds; the other games are played with the traditional hardball. The league should think about permitting the safety ball in all its games. If the new ball does not fundamentally alter the game, it should be considered.

The sound of bat on ball isn’t quite the same, but neither is the crack of an aluminum bat in a college game quite the same as when a wooden bat meets ball in the major leagues. As for the argument that the new ball is for wimps, demonstrating toughness in the face of hurtling missiles is not so much a question of courage as prudence.

The traditionalists should remove their priorities from concrete. Baseball can withstand and certainly has endured far more distasteful intrusions than one designed to minimize injury to children at play.