Res. No. 2010 Title Resolution calling upon the Consumer Product Safety Commission ("CPSC") to issue a ruling requiring all non-wood baseball bats (aluminum, composite and graphite) to perform like wood bats to protect consumers from the unreasonable danger and risk of injury posed by these higher-performing non-wood bats, and to recall all non-wood baseball bats that exceed the performance of wood baseball bats. Body By Council Members Oddo, Freed, Golden and Stabile; also Council Members Harrison, O'Donovan and Robinson Whereas, Since its beginnings, the sport of baseball has attracted participants of all ages and levels of ability, from amateur to professional, from organized leagues to neighborhood sandlot games; and Whereas, In 1998, statistics revealed that approximately five million participants were playing the sport of baseball in some organized form, and of these five million participants, approximately 98 percent were under the age of 18; and Whereas, Although there is some level of risk involved in playing the sport of baseball, the level of risk associated with wood bats has generally been accepted as the "reasonable" level of risk for over a century; and Whereas, In July of 1993, the National Collegiate Athletic Association ("NCAA") approved the use of aluminum baseball bats for intercollegiate competition, due to their greater durability and lower long-term cost in comparison to wood bats; and Whereas, High schools and little leagues followed the NCAA by allowing their players to use aluminum bats in competition; and Whereas, In 1974, aluminum bats cost approximately $40 each and were similar to wood bats in terms of performance; and Whereas, Today, aluminum bats cost approximately $300 each, are less durable, and greatly outperform wood bats; and Whereas, In 1986, an NCAA subcommittee issued a report to the full committee strongly urging aluminum bat manufacturers to pursue the development of non-wood bats that feature the performance characteristics of wood bats, due to safety concerns associated with this new breed of high-performance bats; and Whereas, Independent testing has proven that, when compared under equal conditions to wood bats, high performance bats have a ball-exit speed significantly greater than wood, leaving defensive players, especially pitchers, in compromising and dangerous positions; and Whereas, According to news reports, numerous injuries have occurred as a result of baseballs hit by these bats, including skull fractures, brain damage, and cardiac arrest; and Whereas, The CPSC's mission is to protect the public against unreasonable risk of injury associated with consumer products, to develop uniform safety standards for consumer products and to minimize conflicting state and local regulations; now, therefore, be it Resolved, The Council of the City of New York urges the CPSC to issue a ruling requiring all non-wood baseball bats (aluminum, composite and graphite) to perform like wood bats to protect consumers from the unreasonable danger and risk of injury posed by these higher-performing non-wood bats, and to recall all non-wood bats that exceed the performance of wood baseball bats. LS# 07/06/01