Lawmakers in Pennsylvania and New Jersey are introducing bills to ban aluminum bats from Little League games in both states. Legislators say the material, aside from generating a decidedly unromantic "ping" when struck, poses a threat to young players.
Dr. John L. Bassani
Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics and of Materials Science and Engineering
University of Pennsylvania
"The debate about Little League bats concerns the allowable maximum coefficient of restitution, or COR, a number between 0 and 1. The higher the COR, the more of the energy from the bat, and batter, is transferred to the ball, that is, the faster the ball leaves the bat, which some argue leads to more pitcher injuries.
"Aluminum bats have a greater maximum COR than wood bats and ash
greater than, say, pine. But, of course, this all depends on whether the batter hits the sweet spot."
* Recognized expert on the mechanics of structures and materials
* Member of the Laboratory for Research on the Structure of Matter
* Member of the Institute for Medicine and Engineering
* Current research includes properties of nanostructures, interfacial mechanics, plastic deformation and fracture of materials .