Finding a sweet swing

The Flyers' six-game win streak came to a halt when the Newton North Tigers came to town and took them for a 12-2 decision. So the junior's blast, a 380-foot solo shot to left-center field, was one of the day's few highlights for the home team.

In leagues like this, hits like that don't come so often. It was Framingham's second home run of the season - and the first by a player swinging a wooden bat.

Since 2002, in addition to playing nine-inning games, the Bay State Conference has been one of three circuits in the state - along with the Greater Boston League and the Catholic Conference - to require the use of wooden bats in league games. The rule was pushed through in the wake of two injuries related to aluminum bats during the 2001 season. This included a line drive that hit Wellesley's Bill Hughto in the face, requiring him to be rushed to the hospital.

Every year when the conference's coaches and athletic directors meet, the topic is discussed. Coaches are content with the ruling, but many in the coaching ranks are divided on the issue.

"I definitely prefer wooden bats. I'm old school," Milton High coach Ted Curley said. "It's been a better game. It makes the game more pitcher-oriented. Ultimately, kids learn to hit better, because of the very small sweet spot."

"It's the way baseball is meant to be played," Newton North coach Joe Siciliano said. "To hit the ball, you've got to get a good piece of it. There aren't many cheap hits with wood."

Braintree coach Bill O'Connell calls it "a tough decision," noting how much his players enjoy it when they get to break out the metal; largely because they are much lighter, aluminum bats allow more control and higher swing speeds.

"I have mixed feelings. I understand the safety aspect," he said. "The league really has reached parity, it's a lot closer. But quite frankly, there's not a lot of extra base hits. If I had to vote, I'd vote metal. It's a lot more fun of a game."

Along with the schools having to allot extra money to replace broken bats (typically ranging in cost from $50 to $150), Bay State batters have struggled - especially in the postseason. But things have appeared to change for the better.

In the last two postseasons, Bay State teams have gone 13-7, including back-to-back appearances in the Division 1 South sectional finals by Walpole.

Generally, games in the Bay State Conference are low-scoring affairs.

In a league using wooden bats, pitchers can throw to the inside part of the plate with less fear of the pitch being pulled for an extra-base hit. As a result, hurlers like Richards and Brookline High's Will Lacker sported earned-run averages under 1.00 heading into the week (Richards, 0.56; Lacker, 0.72).

Behind the pitchers, though, there is a smaller margin for mistakes. Unless the ball is hit on the wooden bat's relatively small "sweet spot," it's coming into play at a slower velocity. Fielders may find themselves committing a higher number of errors if they are out of position, or if their timing is off.

Batting averages with wood are usually about 80 to 100 points less than with aluminum, and as a result, teams hitting .250 can be considered good. This year, Walpole is hitting under .200 while sitting atop the Bay State's Carey Division; Natick sits in second in the division hitting .324, thanks to sluggers like Brett Farrell (.410, league-best two home runs) and Joe Todd (.395).

The transition from wood to aluminum is a big benefit to a hitter, as evidenced by Framingham's two nonleague games this spring. They scored 10 runs each in back-to-back wins over Franklin and a Rhode Island powerhouse, Bishop Hendricken High, last month.

The teams' transition back to wood? Not so great. Which is why the stipulation by the league that members who face each other must use wooden bats is troubling to some. And at tournament time, it can get confusing.

"If you have to play back-to-back, you literally don't know the night before whether you're going to have to use wood or aluminum," Framingham coach Dan Avery said.

And with that in mind, Avery - a proponent of metal bats - offered a suggestion: have a uniform rule, wood or aluminum, for every school in the state.