I don't know...

Rad,

I'm not real sure I agree with you on the hot bat issue. I've seen too many kids get sudden power where there wasn't much before. Granted this is a time of lots of growing, etc. but I think the bats help alot.

Here's some AB's I saw last year:

1) Our cleanup hitter putting a low and away pitch over the fence one handed.

2) A boy who never hit HR's before leads the league after purchasing a Redline and even hits 3 in one game. He ends up with something like 18 for the year.

3) My son (11 on the 12U team) hitting a check swing HR to RF. He also hit one that had to be 50' in the air and not yet done rising as it crossed the 200' fence.

Granted, all these boys were good hitters before, but now they seem to be crushing the ball. To support your point of view however, my son hit it over the fence with his wood bat as well (in BP-has hit the fence in games).

I'd have to say that the bats are at least partly responsible for the results. I coached all three boys at the travel/tournament level so I'd love to say it was me, but...