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The crack of the bat
By STEVE LEE
© St. Petersburg Times, DADE CITY -- Wooden or metal bats? American Legion coach Ricky Giles gives his players an opportunity to use both. For the fourth consecutive summer, Giles is taking Dade City Post 15 to Tennessee for the Southeastern Wooden Bat Tournament. The group of 29 players and five coaches, comprised of Dade City's A and B teams, departed Monday night for the series that begins today in New Port, just north of Gatlinburg. "They hit with all wood," Giles said. "By doing that, it's a challenge." From Little League to high school to college, baseball players hit with aluminum bats. But the professionals -- including all levels of the minor leagues -- hit with wooden bats. Giles said there are other benefits to traveling to Tennessee every summer. Namely, playing teams from other states in front of professional scouts. Hitting with wooden bats is nothing new to Post 15 players, who throughout the summer take batting practice with wooden and aluminum bats. "Every guy I've got has got a wood (bat)," Giles said. "I encourage my kids to take batting practice with wood." Not all players, however, are as enthusiastic about wooden bats as Giles. "I like metal better," said left-handed hitter Chris Nyman, a pitcher and outfielder who will be a junior at Pasco High. "If you hit the ball wrong (with an aluminum bat) it doesn't sting your hands as much." Dade City coach Tony Karppe said players also realize that balls don't travel as far off a wooden bat. "You've got to be a whole lot stronger, that's for sure," said Karppe, who is making his first trip to Tennessee. "You still swing the same, you've just got to be a whole lot stronger to hit (a baseball). "An aluminum bat, you can miss and still hit it out (over an outfield fence). With a wooden bat, it may not get out of the infield." Added Giles: "It's a little tougher, but they get used to it." Dade City is scheduled to play five games, but Giles said the tournament isn't the only thing on the agenda. There will be ample time for sightseeing in Gatlinburg and the surrounding area of eastern Tennessee. Last year, Dade City's A team sported the best record of its three trips to Tennessee by going 4-1-1. Dade City's B team went 2-3. None of the Dade City players handled a wooden bat better in that series than catcher Josh Castro, who smacked five home runs.
 © 2006 • All Rights Reserved • St. Petersburg Times
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