Titanium Tantrum Hits Field Cda Rec Department Bans $500 Super-Slick Bats

Titanium or not.

The latter is the rule for Coeur d’Alene area slowpitch softball leagues.

Effective Tuesday night, Quad Park in Post Falls banned the controversial $500 bats that come with a manufacturer’s warning.

The sticker on the Worth-made bat reads, “Be advised hit ball speeds are higher with this titanium bat than with aluminium bats.”

The Coeur d’Alene Recreation Department outlawed titanium bats prior to the season’s start.

But the titanium bat is sanctioned by softball’s governing body, the Amateur Softball Association - at least for now.

Bat manufacturer Worth threatened the ASA with a $20 million lawsuit when it tried to nix the new titanium bats, said Steve Anthony, Coeur d’Alene Recreation Director and ASA District 1 Commissioner.

The bats were in use during the weekend at the Men’s B National qualifer at Ramsey Park in Coeur d’Alene.

“Lewiston didn’t have (a titanium bat) and borrowed one from another team,” Anthony said. “It’s sad when teams have to borrow things just to be competitive.”

Mader Agency manager Stan Otto of Lewiston has played softball for many years.

“We have never seen (titanium bats) down there,” Otto said. “Someone is going to get killed with this bat, but hey, both teams are using it. It almost makes the aluminum bat look like a wooden one.”

“Tests show the ball impact off the bat to the pitcher is incredibly shortened,” said Quad Park owner Bob Townsend. “I feel there’s a pitcher whose going to drop. We don’t want it at all.”

Greg Crimp, a Coeur d’Alene sporting goods store owner, has sold four titanium bats on a special order basis, adding that Worth has sold out of them.

“The ball speed is the key, actually, not just hitting it farther for home runs, but how fast the ball gets through the infield or how fast it gets to the outfield,” Crimp said. “That is one of the reasons it’s questionable how safe it is.

“The ironic thing is several years ago they restricted the flight of the ball, then they try to make a bat that more than compensates.”

Comeback kids

No lead is safe against Sports Cellar.

The Coeur d’Alene men’s slowpitch team has played from behind and had remarkable success through the early portion of the 1995 season.

Sports Cellar became the first local national tournament qualifier, winning the men’s B qualifier Sunday at Ramsey Park.

Consecutive singles by shortstop Brett Nearing, pitcher Park Singer and left fielder Kurt Stockton sparked a two-out, seventh-inning Sports Cellar rally.

Stockton’s grounder to left drove home courtesy runner Jeff Cope with the go-ahead run in a 21-20, see-saw win over Random Access of Boise.

It was the 21st straight victory for Sports Cellar, 22-1 overall, and secures a national berth in Shreveport, La., Sept. 21-24.

Sports Cellar right fielder Jeff Andrews was the most valuable player of the nine-team event.

“We have enough power to use our home runs (limit three per game) to catch up,” Sports Cellar manager Nearing said. “We play from behind a lot. Anybody on this team can come up and get clutch hits.”

Lights, numbers up

It took five years before the Kootenai County Commissioners granted permission for lights to be erected at the four-field, privately-owned Quad Park.

About $200,000 was invested into the lighting project, which leads Townsend to believe the biggest years lie ahead for the 9-year-old complex.

Sixty adult league games are played Sunday through Friday nights. There are 58 men’s, 18 masters (plus 35) and 44 coed teams registered.The city has 116 adult teams, including 16 men’s, 22 women’s, 41 coed and 36 church-league participants. A year ago, there were 89 teams.

Tournament notes

Quad Park has been awarded the state men’s D tournament Sept. 12-13.

Coeur d’Alene will stage the 1996 national coed major tournament.

Second baseman Bill Krueger batted .800 to lead Lopez AWT to the championship of the Rainier Beer men’s D tournament on Sunday at Quad Park. Finn’s of Spokane was second in the 24-team field.

MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE 1995 Slowpitch Softball Tournament Schedules Coeur d’Alene June 17-18 - 11th annual Men’s C Red Dog. 24-25 - T.W. Fisher Coed C/D Invitational. July 8-9 - Budweiser Men’s C Invitational. 15-16 - Toni Edinger Memorial Women’s C/D. 22-23 - T.W. Fisher’s Men’s D Invitational. 22-23 - Red Wolf Coed Invitational. 29-30 - Paddy’s 9th annual Men’s C Invitational. Aug. 5-6 - Masters Invitational. 5-6 - Women’s Invitational. Information, call (208) 769-2250. Post Falls (Quad Park) May 27-28 - O’Douls Spring Classic Coed, Major/A and C/D. June 3-4 - Budweiser Men’s C. 10-11 - Miller Genuine Draft Men’s D. 17-18 - Bud Light Coed B/C and D/Rec. 24-25 - Coors Light/ Dudley Sports Men’s B/C. July 8-9 - Coors Silver Bullet Coed, Major/A and C/D. 15-16 - Ice House Men’s D. 22-23 - Fourth Quarter/Bobby Miller Memorial Men’s C and Women’s C/D. 29-30 - Steve’s Sports Dugout Men’s D. Aug. 5-6 - Budweiser Autumn Classic Coed Major/A and C/D. 12-13 - State Men’s D. 19-20 - WTB Fundraiser Coed B/C and D/Rec. 26-27 - Pub 41 Last Hoorah Men’s C/D.