If you are interested in Justice in America, listen to this story at This American Life about how a fiercely competitive prosecutor allowed his desire to get a win, get in the way of justice. We need real reform to our system that rewards prosecutors for “wins” rather than for finding the truth and ensuring justice is done.

http://www.thislife.org/Radio_Episode.aspx?sched=1245

In Virginia, a Key Primary
Our choice on the Democratic congressional ballot: Gerald Connolly

Saturday, June 7, 2008; A14

WITH THE DECISION by Rep. Thomas M. Davis III (R) not to seek reelection from Northern Virginia’s 11th Congressional District, Democrats are eyeing the vacancy as one of their more promising prospects for picking up a seat this fall. The 11th District, comprising a chunk of Fairfax County and part of Prince William County, has been increasingly friendly territory for Democrats during this decade. Mr. Davis, with the advantage of long years in local government before moving to Congress, is one of a vanishing breed of moderate Republicans who have been able to keep winning there.

His departure set the stage for a spirited, at times venomous, primary campaign among four Democratic candidates, two of whom are experienced public figures: Gerald E. Connolly, chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, and Leslie L. Byrne, whose political résumé includes stints in Virginia’s House of Delegates and Senate, a post in the Clinton administration and, from 1993 to 1995, a term in the U.S. House representing the 11th District (she was defeated by Mr. Davis).

On the primary ballot on Tuesday, the clear choice is Mr. Connolly, who, as the senior elected official in Virginia’s most populous jurisdiction, has been a nimble, energetic advocate for Fairfax County. A member of the county board for 13 years and a formidable civic activist before that, he has been a force in shaping policy in Northern Virginia and regionally.

Mr. Connolly is not universally beloved; he can be thin-skinned and hardheaded. But there is no denying his dedication and effectiveness on a range of issues affecting the region, including climate change, transportation and affordable housing. Ms. Byrne has backing from unions and other progressive groups. But her sharp-elbow tactics have injected a toxic note into most of the campaigns she has run, raising doubt about her ability to work cooperatively on regional issues in Congress. The Washington area’s congressional delegation has a tradition of bipartisanship; Mr. Connolly is a better bet to fit that mold.

The implication that using today’s non-wood/metal bat presents a safety issue has no validity. The following third-party research below supports that conclusion:

1) Since 2003, metal bats used in high schools and colleges have been scientifically regulated so that the speed of the batted balls off metal bats is comparable to that of the best major league wood bat. This standard has been adopted by the NCAA and the National Federation of State High School Associations. The standard is known as BESR.

3.) Bats used at the Little League level are governed by the BPF standard which dictates that the rebound effect of the ball off non-wood cannot exceed the rebound effect of the ball off wood.

3) A 2007 study on the “Non-Wood vs. Wood Bats” by Illinois State University concluded that “there was no statistically significant evidence that non-wood bats result in an increased incidence of severity of injury.”

4) In 2002 (before the current standards were implemented), the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) stated “Available incident data are not sufficient to indicate that non-wood bats may pose an unreasonable risk of injury.” (April 5, 2002) Obviously, since then, new regulations have been put in place to reduce the performance ability of bats even more!

One other point to consider: In the 2006 College World Series (where a metal bat by today’s standards was used), the batting average in all games was .277, the average number of home runs per game was 0.82, and the average number of runs per game per team was 5.2. In the 2006 American League season (where a wood bat was used), the batting average in all games was .275, the average number of home runs per game was 1.12, and the average number of runs per game per team was 5.2. As you can see, it’s virtually identical — with different types of bats.

For those who think or feel the ball exit speed off metal is greater than off wood are totally misinformed and basing their opinions on pure anecdotal observations!

Finally, I encourage you to visit our website (www.DTMBA.com) for more information on this “wood vs. non-wood” bat topic.

Sincerely,

Mike May
Don’t Take My Bat Away
6650 West Indiantown Road — Suite 220
Jupiter, FL 33458
p: 561.427.0657
mmay@sgma.com