High school baseball New York judge upholds ban on metal bats in high schools

NEW YORK -- A judge on Tuesday upheld New York's ban on metal bats in high school baseball games, saying it was not his place to overturn a law that was approved by a local government with the public's safety in mind.

U.S. District Judge John G. Koeltl said there is no clear evidence that metal bats cause more serious injuries than wooden bats but added the City Council is entitled to make the judgment that the risk is too great.

"The protection of the health and safety of high school-age students is entitled to great weight," the judge said. "While the record does not include clear empirical evidence showing that more serious injuries would occur without the ordinance, it is the city's legislative assessment that the risk is too great."

The judge added: "In short, the judgment that high school baseball players' safety is more important than higher batting averages and more offense is a classic legislative judgment that the City Council could constitutionally make."

The law is set to take effect Saturday.

-- AP