Change is in the air for young baseball players

The Brick American playoffs are winding down as the regular-season champion Mariners of manager Gene Carafa play manager Ray Triano's Indians in the best-of-three tournament championship series this week.

As the league goes from there to preparing for the All-Star tournament, it will be a different experience this year as Brick American and Brick National have moved their franchises from Little League's District 18 after many years to the growing Cal Ripken program. The District 2 All-Star tournament starts next Friday, with the 11- and 10-year-old divisions playing at Brick American. The 12s play atWaretown, which Triano will manage and Carafa will serve as the coach.

And with it, two more changes are being considered for the future at BrickAmerican. Although the players have made a fairly smooth and welcome transition to the new measures of 4 more feet from the mound to home plate (now50 feet) and 10more feet on the base paths (70 feet), theymay be swinging wooden bats next year. And the outfield fences may be moved back and/or raised higher. Those issues will be discussed and perhaps voted on in the league in a few months.

Brick National is staying for one more year with the old 46/60 measure before switching next season.

"We've talked about it, and my preference is a wood bat league," said Brick American Major League (12-year-olds) player agent Mike Rytelewski. "It would enhance the league. Kids will still hit home runs, but not everybody."

That seemed the case this year when nearly every player had a tour or two of the bases. Tyler Goodwin of the Indians, who plays in center field and pitches, led the leaguewith eight. TheMarin brothers of the Mariners, Chris and Steve, followed with seven and six, respectively, and teammate Corey Zytko belted five. In the season-opening game, the Marin brothers hit back-toback tape-measure blasts. The Mariners clouted 22 of themin a 15-3 season, finishing in first place for the first time since 2001 when they completed a three-peat. They're attempting another three-peat for this year but lost their vaunted hitting attack in the opening game of their best-of-three championship series to the Indians, 2-0, on Sunday night.

"I'm really undecided about it," said Mariners manager Carafa of wood bats. "The wood bat is a true game. You can still power the ball far but it doesn't get there as fast, which allows shortstops a better chance to make the plays. With metal bats, the ball explodes off the bat."

Many contend that has led to fatal injuries across the country.

But with no other youth programs using wood bats, Brick American would enjoy it during the season but Rytelewski said it would be "a definite disadvantage" when it comes time to play inAll-Star games.

Wood bats at about $45 each are cheaper than the alloy bats that cost between $200 and $250. But Rytelewski said, to take some of the torque off batted balls, the league either pays out $1,000 for wooden bats or spends $5,000 to $8,000 to move the fences back and/or raise them.

"I don't think the transition to wooden bats will affect them (the players) that much," said Rytelewski. "With wooden bats, it keeps their hands in more control of the bat whereas with aluminum bats, they can move their hands out more and throw the bat out more. It leads to bad habits."

On the other side of the township, Brick National already has its older players entered for the second year swinging wood bats in a Big League division that was allowed to remain franchised with Little League. Manager Rich Page, who also managed the district All-Star team last year, said the players "love it."

"When they swing aluminum, they swing for the fences but it changed the game for us because they know they're not going to hit the long balls. So they just look to get it up the middle, just meet the ball," Page said when asked.

Along with aluminum bats, Rytlewski and Carafa also point to the 4 extra feet from the mound to home plate as a factor to the home run surge. It's something many managers and fans of the league expected to happen this season.

"The kids are able to see the ball longer and are better able to put the bat on the ball," said Rytelewski.

"I stood behind home plate during a practice (Friday night) and you can see the rotation on the curve," said Carafa. "I couldn't see that before. The 4 feet makes a difference. The kids canmore easily recognize the curve and see the rotation and they have more time to swing and the (greater) distance (fromthemound to the plate) takes off a little of the velocity."

The only other problem, said Carafa, is the upsurge in stolen bases. Unlike Little League, players can steal and pitchers are having a harder time holding runners than Brick American officials and managers anticipated. Carafa has gotten help on that from his 22-year-old son, Anthony, who joined theMariners as a coach this season.

"Whether the hitter gets a hit or a walk, it's like a double. He's stealing second base," said Carafa. His team has benefited, outscoring opponents, 195-62.

Keeping runners off the bases by minimizing walks becomes essential. The Mariners' runs allowed are low because Carafa said his pitchers average only about two walks a game. He has four good ones in Zytko and younger brother Drew, a lefthander, as well as Joe Trafficante and Chris Marin. Steve Marin plays first base and Al Aballo is the catcher. Chris McBride plays in center field while Josh Hansen, Dave Pfyko, Anthony Trafficante and Devin Magnussen share time in left and right field. Cole Kachelhoffer has seen action at second base.

Drew Zytko started on Sunday night, but did not get out of the first inning and older brother Corey finished.

Tyler Goodwin held the Mariners to one hit in their first shutout loss this season, a base hit by Joe Trafficante in the fourth inning. Brian Cottrell is the Indians' ace and came on in relief in the sixth inning when Godwin walked two batters. Rob Triano is a steady shortstop.

Grounders let in the Indians' runs in the first two innings, the latter after the Mariners failed to get the outwhen they had the runner picked off on two occasions.

Many agree that the changeover to greater distances from the mound to home plate and on the base paths makes it a truer game. "So far, we've gotten a good reaction from coaches, managers, parents and the kids," said Rytelewski.

"The kids love the game," said Carafa.