Maple Bat Issue in Baseball

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

Baseball
A splintering issue
Shattered maple bats have become a growing safety concern, but some players think the threat is overblown
Friday, July 4, 2008 3:11 AM
By Scott Priestle


THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
John Sleezer | Associated Press
Plate umpire Brian O'Nora suffered a cut and a concussion last week after a broken maple bat struck him on the head during a Royals-Rockies game. Two others ? a Pirates coach and a fan in Los Angeles ? have been injured by flying maple bats this season.



CLEVELAND -- Jerry Hairston Jr. broke toward second base at the crack of the bat, then quickly ducked to avoid the cracked end of the bat. From the opposing dugout, Indians pitcher Paul Byrd instantly identified the wood.
"When I see a bat flying through the air with a dagger on the end, I know it's maple," Byrd said.
Unlike traditional ash bats, which tend to splinter when they break, maple bats often snap, sending a chunk of the bat airborne toward players, coaches, even fans in the stands. Officials from Major League Baseball and the players' association recently met to discuss the safety hazard that a flying hunk of maple presents.
Some pitchers have expressed concern, and Indians manager Eric Wedge said he is in favor of banning maple bats or at least tightening restrictions on the dimensions of the bats. But many hitters -- even those who have dodged broken pieces while on the base paths or in the infield -- view the budding controversy differently.

[generaladm]

I heard Marty Brennaman and Jeff Brantley discussing this the other day. The topic was brought up because Adam Dunn had claimed he would no longer use maple bats, but when he had a bat break, Brantley said he could tell it was maple. I would think that ash would be a superior wood for bat making, due to it's hardness. Is it an issue of weight?

[NJ-Buckeye]

Verducci from SI went ballistic on the maple bat issue... he's just about demanding MLB issue an immediate ban or at least a 'restraining order' ... said this is a lawsuit waiting to happen and that MLB cannot say they weren't warned

[LitlBuck]

Originally Posted by NJ-Buckeye

Verducci from SI went ballistic on the maple bat issue... he's just about demanding MLB issue an immediate ban or at least a 'restraining order' ... said this is a lawsuit waiting to happen and that MLB cannot say they weren't warned

Totally agree. The Indians announcers say that MLB is going to sit on it until someone gets hurt and then there will be a big-time lawsuit. I guess what I don't understand is how much cheaper can maple be than ash and is at the cost of making a maple bat over a ash bat that much more expensive.

Maybe they should try aluminum bats. In that regard, it would have to be limited to the Indians because none of their guys can hit anyway.

[NJ-Buckeye]

Cost is not a factor.. has something to do with the maple staying more rigid than ashe for the duration of the bat life...

"The danger of maple bats is a major problem for MLB" (Verducci - SI)

The danger of maple bats is a major problem for MLB - Tom Verducci - SI.com

[LitlBuck]

duration of the bat life...

duration = 2 at bats
I think when they used ash I didn't see parts of bats flying all over the field and into the stands almost every game.

[Dryden]

Originally Posted by generaladm

I would think that ash would be a superior wood for bat making, due to it's hardness. Is it an issue of weight?

Maple is harder and more dense than Ash, thus less denting, recoil and a larger sweet spot. The hardness of Maple (and Hickory, which will be brought up during all of this) is exactly why they're more dangerous: They're more likely to snap completely in half than softly splinter down the wood grain.

Joe Carter was the first to bring maple bats to the big leagues in the late 90s, and is credited with introducing Barry Bonds to "the Sam Bat." Since Barry, many MLBers have switched to the Sam Bat.

Maple Baseball Bats - Sam Bat - The Original Maple Bat Corporation