Friday, August 08, 2008
An expert on breaking bats
Posted by Dave StudemanPopular Woodworking weighs in on the issue of breaking bats.
So is the broken bat mystery merely a question of maple vs. ash? As a woodworker, I doubt it ... No, I believe the scientists at the Forest Products Laboratory will conclude the breakage epidemic is due to the shape of bats today and the relationship between its weight and length. Players’ preferences today are bats that are longer and weigh less with a thinner handle and bigger business end. This preference is a result of the widespread use of aluminum bats on the college circuit that have this shape, and lots of MLB players are from the college ranks.
Dave was called a "national treasure" by Rob Neyer. Seriously. Comments about this article can be sent to him through the miracle of e-mail.