Tablesaw Tapering Jig is Safer and Faster
3 Steps to Great Glue-Ups: Sliding Dovetail Joints
How to Cut Sliding Dovetail Joints
Five Minute Guide: How to Use a Tablesaw
Fixing Woodworking Mistakes
Dedicated Sled Delivers Perfect Finger Joints
How to Sharpen a Card Scraper
Upgrade Your Jointer with a Segmented Cutterhead
T-Track is a Smart Workbench Accessory
Box Making Tips and Tricks
How to Make a Simple Jig for Offset Knife Hinges
Best Tabletop Finish
How to Apply an Aerosol Finish
Buying and Using Trim Routers
Five Minute Guide: Glue-Ups
Router Jig for Perfectly Aligned Dadoes
How to Drill Windsor Chair Mortises

The Editors Mailbox

Baseball is Safer

comments (2) June 9th, 2011 in blogs

Betsy Engel, contributor

8 users recommend

Add Comment
Print

Do you remember a few years ago there was a lot of talk about baseball bats breaking and flying around the field, potentially injuring players and fans? Have you heard much about it this year? Probably not, because the incidents of broken bats are down by half in Major League Baseball.

Thanks to a partnership with Major League Baseball and the USDA Forest Service that began three years ago, there has been a 50 % reduction in multiple-piece failure (MPF) rates. Research engineer, Dave Kretschmann, at the Forest Products Laboratory has studied video of every shattered bat since 2009 and examined hundreds of those bats. Most of his recommendations address “slope of grain issues” which refers to the straightness of the wood grain along the length of a bat. A straighter grain is less likely to break.

Also, MPF is fairly new to the game, partly because of changes in the geometry of the bats. One favorite among players is a thick barrel tapering quickly to a much thinner handle. Because MLB bats must weigh about the same, these bats need to use a lower density of wood which is also weaker. Over-drying during the process can also create weaknesses.

Because of these findings, in 2010 limits were placed on bat geometry, wood density restrictions and wood drying recommendations. According to Kretschmann, “One change made to address [the slope of grain] issue, that players and fans can easily see, is a small ink dot placed on the face-grain of bat handles. This helps identify grain characteristics at just a glance.”

The Forest Products Laboratory and MLB will continue to work closely to continue this trend of fewer broken bats. And I’m going to look for that ink dot on the bat the next time I’m watching a game.

posted in: blogs, , Baseball

Add Comment Print

Blanket Chest Book Scores a Home Run with Industry Blog

Back to List

Twin jewelry boxes

Comments (2)

Georgiacutter writes: Years ago, I was taught to hold the bat so that I could see the label. These were always burned into the face grain. When holding the bat this way, the batter is striking the ball with long grain and is less likely to break the bat.
Posted: 6:40 am on December 21st

gene63 writes: I like your article. Ironically enough wooden bats are used in professional baseball but in college aluminum bats tend to reign. I'm not a fan of aluminum bats by no means. It's really noticeable at the College World Series (in Omaha). I recently read an article that stated aluminum bats are likely to stay in college. I'd like to see it change....think about it...once an athlete leaves college...he is playing with a wooden bat. Take care..

Gene
Posted: 3:57 pm on June 14th

You must be logged in to post comments. Log in.