Heads Up

Bats keep exploding at major-league games, so much so players want more netting put up to protect fans.  Blame it all on Barry Bonds.

Back in the days of Babe Ruth, players swung bats made of hickory, a durable but heavy wood.  Ruth used 40- and 46-ounces bats and was said to have used one that weighed in at 54 ounces, which was fine for the Sultan but not necessarily for the mere mortals who played the game.  By the 1950s, ash was making inroads as a replacement for hickory.

Ash allowed the length of the bat to remain the same while the weight went down; the substitution of maple for ash meant more of the same.  In each case, the new bats were easier to swing.  Now try to recall any film clips of hickory or ash bats shattering; I can’t think of one, from Ken Burns to Homerun Derby.  And Barry Bonds’ contribution?

Bonds used a maple bat with a fat head (double entendre intended) and narrow handle; balls hitting the sweet spot went very far, balls hitting other areas of the bat caused vibrations that could shatter said bat.  What to do?

First, I’d explore other types of wood.  If Bonds set the pendulum in one direction with his maple bat, someone else could get it moving the other way by going on a hot streak swinging hickory, ash or oak, even.  Special rules for maple that dictate minimum handle thickness are also worth considering.  Supposedly, there’s a transparent tape that’s been shown to keep bats from shattering after they’ve split open.  Maybe an emergency meeting of the commissioner and the players’ union is in order here. 

Until then, heads up.