Science Lowers Shattering Risk at Home Plate
By FELICITY BARRINGER, NYT
Welington Castillo smashed a double for the Chicago Cubs late in a game in the 2010 season, his bat exploding on impact with the ball. A long shard of wood flew at a teammate, Tyler Colvin, sprinting home from third base, impaling him a few inches from his heart. Though Colvin scored, his season was over.
But the season of the maple bat shows no signs of ending. Ever since 2001, when Barry Bonds broke the single-season major-league home run record using maple bats, more and more players have abandoned the ash bats favored by Mickey Mantle, Hank Aaron and Derek Jeter. About 64 percent of the 60,000 bats sold to major-league teams last year were maple.
“It feels different than ash,” said Michael T. Rains, acting director of the Forest Products Laboratory in Madison, Wis., part of the United States Forest Service. “It feels like you can swing the bat faster.”
Vince Malta, who authenticates major-league bats for collectors, added: “A maple bat has a hard surface. It’s got more pop.”
(More here.)
Welington Castillo smashed a double for the Chicago Cubs late in a game in the 2010 season, his bat exploding on impact with the ball. A long shard of wood flew at a teammate, Tyler Colvin, sprinting home from third base, impaling him a few inches from his heart. Though Colvin scored, his season was over.
But the season of the maple bat shows no signs of ending. Ever since 2001, when Barry Bonds broke the single-season major-league home run record using maple bats, more and more players have abandoned the ash bats favored by Mickey Mantle, Hank Aaron and Derek Jeter. About 64 percent of the 60,000 bats sold to major-league teams last year were maple.
“It feels different than ash,” said Michael T. Rains, acting director of the Forest Products Laboratory in Madison, Wis., part of the United States Forest Service. “It feels like you can swing the bat faster.”
Vince Malta, who authenticates major-league bats for collectors, added: “A maple bat has a hard surface. It’s got more pop.”
(More here.)
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