Story on Danger from Maple Bats

[SAump]

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slu...yhoo&type=lgns

[zebra2955]

And we thought metal was bad! Whats next?

[ozzy6900]

A good part of the reason is right in the article - the handles are too thin! Both maple & ash are good woods but the handles over the years have just been turned too small to handle the abuse. Add this to the buffed up players swinging these bats and you get broken bats.

Now do we need a Congressional investigation to figure this out? Do we need to creat more safety rules (full helmets with Plexiglas face shields)? I do not think so. I think that everyone on the field needs to pay attention to the batter when the pitcher is ready to pitch. I think that if everyone did what the fielders do, there would be less injuries in the long run.

The base coaches are too busy watching the runners, the on deck guys are too busy trying to get their swing just right, the shaggers are too busy watching the babes in the stands and no one is paying attention to what is really happening.

Baseball has been played with wood bats for decades! Let's not make mountains out of mole-hills!

[briancurtin]

"The incidents keep happening, and following Mike Coolbaugh’s death last season when a batted ball struck him in the neck while he was coaching first base in a minor league game, neither Major League Baseball nor the MLB Players Association can afford to wait for another tragedy when it could take preventative measures. Were officials from either party to meet with Long and see his face, they would understand the issue must be resolved immediately."

The incidents keep happening? Coolbaugh got hit with a ball. Who died from the same situation before or after him? Long got hit with a broken bat. Who was injured from the same situation before or after him? Yep, it all keeps happening.

[RPatrino]

I had a player ask me, " are wooden bats even legal?". I about died laughing!!

Hey Bren, good one!!!

[SAump]

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news;_yl...v=ap&type=lgns

Apology for the terrible pun.

Just noticed link in post 13 replaced original link above.
Anyone remember the name of the umpire struck by a broken maple bat on May 24 or 25, 2008?

[jkumpire]

You're forgiven, but it was very difficult......

[SAump]

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slu...yhoo&type=lgns

[Steve M]

I agree with Ozzy - the handles are too damn thin - and I can't add enough exclamation points. Having handled enough of today's bats, I don't think I'd want to be swinging one - the handles are too damn thin. I had the hands of stone as a fielder - and showed that by being a disaster in the field. But I could hit. And a couple of the biggest thrills I had as a player were jacking the ball a couple of times in a major league park - before the fences were moved in. Today's wooden bats are not the same as they were 30+ years ago. I used a 34inch, 36 ounce bat - how many of today's players would use a plus-2?