Ok, Major League Baseball is currently considering banning bats made of maple, because it appears they shatter more frequently than those made of ash. I just watched my DVD that contains the Pirate Myth episode, in which you tested a cannon ball through oak, pine, and another wood. While there was a difference, none really seemed to be deadly. When the pitcher is the closest person in the path of a shattering baseball bat, can it really be that dangerous?

Deadly? I don't know.

Expensive? Yes.

The College World Series has been held in my home town for the past 50+ years. We've had several stories in the paper over that time period about MLB wanting college baseball to switch from aluminum bats to wood. The response from the NCAA is pretty much the same: "you paying for the wood bats?"

Broken bats aren't that common, but they do happen, and given the number of baseball games played in a season the cost of replacing them will add up.

You have proven you don't know beans about baseball. From left to right, you have the third base coach, the third baseman, the shortstop, the pitcher, the second baseman, the first baseman and the first base coach. All of these players, not to mention a couple of umpires are directly in the line of fire when a ball bat breaks. I just saw footage of Tommy LaSorda, in the third base coach position get hit by a broken bat. Fortunately, he got hit with the side of the bat, but it could just as well have been the splintered end. How many times have you seen a broken bat spear into the sod of the field? will we eventually see a player or ump taken off the field with a bat stuck in his chest? I certainly hope not.

um... I probably shouldn't even respond to that, but I'm tired of people having a cow over nothing instead of just having constructive things to say. I didn't say the pitcher was the only one in the line of fire; I said that he was the CLOSEST one (assuming the bat goes toward the direction of play). Now if that's changed, then I'll admit I don't know beans about baseball. Other than that, your point is taken and I agree completely.

Is it dangerous? absolutly! By the way the CATCHER is by far the closest player to the batter. Now would you like to guess what position Steve Yeager was playing when the incident I cited below happened?


In 1976, Steve Yeager was injured when a piece of Bill Russell's bat shattered and hit him in the neck, piercing his esophagus. He had nine pieces of wood taken out of his neck in 98 minutes of surgery. After the incident, Yeager invented a throat protector that hangs from the catcher's mask. It was soon worn by most catchers around the Majors and other leagues.