Feds Analyze Problem of Shattered Baseball Bats at MLB Games

Just what we need from our government!

Federal researchers have discovered a way to lower the number of baseball bats that shatter in the course of Major League Baseball games, Department of Agriculture  Secretary Tom Vilsack announced Friday.

"This innovative research by the U.S. Forest Service will make baseball games safer for players and fans across the nation," Vilsack said in a statement. "The U.S. Forest Products Laboratory has once again demonstrated that we can improve uses for wood products across our nation in practical ways – making advancements that can improve quality of life and grow our economy."

The Elias Sports Bureau, which tracks statistics for MLB, doesn't track the number of bats that actually break, but the sense is that the number of broken bats has increased since a majority of players began using maple bats over the last decade. In 2011, a shard of a maple bat hit a fan attending a Kansas City Royals baseball game in the face.

(Hat tip to Jason Pye)

Comments

[timbo]

Put a government employee on it. They'll fix it. It might costs $14 million though. How long til peta starts protesting baseball for killing habitat.

[Knarf Yenrab (prev. An0nB0t)]

It's a good thing that the state uses tax dollars for this study, otherwise groups like the MLBPA and owners might be inspired by self interest to spend own cash to prevent injuries to players and customers.

[Robert]

MLB funded it, according to the article.

[JasonTromm]

How many taxpayer dollars were wasted on this research? If you go watch a MLB game, you're responsible for your own safety. Watch out for foul balls and broken bats. You don't need the government to keep you safe.

[Invisible Finger]

You could just put more weight in the handles which results in a stronger bat AND increased bat speed.

Instead baseball devolved into "Swing a bat with a fat barrel in case you hit it."

[db]

I blame the Ash Borer. For reals. They're killing all of my ash trees.