Needed:A Real Bat Man

摘要

Miajor League Base-ball fans, take note: you might consider swapping your glove for a helmet next time you head to a game. A recent surge in exploding bats has sent bystanders ducking for cover. In April, a woman was rushed to the hospital after being hit in the face by a bat barrel at a Dodgers game, leaving her jaw broken in two spots. In June, umpire Brian O'Nora was bloodied after he was hit in the face while behind the plate. There are no official statistics kept on broken bats, but therehas been about one per game in July, prompting MLB's Safety and Health Subcommittee to study what's causing it. One theory is that maple-a denser wood that peaked in popularity when Barry Bonds used it to hit 73 home runs in 2001-shatters more easily than traditional ash. Another is design: many players now request fatter barrels and slimmer handles to increase the torque on the ball. Roland Hernandez, a wood expert who presented his findings to MLB two weeks ago, says it's a combination of the grade of the wood and certain designs that breaks bats.