Well, my expertise is wood.
Baseball bats are made from splits. NOT lumber.
The grain is critical in how the wood responds to changes in humidity.
The density and size of the growth rings varies with the weather. Different species provides a hardness scale. The flexibility of maple vs the stiffness increase of ash (pool cue vs snooker cue).
The maple shafts that Bill Stroud created were most likely from splits. So changing humidity should not effect. Adding moisture is taken in by the soft rings so changes will happen with factory made.

Unless of course the right guy is running the factory operations.
The effect of gravity on a naked shaft lieing down would be negligible. The difference in the changes of humidity on a cue with one side exposed and the other covered could warp. I do it daily with my naughty pine.
In an hour they might curl as much (or more ) the other way.
The ones standing on side are almost normalized. Will return to the pile with a smile as it's All 70 percent off.

My Homedepot weakness has crooked lumber everywhere. I better build a crooked little chair to think on what to build with all this Naughty Pine. Makes pretty stuff.
