alstl AzB Silver Member Silver Member Aug 3, 2012 #1 To have an appropriate slope of grain -- or comparison between the grain of the wood and a straight line up the bat -- MLB and the Players Association have agreed that a bat's slope of grain for the handle and tapered regions must be no greater than three degrees, and it must be maintained on the edge and face of the grain surfaces. Also, a bat's entire grain, including the areas that are stained, must be sufficiently discernible to permit visual grading for the detection of defects. Such regulations are especially important for maple bats, on which more slope creates a breaking point along which a large, sharp shard can result. Ash bats, on the other hand, usually sustain rupture breaks. "In 2008, with all of the studies we saw, a major cause of the bat breakages was because of the wood in handles," Kretschmann said. "The wood substantially tipped over to the side, allowing the bat to easily break in half."
To have an appropriate slope of grain -- or comparison between the grain of the wood and a straight line up the bat -- MLB and the Players Association have agreed that a bat's slope of grain for the handle and tapered regions must be no greater than three degrees, and it must be maintained on the edge and face of the grain surfaces. Also, a bat's entire grain, including the areas that are stained, must be sufficiently discernible to permit visual grading for the detection of defects. Such regulations are especially important for maple bats, on which more slope creates a breaking point along which a large, sharp shard can result. Ash bats, on the other hand, usually sustain rupture breaks. "In 2008, with all of the studies we saw, a major cause of the bat breakages was because of the wood in handles," Kretschmann said. "The wood substantially tipped over to the side, allowing the bat to easily break in half."
D decent dennis AzB Silver Member Silver Member Aug 3, 2012 #2 Or it could be from them plaining, sanding and just making the knob ends so thin.
