Gone Batty

I know that most of my blog readership have zero interest in baseball. Wait, don't leave, hear what I have to say. This post is not to chat about my favorite team, the Atlanta Braves, or to persuade you that our national sport is still baseball. No, I just want to point out that the powers-that-be in baseball are no crazier than the current crop of international leaders, business prognosticators, Hollywood celebrities, or any other group you choose to pick on. Maybe you've heard of the epidemic of broken bats in Major League Baseball. Well, they're going to do something about it. Since July 2, all 30 teams have collected 257 broken bats (a span of 260 games). Consultants at the U. of Wisconsin's Forest Products Laboratory and a statistician at Harvard will be analyzing a database that contains the player, type of bat, and manufacturer for each recorded incident. There have been injuries of fans, players, and umpires this season alone, so safety is part of the concern. The other concern is quality control. Bats didn't always split and splinter so readily. Why now? A few weeks ago, MLB's investigative committee reported that bats might be subjected to portable CAT-scan devices (around $260,000 a piece, one for every team). After every 10 or 15 contacts between a ball and bat, the scan would evaluate the structural integrity of the bat, i.e. its fitness for continued use. Wow. These guys must have trained at either the Pentagon or OSHA. Expect ticket prices to go up--profit margins are non-negotiable. Also expect a report by the 2012 season. At least one manufacturer, Sam Holman, founder of Original Maple Bat Corp., has suggested that some companies could be using inferior wood. Imagine that! No wonder this crisis has diverted attention from Bobby Bonds and other hot topics of last year. And if you venture to a ball park, don't forget your helmet and pads, baseball fans.