Ban maple bats?

Question

The River City Rascals, in O'Fallon, Mo. an independent minor league team in the Frontier League have become the first team to ban maple bats effective in 2009. What is your opinion. Should maple bats be banned. My answer is yes. The things shatter and a least one fan at a major league game has been injured. Its only a matter of time before a player or fan is killed by those bats shattering and flying into the stands.

Answer 1

no wth man why would they ban them. its just part of baseball

Answer 2

I think the situation with maple bats is proof that something needs to change with the MLB bat standards, but I don't think a flat ban on maple is the correct answer either.

I think the MLB should re-evaluate its entire regulations on bats. They should consider regulating the ratio of handle diameter to barrel diameter, the length of the barrel vs the length of the handle etc. Perhaps the regulations can be different based on what type of wood is used, but I think there are ways to make maple bats safer. Perhaps less players would use maple if it was required to have a thicker handle and a shorter barrel.

I think a flat-out ban on maple would be the simplest solution, but not necessarily the best solution. I also agree that any rule changes should be made in the off-season. This gives players a fair chance to try different types of bats in practice and spring training so they know exactly what they want to use for the games that count.

Answer 3

Yes.  They shatter way too easily and someone can get seriously injured.  The reason they break so often is because they're not wood, but rather graphite.  Hockey sticks are the same way.  Pure wood will chip, but not shatter.

Answer 4

about 50 percent of batters use them now.  Changing the rule would really effect their batting.  I think its a rule that needs to be enforced, but teams with lots of maple bat players would see a bit of a disadvantage.  I think they should enforce it after this season is over.  Hopefully no fans, players, or umpires get seriously injured.  I saw another one on the cardinals game yesterday, Joe Mather's bat broke and it swung around and hit the ump on the mask.  No injury, but its only a matter of time really.

Answer 5

no ban on maple bats

New standards need to be implimented on ALL bats.  Handle thickness needs to be regulated b/c handles are too thin now.

Answer 6

yes!, there have been a couple of incidences already

too dangerous for fans, umps, players, coaches