CINCINNATI — Joey Votto keeps his eye on the ball — and the bat — when he plays first base for the Cincinnati Reds, because you just never know when a piece of maple will fly into the infield.
"I've had to duck out of the way a couple times," Votto said. "But I haven't been hit. I've been very fortunate."
The scene has become routine in baseball as sluggers routinely make matchsticks of their lumber, and increased bat-shatter incidents have sparked debate about the best — and safest — wood for bats.
The issue centers on the increased use of maple to make bats. Maple has a higher density than ash, which has been used to make bats for more than a century. The increased density allows maple to last longer but causes dramatic breaks. Bats also have thinner handles and, players say, a lower quality of wood as more manufacturers enter the market.
The result: Fans, coaches, umpires and players are dipping, diving and dodging to avoid bat fragments at an alarming rate.
"You see people in the stands get smoked all the time by balls," Dayton Dragons third baseman Brandon Waring said. "A bat would be even worse with the sharp end."
Maple bats were first introduced into the big leagues in 1997, when drying techniques allowed manufacturers to lighten the heavy wood. When Barry Bonds used maple bats in 2001, when he clobbered 73 home runs, their popularity boomed. Now, 55 percent of major-leaguers use the "exploding" timber.
Reds pitcher Bronson Arroyo doesn't think about a broken bat flying back at him, even though he's seen near-misses in the infield.
"I've seen where (a player is) looking at the ball, but they're trying to move out of the way, and at the same time looking at where the bat's going," he said. "(Bats) go flying. It's definitely dangerous."
Don Long, the hitting coach for the Pittsburgh Pirates, was hit in the face with a broken bat in May, an injury that required 10 stitches. In late June, umpire Brian O'Nora was hit in the head, giving him a minor concussion.
MLB steps in
The Major League Baseball Safety and Health Advisory Committee has been asked to look into the problem. The committee, a board of representatives from the MLB Players Association, the commissioner's office, and others, such as Reds general manager Walt Jocketty, is responsible for the safety of players and fans.
"We're looking at regulating the way the bats are built," said Michael Teevan, MLB media relations manager. "One of the things we're studying is the weight ratio of the bat and the size of the handle."
Bats must conform to MLB specifications. They cannot be more than 42 inches long, and barrels cannot be wider than 2.75 inches. The weight is regulated to a "minus-3.5" standard: If a bat is 36 inches long, the weight can be no less than 32.5 ounces.
Another issue lies in the handles. In an effort to make barrels wider, handles are shrinking, making them brittle.
"The problem is the big barrel and the thin handle," Reds right fielder and maple proponent Ken Griffey Jr. said. "I don't use a big-barrel bat. I don't have that problem. I usually wear (my bats) out before they break."
Bats have been breaking for years. When a ball is hit on the handle or off the end, a break is expected.
"The thing that amazes me is, now you're seeing guys hit it on the sweet spot, and the bat's exploding," Dragons manager Donnie Scott said. "That's when something's wrong."
Bats are supplied by 35 licensed companies, but MLB has no regulation on wood quality.
"There are just so many different bats out there now," Scott said. "I'm sure there are people trying to profit from making cheap stuff. I pick them up and wonder how guys hit with some of them."
Fixing the problem
The safety committee will continue to meet with bat companies in order to determine a course of action, but before any regulations can be placed on bats, MLB needs the approval of the players association.
One question that needs a definitive answer: Is the number of shattered bats increasing, or is it just perception?
Former umpire Bruce Froemming spent 37 years working the diamonds before retiring last year. He says more bats are breaking these days.
"Any given night, four or five break," he said. "There is a lot of concern about it."
MLB will continue to gather data and conduct tests. Those tests are conducted by Dr. James Sherwood and his research team at the Baseball Research Center at the University of Massachusetts-Lowell.
Previous examinations of maple and ash showed no difference in batted ball speed.
"Maple has no advantage in getting a longer hit over that of an ash bat," Sherwood said.
The tests also backed up what has been seen on the field, Sherwood said. Maple bats tend to shatter into multiple pieces, while ash bats break off in one piece.
In a cry-out for change, some suggestions for making the game safer include extending the behind-the-plate netting past the dugouts, thickening bat handles and even banning maple bats.
The league's maple-faithful aren't fond of having their tools of trade changed or taken from them.
"Are they going to do that in golf? Make everybody use the same grip?" Griffey said. "Is a guy with smaller hands going to have to use to the same handle as a guy with bigger hands?"
Some players have voluntarily given up on maple.
Reds left fielder Adam Dunn switched to ash earlier this month. The power hitter said he was tired of maple's poor performance and durability.
"The maple was getting inconsistent and dangerous," he said. "With ash, you usually know (when it's about to break). With maple, you don't. Maple cracks from the inside, and you don't know."
In the debate over bat type, the Reds shared a common sentiment: The danger of splintering maple is a concern, but nobody should tell a player to use a certain wood.
"I know MLB is looking at it, but I don't think anybody's ever going to pinpoint exactly what it is that's making these bats break," Scott said. "It's a part of the game."
Greg Silverman writes for the Dayton Daily News. E-mail: gsilverman AT coxohio.com.