Greetings, all. I’m finally comfy in my seat, in the air conditioned confines of the CitiField pressbox. I’ve spent the last two hours proudly displaying a media pass, traipsing all over the place. I’ve been in the locker room, doing more observing and listening than asking questions. Been on the field and dugout. All and all, a nice way to start the night.

The skies are ominous and the wind is blowing so I am not sure if we’re going to get this game in, but if so, I will be here live blogging.

6:38: Centerfield video says: “WEATHER ALERT. Inclement weather is approaching the area. For your safety, please make your way into the covered areas of the concourse.”  I’m officially concerned.

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Back in December, I briefly discussed the new rule in the CBA governing the usage of low-density (LD) maple. A reminder on the rule in question:

The ban would only apply to new major leaguers. Other players would be grandfathered and could continue using low-density bats if desired.

As you might remember, too, I have been pretty darned vocal about this shattered bat thing for, well, ever. Because of this obsession of mine, I developed a new BFF in the baseball universe, Wendy Thurm from FanGraphs and Baseball Nation. She asked me a few questions via email and I send a whole mess of a response her way. She turned it into something much better, as you can read here. Like the pro she is, she took only a quote from me:

I’ve been as outspoken as anyone about this issue. The new restriction on bat density for new players is a step in the right direction, but it is not enough.

A number of potential solutions have been developed. Some include radical multi-piece bats that will likely never see a major league game under current MLB Rule 1.10 as they fundamentally change the time-honored equipment of the game. Other solutions include ultra-thin polymer films that wrap the bat to keep the barrel and handle in place should the bat suffer what the manufacturers call a “multi-part failure”, something that has passed significant MLB-approved testing at their Lowell, MA facility. [videos here]

Regardless of the possible remedies available now or in the future, as long as the players want the thin handle, heavy barrel bats that create a whip-like action, bats will continue to shatter. According to MLB regulations, the difference between the bat length and weight can be no greater than 3.5. In other words, a 35” bat cannot be lighter than 31.5 oz. Bats with bigger barrels and narrower handles that push the limits of physics and this rule (or exceed them due to player modification such as sanding the handles for weight/narrowness) all greatly contribute to this problem.

If you want to see/read/learn a bit more about bats, low-density vs. high-density, maple vs. ash, read on friends. After the jump, be warned, my mess of a response to her questions in its completeness. So yeah, I ramble a bit. Sue me.

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As you probably heard with regard to one of the many items in the new Collective Bargaining Agreement, there will be a ban on low-density maple bats. Well, sorta:

The ban would only apply to new major leaguers. Other players would be grandfathered and could continue using low-density bats if desired.

In other words, every player who has ever appeared in an MLB game can still use the low-density bats as long as they are active. As you also might remember, I’m pretty vocal about this whole bat thing.

Rather than rant, I contacted Phil Rauso of BatGlove for his closer-to-the-issue thoughts on the new rules:

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