Broken Bat Sends Ump To Hospital

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AP Wire

Kansas City, Mo.,

plate umpire Brian O'Nora was hit in the head by a shattered piece of Miguel Olivo's broken maple bat, sending blood streaming down his face and forcing him out of a game between the Royals and Colorado Rockies.
The Royals later announced that O'Nora had a small cut on his forehead and was taken to St. Luke's Hospital for further evaluation.
The frightening scene came only hours after a player-management safety committee discussed the potential danger of maple bats at its first meeting. Following the session, baseball said it will start testing bats, but the sport made no decision on the contentious issue of banning maple models.
Some say maple bats splinter with greater force than those made of ash, and commissioner Bud Selig said last month that shattering maple bats are "a source of concern for me."
"They are very, very dangerous. I'm surprised that this is the first incident we've seen," Royals manager Trey Hillman said, referring to O'Nora's injury. "It could have been worse, a lot worse. It looked a lot worse than it was. There was a lot of blood. My understanding is that he is OK."

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Breaking News Union Meets Over Maple Bats

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Major League Baseball News

Jays come out swinging in Cito's return
Today, June 24, 2008, 22 minutes ago Jordan Bastian
Jays' bats erupt early, often vs. Reds

MLB, union meet over maple bats
Today, June 24, 2008, 24 minutes ago Alyson Footer
The recent explosion -- literally -- of maple bats has forced representatives from MLB and the union to evaluate the threat of injury, and the first step toward a resolution took place Tuesday.

Bush delivers stellar effort in win
Today, June 24, 2008, 29 minutes ago Adam McCalvy
Five days after he took a no-hitter into the eighth inning at Miller Park, Dave Bush held the Braves to a run on four hits in a 4-3 Brewers win at Turner Field on Tuesday.

Fatherhood sidelines Wright
Today, June 24, 2008, 29 minutes ago T.R. Sullivan
Jamey Wright is expected to miss the first two games of the Astros series to be with his wife, Marnie, who is giving birth to the couple's second child.

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Fans are Ducking more Bats and Flack

Written: by Dennis Paige
June 2 , 2008

Broken bats are becoming a big problem in the majors these days. Ask Don Long, hitting coach of the Pirates. Nate McLouth at the plate swings and his bat explodes on impacted a huge chunk flies into the visitors dugout smashes into Long's face inflicting a large gash. Or ask Susan Rhodes as she was sitting behind the Dodgers dugout, Todd Helton swings, his bat shatters, hitting her in the jaw, breaking it in two places. Next thing she knew she was in surgery. The problem it seems is the wood they're using. A spokesman for Louisville Slugger says that the company produces about 60 percent maple bats and 40 percent ash. Maple bats seem to creating a major safety concern for the commissioner. Bud Selig said "I'm very sensitive. I'm very concerned."


"I've never seen so many bats broken in my life," Detroit manager Jim Leyland says. "They talk about the best wood, the best this and that ... either the pitchers are so good they're jamming the s--- out of everybody, or the bats are that (bad).
"I've never seen so many bats flying, breaking in half. ... I've never seen anything like it in my life. It's mind-boggling. Every game, some body's ducking a bat.
"We spend more time picking bats up in the infield than we've done at any time in the history of the game.

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