Which explains why some ash bats last one swing, and why you see so many hitters walking glumly back to the dugout carrying a splintered handle as the shortstop retrieves the jagged barrel and hands it to the third-base coach. Former Blue Jay Joe Carter was an early convert, and current users include Carlos Delgado, Cal Ripken Jr., Craig Biggio and Jose Canseco. His requirement is at the very upper limit of what we can do. His barrel is 14 inches long and the bat weighs between 33 and 34 ounces. We've learned to vary the weight slightly in order to get the right shape.
Most players can handle the weight differential of an ounce or so.
Maple is a hard way to go, Holman says. He loves the wood and the quality it gives, but it can make him crazy sometimes. If the price seems steep, Sam Holman will remind you, in his low-key fashion, that you're getting a quality bat and a Canadian original to boot. As Kevin Brown reclaims his bat from Perez and buries a line drive in the padding of the left-field wall, Holman allows himself a small smile. They just don't fall apart.