Submitted by CABOT, Jul 12, 2007 19:02

There are bat companies that make wood bats out of species beside ash and maple that perform better, last longer, and don't cost as much. In particular there is a company called B45 Inc. out of Quebec that sells a bat made out of yellow birch. Because it grows further north at a slower rate the species is denser yet very flexible. According to their web page and their booth at the Winter meetings this year, B45 bats break rate is far lower than maple or ash and they perform better. They have forest engineers on staff that are so confident about their data that B45 offers team deals where the will supply a team with all the bats they can use during a season for a fixed up front cost. That is, they agree to replace broken bats during the season. They do this apparently because they do not think they will have to replace many bats. I know at least some of the independent league teams are using them and a few guys in the majors are starting to. I think Russ martin used them in the minors. Yellow birch will be the next maple or surpass that craze. Another added bonus is that when they do break they do not explode like maple sending shards of wood everywhere. Just a matter of time before the bigger companies start offering it.

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