Posted by: Major Dan (markj89@charter.net) on Tue Oct 1 11:10:05 2002

How must I hitt the ball with wooden bat (annual rings) right-angled or along?
> > >
> > > Wood is stronger when the grain-lines meet the ball. The label is always put at 90 degrees rotation from the hitting surface. So the label should be facing up (or down) when contacting the ball, not facing contact or facing away.
> >
> > This is a myth. It makes ZERO difference. I know because I worked for Louisville Slugger.In the future it is best for one to have their facts straight before giving any advice.
> >
>
> Andrej-
> there you go. Two conflicting opinions. I guess you'll have to do your own research now.

Andrej-
I spent some time looking for opinions on the internet. Found these. There are more. Found none that disagreed. Whoever posted before, feel free to back up your claims.

http://www.baseballbat.net/useandcare.html
With the label in the 12 o'clock position, hit the ball at the 3 or 9 o'clock position. You may have to rotate the bat in your hand in order to make contact at the right area. Look at the barrel for ball marks, then adjust your grip accordingly. Take note of the label position and continue to use it as a general guide. Hitting the ball on the edge grain will give a better feel and reduce bat breakage.

A bat is a hitter's tool, it should be treated as such. Keep the label in the up position.

http://www.epinions.com/content_926654596
Always hit with the label up or down. Never hit the ball on the label. Wooden bat manufacturers stamp their label on the bat on the top of the grain. The grain is what you can count to see how old a tree is. The grain is also the strongest part of a tree or wood. If you hit a ball on the label you will most likely have a broken bat in your hands. Broken bats add up.

http://www.exploratorium.edu/baseball/tools_2.html
[how a Louisville Slugger is made!!!]
The wood is milled into round, 37-inch blanks, or billets, which are shipped to the H&B factory in Louisville. There they're turned on a tracer lathe, using a metal template that guides the lathe's blades. These templates are set up to the specifications of each pro player. Then the bats are fire-branded with the Louisville Slugger mark. This mark is put on the flat of the wood's grain, where the bat is weakest. Players learn to swing with the label facing either up or down, so that they can strike the ball with the edge grain, where the bat is strongest. Hitting on the flat grain will more often than not result in a broken bat.

http://www.sambat.com/advant.htm
Label up - At the plate look your bat in the eyes
At the plate look your Sam bat in the eyes. We put our Bat decal on top of the grain to ensure the horizontal grain will meet the ball. This gives any wood bat a better chance to last and help your game.

http://www.mysportsguru.com/CDA/Article/0,1093,1-1003-6263-2013,00.html
The bat
The bat has a trademark and some think that it is just the manufacturers label. Well, it is, but it is also put on the bat to show the grain of the bat. Hitters should always have the label up so they are hitting with the grain and not against it.

http://www.baseballtips.com/howto/wood.html
Breakage and Prevention
The reality of wood bats is that any one of them can be broken. However, with some knowledge and the right bat, they have been known to last a long, long time. The first thing to do to reduce breakage is to understand that the placement of the trademark is not by accident. As no two trees are alike, no two bats are alike either. The trademark is placed on an area which has the greatest possibility of failure. The exact opposing side of the trademark is also a place where bats will more likely to fail too. Take a close look and you will see how the grain runs and why this is true. So the simple rule of prevention here is…Bat with LABEL UP OR LABEL DOWN. While holding a bat with two hands extended across the plate, make sure the label faces up to the sky or down to the ground.