Timmy's bat

It was a Little League bat. Twenty-four inches long. Two inches in diameter. A Spaulding Special made for the learning leagues. Timmy used his bat for t-ball, minor-b ball, and the first year of major league ball when he was 11 years old. He couldn't use his bat after that — because he broke his bat.

Timmy was a good batter. He had progressively learned how to put more and more body motion into his swing. His footwork was perfect. He could really wallop the ball. He had always been careful to keep the label side up. The first rule his Dad had taught was: "You have to keep the label side up." As the bat aged, it became more and more brittle. It was inevitable; Timmy broke his bat.

Continued...