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SelectPlusMLB to Discuss Safety of Maple BatsMLB to Discuss Safety of Maple BatsThe Associated PressMajor League Baseball said they will soon address the controversy surrounding maple bats Tuesday. The league has seen a spike in broken bats this season, resulting in injuries both on the field and in the stands. (June 24)They've become the preferred choice for major league baseball....With almost 60 percent of all M-L-B bats now being made from maple rather than the old choice of Ash Wood.Most look like this one --- Often light in weight, with a long handle and a big barrel.But with the league seeing a sharp increase in broken bats...There's a growing controversy over just how safe these maple bats are....SOT Michael Griffin::"It's like a torpedo with a sharp edge on it." At the beginning of the season --- a large splinter broke loose from a player's bat, And lodged itself just below Pittsburgh Pirates hitting coach Don Long's left eye...A wound that would require 10 stitches to close.Weeks later, this woman sitting in the stands had her jaw broken at a Dodgers game.SOT: Chuck Schupp/Hillerich&Bradsby At some point the player is in jeopardy possibly, or the fan, so yeah it's a concern for us, but the whole reason maple is here is that's what the player's market asked for nine years ago." Around that time, players like Barry Bonds started using maple bats --- And home runs began flying in record numbers.But even players admit that there is a noticeable difference when a maple bat breaks.SOT: "Maple tends to blow up. Those are the ones you see flying out on the field ."Manufacturers here in Louisville say that maple will stay popular --- unless Major League Baseball outlaws it.A move they are said to be considering....Until then, though, both fans and players are trying to stay clear of falling timber. ___ ___, The Associated Press.