Corked bat

In baseball, a corked bat is a specially modified baseball bat that has been filled with cork or other lighter, less dense substances to make the bat lighter. A lighter bat gives a hitter a quicker swing[1] and may improve the hitter's timing.[2] Despite popular belief that corking a bat creates a "trampoline effect" causing a batted ball to travel farther,[2] physics researchers have shown that this is not the case.[3] In Major League Baseball, modifying a bat with foreign substances and using it in play is illegal and subject to ejection and further punishment.[4]

  1. ^ Russell, Daniel (2011). "What about corked bats?". Physics and Acoustics of Baseball & Softball Bats. Penn State University. Retrieved August 1, 2019. A bat which has less mass, and especially which has a lower moment of inertia, may be swung faster.
  2. ^ a b Solomon, Christopher (June 23, 2011). "The physics of cheating in baseball". smithsonian.com. Smithsonian Institution. Retrieved August 1, 2019.
  3. ^ Nathan, Alan M.; Smith, Lloyd V.; Faber, Warren L.; Russell, Daniel A. (2011). "Corked bats, juiced balls, and humidors: The physics of cheating in baseball". American Journal of Physics. 79 (6): 575–580. arXiv:1009.2549. Bibcode:2011AmJPh..79..575N. doi:10.1119/1.3554642. S2CID 18919590.
  4. ^ Major League Baseball. Official Baseball Rules, 2019. Rule 6.03 (a)(5) § Batter Illegal Action.