wooden bats

Question
This may sound silly, when I was a kid and we used wood bats we were always told to keep the label up so we would not break the bat.

Now I am playing in an over 38 hard ball league, it's a wood bat only league. I have a couple major league approved hard maple bats from  BWP and  Diablo. Should I be concerened about the lable when i use these bats?  Label up or does it matter. On the Diablo the lable is just a sticker.

Thanks

jeff

Answer
Definitely label up.  It is more than an old myth, there is truth to it.  The label on the bats, even the one with just a sticker are aligned specifically with respect to the grain of the bat.

Bats are lathed in a particular fashion with great concern of the angle and direction of the wood grain.  The label lets us, the consumer, know where to hit or in this case, where not to hit, the ball to give the bat the most strength, flexability and recoil.

Have fun in your league.

Coach Stauffer
Macomb College Baseball