engraved bat

Question
Hello Dr. Mark -

You have helped me out in the past (by reading your older posts) and I appreciate your expertise.  My daughter broke the endcap of her composite bat.  I returned it to Worth under warranty.  They sent me a replacement bat instead of repairing her original (now we have to break it in again! lol).  My question has to do with the fact that they engraved the word "REPLACEMENT" in the handle of the bat above the tape.  From the knob it measures 13" to the start, and is 1.25" long by 1/8" lettering.  There are no raised surfaces, but you can feel the letters when running your finger over them.
Is this bat still legal? When the rule talks of the knob end vs the barrel end, how far up the handle are you allowed to engrave?

Thanks for the help. I look forward to your response.

Sincerely,
Mike

Answer
Hi Mike,

your bat is legal.  You can use a safety grip 15" from the knob, so as you can see the manufacturer kept it win that 15", I assume so as to not cause any problems.  

You cannot engrave the barrel end (in fact umpires don't want to see anything on or near the barrel end) which differs based on the length of the bat But I think we can all agree that the taper separates the handle from the barrel.  You can engrave for ID the knob end.

Mark