Aaron Heilman is smart

According to Adam Rubin's notebook, Aaron Heilman is one of two MLB players to serve on the panel looking into broken bats in baseball.

Rubin:

Heilman said the issue is more complex than simply banning a certain type of wood. The group is studying how the bats are manufactured and such criteria as grain, dryness and shape. As an example, Heilman said it's possible that maple itself isn't a problem - just that inferior maple perhaps is being used because the prime material is steered to such things as table legs.

The main offender in baseball has shown to be of the maple variety. Carlos Delgado should know, as he was speared with a shard of bat in spring training, when a Brady Clark bat exploded.

I've posted about the maple bats before, and I came to a pretty simple conclusion: Ban them. Immediately.

Sadly, it's going to take someone to get seriously injured before a shift is made. If MLB can make it through this season without incident, I doubt we'll see those bats again next year.

Well go use that Notre Dame education, Mr. Heilman. Just make sure when the Mets call on you, your mind is on the batter you need to retire, not the trajectory of a possible flying bat spear.