You may not have noticed this but some players use little personalized stickers on the handles of their bat. Most notably Matt Duffy, who has a little Duff Man sticker on his, but other guys have them too.
Or should I say “had.” Neither Duffy nor anyone else can sport them this year. Why? Because, reports Alex Pavolovic of CSNBayArea.com, MLB has put its foot down:
Teams were told at winter meetings that personalized bat decals can't be used. Giants had a few guys with them. That's some NFL-level stuff.
— Alex Pavlovic (@PavlovicNBCS) March 25, 2016
That is a Goodell move, to be sure. Either way, I can’t see the reason for this. I know Major League Baseball has, in the past, been sensitive about corporate logos and stuff, but bat makers don’t put those on the handle. They’re on the barrel. I can’t see how it could interfere with the use of the bat either, nor how it might serve as some cover for cheating or chicanery of any kind.
Maybe they’re just worried about another Billy Ripken situation? It’s been nearly 30 years. We’re due.
