The term denotes a baseball or softball bat that has been altered internally to enhance its performance. This alteration typically involves removing a thin layer of material from the bat’s inner walls, which makes the bat more flexible and increases the trampoline effect when hitting a ball. Consequently, the ball comes off the bat with greater velocity, resulting in longer hits. An example of this modification involves carefully removing a layer of composite material or metal from the inside of the barrel, then plugging the end to conceal the alteration.
Such modifications provide a significant advantage to the batter by increasing the distance the ball travels. However, this practice is widely considered unethical and is explicitly prohibited in most organized baseball and softball leagues due to the increased risk of injury to fielders. The history of this practice is intertwined with the evolution of bat technology, particularly the introduction of composite bats, which are more susceptible to this kind of tampering.
