Baseball ... Even "America's favorite pastime" has something to do with manufacturing...

Although it might sound like a bit of a stretch to say that manufacturing has something to do with baseball, and vice versa, if you've been following "The Great Broken Bat Epidemic of 2008," then you know there's some truth to the linkage.

Admittedly, I'm not sure anyone has referred to the continuous problem of broken bats in 2008 as "The Great Broken Bat Epidemic of 2008;" reporters, researchers, and scientists have noted it was an epidemic.  Researchers and experts from University of Wisconsin, Harvard University, and University of Massachusetts-Lowell were among those working on solving the problem that seemed to be pervasive in 2008. 

Scientists, researchers, experts, and engineers came together to delve into the problem and find a solution that would prevent (or at least significantly lower the number of) bats from splitting and sending shards into the stands, across the field, into dugouts, etc., causing a safety concern.  Today, new standards have been developed to ensure that bats are manufactured with these safety concerns in mind. 

And so, a problem that faced Major League Baseball -- and brought scientists, researchers, engineers, and others together -- has had an impact on shaping the future of baseball bat manufacturing. 

To read more on this story, go to: Forestry Service cracks mystery behind broken bats, helps MLB solve dangerous problem.