Radial Bat™ In The News
New Jersey Monthly — March 15, 2010 —By Bob Seligman
“Ward Dill thinks he has the answer to those broken bats that are so scary to baseball fans. The Chatham resident has created the Radial Bat, a shatterproof bat made from twelve wedges of wood held together by 36 tons of pressure.
The knob end of the SBT24 Radial Bat, showing the shatterproof wedge construction. (Photo by Edward Tsang)
Dill, 56, began making the bat three years ago. So far, Major League Baseball isn’t buying.
The M.I.T.—educated Dill has had meetings with MLB officials, but they are sticking with their policy of only approving one-piece bats. “The only reason I can think of that they’ll change that rule is if there’s some horrific problem in terms of somebody being injured,” Dill says, “and I don’t want that to happen.” MLB officials would not comment for this story.
Still, Dill thinks the Radial Bat deserves a shot at the big leagues. “Wood will break along the grain lines,” he explains. “When the grain of a piece of wood travels all the way through a bat, a fracture will find that pathway and separate the bat into two pieces or more. In our twelve-wedge radial design, the grain never goes more than one wedge before the next wedge stops it.”
The Radial Bat has made inroads among Little League, high school, college, and minor-league teams. Several big-league teams, including the Yankees and Mets, use a smaller training version of the bat.
Dill expects to sell 25,000 bats this year. ”
Radial Bat Company combines woods to create durable bats
Philadelphia Daily News — July 21, 2009 —By Mark Kram
“Curiously enough, it began one day when Ward A.R. Dill looked out his window and saw that an apple tree branch had fallen in his yard. With a love for woodworking that dates back to his teenage years, the 56-year-old Dill took it inside and placed it on his lathe, only to realize that it was far too unseasoned to use for any artistic purpose. So he spliced it into 50 wedges and created a vase, which he liked well enough to duplicate later in cherry for his wife. Gazing upon it as he held it in his hands, it occurred to him how strong the design appeared.
Ward Dill, founder of the Radial Bat Company, displays his product at headquarters in Warren, N.J. (Photo by staff photographer Sarah J. Glover)
And it was then that “a light bulb” clicked on in his head. The baseball fan in him began to think: “I wonder what this would look like as a bat?”
“Suddenly, I had this cascade of thoughts,” says Dill, who attended the University of Massachusetts as an undergraduate and earned a graduate degree at MIT. “I had never been a fan of the metal bat but understood the cost efficiency of them. But as I looked at the vase closely, I began to think that if I cut the wedges correctly and glue them together so there is a tight grain all around, it could be far more durable than the traditional wooden bat.”
Quickly, Dill sprang into action to prove his theory. In less than 2 weeks, he had come up with the prototype for what he would call the “Radial Bat,” which consists of 12 wedges of wood glued together to form a hitting surface of 1.4 inches. To try it out, the former high school player took it to a local batting cage and hit 240 balls thrown at 79 mph. He developed a blister on his hand, but in the 2 1/2 years that followed has become convinced that he had been correct in his initial hypothesis: That the Radial Bat had the same properties of a traditional bat carved from a single piece of wood but without the high degree of breakage. ”
Daily Record — July 19, 2009 —By Jane Havsy
“Ward Dill has always loved physics and baseball. That unusual pairing fused into the radial bat, a baseball bat made out of “joined solid wood.”
Chatham resident Ward Dill holds one of his company's radial bats. The bats, made of 12 permanently attached pieces of wood, are virtually shatter proof. (Daily Record Staff Photo by Dawn Benko)
Dill unintentionally created the radial bat while designing a vase for his wife several years ago. After unsuccessfully trying to shape a piece of wood off an apple tree on a lathe, he cut it into pieces and glued them together, creating "an interesting pattern" and an extremely strong structure at the same time.
Dill wondered what it would be like to make a baseball bat out of the same type of wedges. Two weeks and a lot of research later, the radial bat was born — a dozen permanently attached pieces, each making up 30 degrees of the barrel.
Dill tried his invention out at a local batting cage, hitting 240 balls on the fastest setting available, 79 miles per hour.
“It was so comfortable and so durable, I wasn't being careful about what pitches I swung at,” said Dill, a Chatham resident. “There was no stinging in my hands, no vibration, and no damage to the bat. I was convinced at that moment, 2 1/2 years ago, that I had something that could be an advantage. I had no idea how much of an advantage it could be at that time.” ”
Good wood? Maybe, but new bat breaks MLB rules
Detroit Free Press — July 9, 2009 —By Rokeyta Roberson
“When Boston Red Sox shortstop Nick Green narrowly dodged the jagged barrel of a shattered bat belonging to the Washington Nationals' Elijah Dukes on June 24, Ward Dill was at least one person who wondered how long before Major League Baseball puts an end to an increasingly dangerous situation.
During the 2008 season, 1,700 bats were broken in a 2 1/2 month span, according to MLB research. That finding jump-started an ongoing study by MLB to discern why bats are breaking.
Dill, a New Jersey-based inventor and Massachusetts Institute of Technology graduate, thinks he knows why bats are breaking.
MLB rules require players to use bats constructed of one piece of solid wood. No hard numbers exist on how many players use maple bats versus ash bats, but it is widely estimated that more than 60% of players use maple.
According to Dill, the process used in constructing a solid maple bat — where moisture is reduced to create a lighter feel — makes the bat brittle and more susceptible to breakage.
Dill's solution is a new bat he created and named Radial Bat — he started his Radial Bat company in 2007. ”
Wood news, bad news For MLB, composite bats still aren't an option
Chicago Sun-Times — May 3, 2009 —By Toni Ginnetti
“Only two weeks into the season, major-league umpire Kerwin Danley became the latest victim of a shattered bat, struck in the head by a flying piece of broken wood from Texas Rangers designated hitter Hank Blalock's ash bat as he worked home plate.
Danley is recovering, but New England entrepreneur Ward Dill keeps wondering if the next person won't be as lucky.
Dill, 55, has more than a passing interest in safety for the game he loves. An economics and business-management consultant by profession, the Rhode Island native with an advanced degree from MIT is also the inventor of a wooden bat that not only is sturdy, it doesn't shatter. Even if it breaks, there are no flying wood projectiles.
His design is called a radial bat, made up of 12 compressed wedges of glued ash and maple — a composite that provides not only strength, but a larger sweet spot.
His design has been tested and accepted for use by the NCAA, but Major League Baseball is another story.”
A wedge issue: finding a safer bat design
SFGate — May 1, 2009 —By Tom FitzGerald
“Every time somebody gets hurt by a shattered bat in Major League Baseball — the latest being umpire Kerwin Danley just last week — an inventor from New Jersey named Ward Dill wonders about a major-league rule that requires bats be made of a single piece of wood.
Umpire Brian O'Nora had to leave a game last season after being cut by a piece of a broken maple bat. (John Sleezer / AP Photo)
He thinks he has an answer to all the shattered bats that have been hurtling across big-league infields in the past several years. It's called the Radial Bat, and it's made of 12 long wedges of wood bound together by a powerful adhesive.
Some college players who play in wood-bat leagues are using his bat. In trying to persuade Major League Baseball of the virtues of his invention, however, Dill has struck out swinging.
“Baseball is a very conservative institution,” he said. “I don't think they're going to be quick to change.”
Dill, 55, who has a master's degree from MIT, said that while his bat may crack like a normal bat, it won't shatter. That's because even though two or three of the wedges might break, the other wedges would keep the bat intact.”
Inventor: Radial Bat not as dangerous when broken
Newsday — April 22, 2009 — By John Jeansonne
“ The latest broken-bat scare on Tuesday night, which flattened plate umpire Kerwin Danley during the Texas Rangers-Blue Jays game in Toronto, provided New Jersey-based inventor Ward Dill with yet another argument that Major League Baseball needs a better formula for its bat-manufacturing rules.
Dill, an MIT graduate with experience in woodworking and designer of what he believes to be a shatterproof bat, believes that baseball's safety committee erred in its recent decision to stick with its rule that a bat must be forged from a single piece of wood. The committee called for a straighter grain in wood for increased strength, but Dill said the real solution is his Radial Bat, which uses 12 wedges of wood melded with adhesive.
In looking at the Radial Bat from the barrel end (like looking down the barrel of a gun), “Imagine a pizza pie with 12 slices,” Dill said. “The grain radiates from the center of the bat and, as a result, the bat is equally strong in every direction.” ”
Chatham's “Batman’ Behind Bat Innovation
The Independent Press — April 13, 2009 — By Marianne Ivers
“ When Chatham inventor Ward Dill combined his woodworking skills with his passion for baseball, a “shatterproof bat” was born. The trademarked and patented creation is officially called the Radial Bat™ and, because of its safety features, it is suitable for players of all levels and ages.
It is the design that makes the Radial Bat special. “The grain is positioned to be tight all the way around the bat, allowing hitters to use it in any orientation. The resulting design provides a solid wood bat, which feels great when the ball jumps off the bat. Because of the unique design, youth Radial Bats can be made with high drop numbers, as far back as negative 10. A drop number is the difference between the weight of a bat in ounces and the bat's length in inches,” Mr. Dill explained.
“For example, a 30-inch bat which weighs 24 ounces would be a negative six. These light weights allow younger players who haven't sprouted to full size yet to develop hitting skills with a wood bat which is perfect for their developing bodies. As a result, young players improve their mechanics, accelerate their bat speed and learn to hit with confidence and success.” ”
Shatterproof Bat was Brainchild of NJ Inventor
The Denver Post — April 9, 2009 — By Patrick Saunders
MIT graduate, woodworker and
baseball fan Ward Dill manufactures
a new kind of durable bat
at his lathe in his
New Jersey shop
“Ward Dill has two passions in his life: baseball and woodworking. He's married the two to create what he thinks is the world's best, most durable and safest baseball bat.
“When I was thinking about the merits of a bat, I was thinking that it should be durable, that you could hit on any part of the bat with equal effectiveness and that it should be true to the game,” said Dill, a 55-year-old inventor and Boston Red Sox fan with a master's degree from MIT.
Dill's invention is not your father's Louisville Slugger. Nor is it your son's aluminum bat that "pings" as the baseball rockets off a metal barrel.”
Get Your Baseball Bat Customized For That Special Someone
WPIX Channel 11 Morning News — March 3, 2009 — By Larry Hoff
“Larry Hoff had the ultimate accessory for every baseball fan — a custom made bat! Radial Bat in Warren, New Jersey will create a shatter-proof bat based on your measurements and specifications ”
Step Up to the Plate with the Radial Bat
Channel 12 - New Jersey
New Video: An unbreakable wood bat?
NorthJersey.com — August 26, 2008 — By Andrew Gross
“The unbreakable wood bats lived up to their billing as a succession of hitters – from Little Leaguers to adults – took their swings today at Yogi Berra Stadium.
And among the questions the Radial Bat’s designer, Ward Dill, fielded during the demonstration, the most pointed came from Ernest Fronzuto, an attorney representing Wayne’s Steven Domalewski.
Based on what he saw and heard, Fronzuto said he suspects Domalewski, now 14, might not have suffered brain damage in a game two years ago while pitching after being hit in the chest by a batted ball had one of Dill’s products been in use and not the aluminum bats. ”
New Solid Wood Baseball Bat Guaranteed Not to Break
Rosica PR News — October 30, 2008
“ Inventor Ward Dill, an MIT grad with decades of woodworking expertise, recently developed a solution to address the problem of wood baseball bats breaking in the major leagues, while providing a viable, safer alternative to metal bats used by children. His solution is a new category of bats he calls “joined solid wood” baseball bats and he founded a new company, the Radial Bat Company.
What makes Radial Bats™ unique is the way they are constructed. A conventional wood baseball bat is cut from one piece of wood. The Radial Bat is created by milling 12 solid wood wedges that are brought together to form a stronger bat with a larger sweet spot (the optimum hitting surface on a bat). ”
Shatterproof Wood Bat Passes NCAA Test
Team Intelligence — October 27, 2008
“ Radial Bat, the makers of the shatterproof wooden baseball bat, today announced that it had received an approval rating from the official NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) baseball bat testing center.
The test showed that the Radial Bat met its standard for baseball bat “liveliness” and is certified for use in NCAA games.
The NCAA requires that new technology bats be certified to limit their “liveliness.” The certification process is achieved by measuring the performance of a bat under controlled conditions and then assigning a number to it; this number is known as the BESR (Ball Exit Speed Ratio). To be certified, the BESR of the bat must fall at or below a predetermined value set by the NCAA. The Baseball Research Center, located at the University at Massachusetts at Lowell, serves as the official certification center for all baseball bats used for NCAA and the NHFS (National Federation of State High School Associations). ”
Inventor has ‘Radial’ solution to shattered bat problem
USA Today — August 28, 2008 — By Jorge L. Ortiz
Photo by Mike Derer, AP
“ A New Jersey inventor believes he has the solution to baseball's spate of shattered bats, and MLB officials are intrigued enough to look at his creation.
Ward Dill, a management consultant with 40 years of woodworking experience, has designed what he calls a Radial Bat, made of 12 wedges of solid wood bound together by a powerful adhesive and clamped under 36 pounds of pressure. ”
NJ Man Claims to Have Unbreakable Baseball Bat
WCBS Newsradio 880 — August 27, 2008
Photo by Levon Putney, WCBS 880
“ Ward Dill says his new Radial Bat can make youth sports safer by doing away with aluminum bats. He says with his bat, shattered wood would no longer be an issue in the major leagues.
Dill says he created the bat by combining 12 wedges of wood with adhesive and clamping pressure. He guarantees the bats for one year, promising to replace or fix any bat that cracks. ”
N.J. inventor claims new wood bat is safer
Newark Star-Ledger — August 26, 2008 — By Michael J. Fensom
Photo by Jim Pathe, The Star Ledger
“ Under a clear blue sky, in a remote corner of Montclair State University, an unlikely gathering of journalists, local politicians and youth baseball players were waiting for Ward Dill to step to home plate.
Dill, a middle-aged resident of Chatham with a degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, was there not to hit but to talk. The onlookers — some skeptical, some confused, some too busy playing catch to pay attention — were wondering if Dill’s refined baseball bat will have the lasting effects on the game that he claims. ”
MIT grad invents wooden bat that doesn't shatter
ESPN — August 26, 2008
“ A New Jersey inventor says he has come up with a way to take that aluminum “ping” out of youth baseball and the broken bat out of the national pastime, while making the game a little safer with every swing.
It's the unbreakable wooden bat, at least one that is guaranteed for a year.
Ward Dill unveiled his Radial Bat on Tuesday, promising the revolutionary stick would prevent injuries caused by the shattering of conventional wooden bats while providing a safer alternative to metal bats used in youth leagues and through college. ”
