CPSC Announces Consent Agreement With Manufacturers And Distributors Of Aluminum Baseball Bats

WASHINGTON, D.C. (April 13) -- The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission announced today approval of a settlement agreement between the Commission's Bureau of Compliance and respondents in the Aluminum Baseball Bats Enforcement Proceeding, CPSC Docket Nos. 75-9, 75-10, 75-11, 75-12, 75-13, and 75-14.

The agreement will dispose of enforcement proceedings commenced in November, 1975 against Hillerich & Bradsby Co., Wilson Sporting Goods Co., a division of Pepsico, Inc., Lannon Manufacturing Co., Reynolds Metals Company, Alcoa Sport Products Company, a subsidiary of Alcoa, and Eaton Corporation, manufacturers and distributors of aluminum bats and rubber grip components of the bats.

The enforcement proceedings were brought because the Commission staff was of the opinion that an undetermined number of aluminum bats could present a substantial product hazard within the meaning of the Consumer Product Safety Act. The staff charged that the one piece rubber grips and knob could deteriorate and separate from the handle of the bat, causing the bat to be propelled during a swinging motion and having the potential for striking a person in near proximity to the batter.

The agreement is entered into for settlement purposes only, and the agreement and the order, notices and news releases agreed upon and to be issued pursuant thereto do not constitute an admission by respondents or a finding by the Commission that the Act or any other law has been violated or that respondents have failed properly to perform or carry out any duty or obligation or that the products which are the subject of the captioned proceedings contain a defect, fail to comply with any consumer product safety rule, create a risk of injury or present or constitute a "substantial product hazard" within the meaning of Section 15 of the Act.

The respondents in the subject enforcement proceedings have agreed to a program notifying consumers of the possible risk alleged in the Notices of Enforcement in the proceedings and of the opportunity to receive, free of charge, an update kit with which to affix mechanically a new knob to the bat. Prior to this agreement Jas. D. Easton Inc. had agreed upon a similar program with the Commission.

These bats have been sold under the following trade names: "H&B/ Louisville Slugger", "Reynolds", "AJD", "Easton", "Adirondack", "Worth", "Sears", "Sunsmacker", "Wilson", and "Rawlings".

Consumers who believe that they have one of the bats should contact the manufacturer by writing Ball Bat Update Program, P.O. Box 11317, Chicago, Illinois 60611.