The Recall Desk
CriticalCPSC·75053·Announced 1975-07-25

CPSC Warns of Injury Risk from Aluminum Bats with Rubber Grips

The CPSC issued a warning for over five million aluminum baseball and softball bats with rubber grips due to the risk of the bat detaching during a swing.

What this means for you

Highest-severity recall. Risk of serious injury or death is documented or strongly suspected. Stop using the product now and follow the agency's instructions.

Our severity reasoning: The source text explicitly states that one death and two major injuries have reportedly occurred, which meets the rubric criteria for a Critical severity score.

Plain-English summary

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) issued a warning on July 25, 1975, regarding more than five million aluminum baseball and softball bats with rubber grips sold nationally since 1968. The warning identifies a potential hazard where loose, worn, damaged, or deteriorated rubber grips could cause the aluminum bat to fly out of the grip or detach from the knob during a swing.

The CPSC reported that two major injuries and one death had occurred when aluminum bats detached from grips and were propelled through the air. The one-piece rubber grip sleeve and solid rubber knob are the only components holding the bat in place. The warning covers bats sold under various trade names, including Easton, Adirondack, Wilson, H & B/Louisville Slugger, Reynolds, Worth, and Hitter's Pride.

Consumers are urged to immediately check the rubber grips on their aluminum bats and cease use of any bats with loose, torn, or deteriorated grips. Airlite Aluminum Corporation has voluntarily agreed to repair any Airlite "Hitter's Pride" bat sent to them free of charge. The CPSC noted it was continuing to determine if other grip and bat manufacturers' products posed a similar risk.

The recalled product

Product
Adirondack aluminum baseball bats with rubber grips
Manufacturer
Hillerich & Bradsby
Category
Consumer Product — Sports Equipment
Hazard

Distribution

Distributed nationwide across the United States.

Related recalls

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