The folks at Axe Bats, a Baden Sports brand, say the round knob at the bottom of a baseball or fastpitch bat does nothing for you. In fact, it gets in your way, forcing players to choke up away from ...

RENTON, Wash. (AP) -- Players have been altering bats for decades in a bid to improve their grip -- adding pine-tar or some specialized grip tape, maybe shaving the handle slightly to make it thinner.