The Knob Club

Most exclusive clubs require a certain something to become a member.

For three players on the baseball team, it’s all about the bottom of the bat.

Andy Burns, Marcus Nidiffer and Gunner Glad all tape up the knobs on their bats to unnatural dimensions.  It doesn’t really do much.  It’s just their own little thing.

“We started doing it in Cincinnati,” Burns said.  “Ever since then, the numbers have been ridiculous.”

Here are the numbers: when the Cincinnati game was played, Burns was hitting .237, Nidiffer .250 and Glad .348.  Currently, Burns is hitting .276, Nidiffer .281 and Glad .338.  Burns leads the team in home runs with 11 and Glad leads the team with 35 RBI.

The tape on the knob isn’t for everyone, as each player has a unique way of preparing the bat they use in a game.  But Burns said others are close to joining their “club.”

“Luke Maile is on the border,” Burns said of the freshman catcher.  “We’re trying to work him in.  But not everyone can get in it.”

Speaking of Maile, he had one of the weirdest statistics on the team up until the last game.  He was 2-for-15 before the WKU game on Tuesday.  Both hits were home runs.

“It’s definitely contradictory to me as a hitter, I’ve never been a home run guy,” Maile said of the stat a week ago.  “I’ve hit for average, hit the other way.  I don’t know if it’s the weightlifting, if that’s what’s happened, but I’ve been fortunate to put a couple good swings.  If it continues, not going to complain.”

However, the trend changed in the WKU game.  Maile entered the game and went 1-for-2 with a single, his first hit in which he didn’t round the bases all the way.

Maybe it was the knob.