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The Corked Bat Case 

by Matthew Bumb Period 2 Davi “I still can’t believe you got us tickets to see the Pirates tiebreaker baseball game!” Dr. Haledjian exclaimed over the cheering crowd. “Indeed!” Sir Edward – Haledjian’s friend yelled back. “Tickets behind the dugout were hard to come by!” The placement of the elements in the Pittsburgh stadium was the first of their kind. The private pool area was at ground level, followed by the dugout higher up, and then the stands. A thin bar was all that separated the dugout from a ten-foot drop to the pool, and a spectacular view of the field. “Hey, isn’t that Roy McGerrald sitting in the dugout?” Haledjian inquired to no one in particular. McGerrald had been accused of using steroids and corked bats during play-off season. He had been tested multiple times, but always seemed to come out on top “NUMBER 3, ROY MCGERRALD!” a voice boomed from a speaker. Unexpectedly, Roy sprang from his seat, knocking his bat bag over the railing! Fans watched in horror as the bag cascaded wooden bats into the lower deck’s private pool. (Narrowly missing a young couple!) Scrambling out of the dugout and down the concrete steps, Roy had just enough time to pluck a bat off the water’s surface and make it up to bat. Dr. Hadedjian immediately flagged a security guard, who prevented McGerrald from using a corked bat to drive balls. // How did Haledjian know? //

Standard baseball bats are designed to withstand great impact, therefore must weigh a substainable amount. Dropped from a height of ten feet, a normal baseball bat wouldn't float. A corked bat, however, would.