More equal than others: the quality of player's bat often is relative to his place on baseball's totem pole--the higher, the better. (Baseball).

The next time you see a big-league hitter at the plate, check out his bat. Is it black, which, when used at night, makes it more difficult for outfielders to read the swing?

Is it made of maple, the timber made trendy by Barry Bonds?

Is it 34 inches, 31 ounces, the most common size used by major leaguers?

Does any of this matter? Well, only about as much as a violin matters to a violinist.

Hitters like to say, "It's not the arrow, it's the Indian." They may even believe it. But in a business where failing 70 percent of the time is considered successful, hitters crave every edge they can get. Most are on a never-ending quest for the ...