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Mark LutzHow did Jackson's bat survive uncracked? I agree with Dennis about the thick handles and the more durable wood. When those bats cracked, they were so sturdy that a bat boy would drive in some nails and the bat would be be as good as new. From what I understand, Jackson used numerous bats with black barrels. In their book,Dave Bushing and Dan Knoll quote a craftsman from the Louisville Slugger factory that Jackson insisted that "all" his bats be blackened with a flame. I would speculate that the black betsy that he kept with him was one of the few betsies that never cracked.