Baseball Bats – Everything You Need to Know About them & More

Baseball Bats are the clubs that batters use to hit the ball with. They are made of either wood or metal.

Based on regulations, baseball bats cannot be more than 2.75 inches in diameter and not greater than 42 inches in length. 

Modern-day bats vary from 33 ounces to 36 ounces, however, historically they have been much heavier.   

Nomenclature 

There are different parts of a baseball bat. The thick part of the bat is called the barrel. It is used to hit the bat and is also the best part of the bat to hit the ball with. 

Moreover, the end of the barrel is called the cap, top, or the end of the bat. 

On the other end, the barrel narrows down and meets the handle of your bat. A metal baseball bat has a rubber or tape grip.

You should know that a bat drop is measured by the difference between its weight and its length. We found that more significant bat drops allow an increase in the swing. 

History 

In our research, we found that until recently, bats were made by hand by individual batters. This gave baseball bats an array of different designs, shapes, and sizes. Since then, the form of a bat has become more polished. 

Adding on, different innovations in bat design have also taken place. These are

  • Emile Kinst first patented the banana bat on 17th June 1890.
  • Spalding made the first mushroom bat in 1906 which gave batters better distribution of weight. 
  • The Wright and Ditsons Lajoie baseball bat had two knobs on the handle. The knobs had 2 inches of spacing between them to provide a better grip. 
  • In 1990, axe handle bats were proposed by Bruce Leinert. He patented them in 2007.  

baseball bats

Materials used in Manufacture 

Baseball bats are made of wood or metal. You can get a bat that uses ash, however other kinds of wood are also used available such as maple, hickory, or, bamboo. 

Why is there a label on the bat?

We noted that manufacturers often place the label on the bat. This part of the bat is considered to be weaker. The label is supposed to be kept towards the sky by a batter in order to avoid fractures. 

After the basic shape of a bat has been set, the manufacturer’s name and its serial number are added. Additionally, some bats also have the signature of the player who is endorsing the brand. 

Regulations

There are different regulations in place. Let’s take a look into it: 

  • For major leagues, the bat must be a smooth, round stick that does not exceed 2.61 inches in diameter on the thickest part. It should not be more than 42 inches in length and should also be a single piece of wood. 
  • In the case of high school baseball, a bat should not be more than 2 ⅝ inches in diameter. Furthermore, its drop should not be more than 3. It must also consist of safe materials as well as meet BBCOR ratios.    

Maintenance of Bat

You need to keep your bat free from moisture and also keep it clean. Players use alcohol and sawdust for this purpose. 

Some players also use a hard material to bone their bats. This closes the pores of the wood and hardens the bat.

Fungo Bats 

These bats are used by softball and baseball coaches for practice. It is usually longer and lighter than a regulation bat. Fungo bats also have a smaller diameter.