Baseball has been played for longer than 150 years, yet the rules of the sport have changed very little. Some of the equipment has evolved, however, and this includes baseball bats. Although players primarily batted with ash wood bats for more than a century, baseball bats now come in aluminum and various woods.
Materials
Manufacturers produce baseball bats from a variety of wood, including ash, maple, bamboo and birch. Ash wood is quite flexible, allowing the ball to springboard off the bat with a lot of force. Maple wood is harder and denser than ash, which makes the ball leave the bat quickly. Some companies manufacture bamboo baseball bats. These bats are extremely strong and durable, but tend to cost more than other bats. Birch is a light, flexible wood that allows bats to have larger barrels and bigger sweet spots. Sports Unlimited explains that aluminum baseball bats tend to be lighter, allowing you to hit the ball farther. Some aluminum bats also contain magnesium, zinc or copper to make the bats more durable.
History
The early days of baseball saw players swinging bats of various shapes, but they soon learned that rounded-barreled bats worked the best. In 1884, Louisville Slugger began producing wooden baseball bats for professional players, according to Baseball-Bats. USA Today reports that ash was the wood of choice for Major League Baseball players up until Joe Carter began using maple bats in the late 1990s. Barry Bonds increased maple's popularity after blasting 73 home runs with a maple bat in 2001. Aluminum bats appeared on the scene around 1970, although the first patent actually appeared back in the 1920s.
Sizes
Sports Unlimited explains that baseball bats range anywhere from 26 to 34 inches in length. Most aluminum bats weigh about 27 oz., while wooden bats typically weigh about 32 oz. Younger or smaller players usually swing lighter, shorter bats to allow for more control and a faster swing. The stronger or bigger players generally use heavier, longer baseball bats that provide them with more power. The standard barrel size for both aluminum and wooden bats is about 2 1/2 inches in diameter.
Durability
USA Today explains that ash is a strong wood that tends to bend rather than break. When ash bats do break, they tend to crack and splinter, while bats made from other types of wood, particularly maple, usually break in half. According to Dick's Sporting Goods, aluminum bats typically last longer than wooden baseball bats. The double-layered aluminum bats offer the most durability.
Fun Facts
According to Coach John Peter's Baseball Tips, about 70 percent of wooden bats break when the ball hits the end of the bat. USA Today reports that about 40,000 trees are harvested each year to produce just one baseball season's worth of Louisville Slugger bats. Just over 50 percent of Major League players who use the Louisville Slugger brand swing bats made out of ash wood.
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