Baseball bats vary in terms of the material used and their legality in certain competitive leagues. Typically, wooden or metal alloy bats are employed, with the former being the rule in Major League Baseball. However, in high school leagues and in the NCAA, aluminum alloy materials are allowed, along with composite baseball bats.
What Is It?
As the word "composite" implies, composite baseball bats are composed of a typical aluminum exterior as well as a special graphite interior; the fiber used is a very lightweight material. This technologically-advanced design, as compared to standard baseball bats, allows for an increased swing weight, an improved trampoline effect, a lower bending stiffness and a higher damping rate. These characteristics are all specifically aimed at improving the efficiency and power of a baseball hitter.
What Are Advantages?
The trampoline effect of composite baseball bats, or the elastic collision between the ball and the bat, can increase the speed of a hit ball by as much as 20 mph. Additional advantages over standard bats include a lower bending stiffness, giving less of a "sting" when hitting the ball, and a higher damping rate, sending the "sting" feel more quickly than norma.
What Are Disadvantages?
Composite baseball bats have few significant disadvantages. The ones of most concern are their vulnerability in cold temperatures -- all aluminum-based bats can lead to cracking of the barrel -- and the potential danger to pitchers from the increased hit speed -- balls with speeds of over 100-plus mph may lead to severe injury or even death if they hit somebody. On a lesser note, the "ping" sound produced when a ball is hit is similar to that of a wooden bat, throwing off players' feel who are used to the "ping" of aluminum.
Controversy And Summary
Due to the increased swinging power of composite bats, there is much concern over player safety, mainly those of pitchers and fielding players. As such, Little League Baseball has announced a moratorium on composite baseball bats, and the NCAA has enforced a strict specification compliancy for composite bat use in its games; intentional bat tampering can increase hit effectiveness more quickly than would come by natural use. Nevertheless, composite baseball bats, like many technological advances to timeless hobbies, can be seen as a threat with their power and potential danger, but continue to be used and adapted to society.
References
- "Richmond Times Dispatch"; Check swing - Composite bats' place in baseball is getting a closer look; Eric Kolenich; September 2009
- MLB.com: Official Info
- Kettering University; Are Composite Bats better than Aluminum Bats?; Daniel A. Russell; March 2005
- Little League: Little League International Issues Update Regarding Composite Bats - Moratorium Imposed Immediately
- NCAA: Memorandum
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