Baseball has reached an unprecedented popularity these days. The worldwide popularity of the sport is evidenced by the existence of national and major leagues in almost all continents. There is also the world series. And the main protagonists? The bat and the ball.
The baseball bat has a more interesting beginning The baseball bat had its own evolution before it assumed its present form. Believe it or not. It started as a stick.
Stick to It
Players used sticks to hit the ball when baseball was first played. Players were allowed to fashion their own sticks to suit their hitting style. Players made use of whatever scrap of wood available to them. They even had to work on ax handle or wagon wheel spoke to transform them into bats. Players shaped wagon wheels spoke into a flat hitting sticks. These sticks were slightly tapered at one end for a more solid grip. Soon, round bats emerged because players realized that rounder bats provided a better point of contact than flat bats.
The Rule that Bent the Stick
In 1859, the Baseball Rules Committee made reforms in the game. Bats, which were sawed off at the end or flat bats, wereprohibited. Then, the pitching mound was moved from 50 feet to 60 feet and 6 inches from home plate. The diameter of bats was increased from 2 1/2 inches to 2 3/4 inches. The length of the bats remained the same at 42 inches – a rule that is still enforced in the league’s today.
Into the Woods
To cope with the new rule changes, players began seeking the help of professional woodworkers to create their bats. Woodworkers were able to use professional lathes to shape baseball bats. They were also keen on finding a better source of wood and better dimensions to build the best bat possible. Bats with carved knob for better control and made with quality wood replaced the bats made from ax handles and wagon wheels.
From Woodworkers
The best of baseball bats have taken their present form, where bats feel good to the grip and are made of durable composite materials. The latest technology is also employed to reduce or eliminate vibration. The best baseball bats these days have undergone hybrid construction.
The baseball bat that we know today is completely different from its earliest form, the stick. The baseball bat has tremendously improved. Its construction employs the best and the latest technology available. To say that it’s a great leap from the stick that it was then to a composite bat that it is now is an utter over simplification. Check this link: http://www.hittersbats.com/best-bbcor-bats/ for you to find out.