Four historically significant baseball bats showcased in the National Baseball Hall of Fame's traveling exhibit "Baseball As America." From left to right: bat used by Babe Ruth to hit his 60th home run during the 1927 season, bat used by Roger Maris to hit his 61st home run during the 1961 season, bat used by Mark McGwire to hit his 70th home run during the 1998 season, and the bat used by Sammy Sosa for his 66th home run during the same season.

A baseball bat is a smooth wooden or metal rod used in the game of baseball to hit the ball after the ball is thrown by the pitcher. It is not more than 2⅔ inches (70 mm) in diameter at the thickest part and not more than 42 inches (1067 mm) in length. It typically weighs no more than 36 ounces (1 kg). The batter uses the bat two-handed to try to hit a pitched ball fair so that he may become a runner, advance bases, and ultimately score a run or help preceding runners to score. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1328x2141, 794 KB)Flickr source File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1328x2141, 794 KB)Flickr source File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, located at 25 Main Street in Cooperstown, New York, United States, is a semi-official museum operated by private interests that serves as the central point for the study of the history of baseball in North America, the display of baseball-related... -1... Roger Eugene Maris (September 10, 1934 – December 14, 1985) was an American right fielder in Major League Baseball who is primarily remembered for breaking Babe Ruths 34-year-old single-season home run record in 1961 on the last day of the season. ... Mark David McGwire (born October 1, 1963 in Pomona, California) is a former professional baseball player who played the majority of his major league career with the Oakland Athletics before finishing his final years with the St. ... Samuel Sammy Sosa Peralta (born November 12, 1968 in San Pedro de Macorís, Dominican Republic) is a designated hitter for the Texas Rangers of the American League. ... This article is about the sport. ... A baseball ball A baseball is a ball used primarily in the sport of the same name, baseball. ... A baseball pitcher delivers the ball to home plate In baseball, pitching is the act of throwing the baseball from the pitchers mound toward the catcher with the goal of retiring a batter who attempts to make contact with it, or draw a walk. ... Barry Bonds batting Photo:Agência Brasil In baseball, batting is the act of facing the opposing pitcher and trying to produce offense for ones team. ... In baseball, a fair ball is a batted ball that has not yet become a foul ball, and that. ... This article is about the sport. ... In baseball, a run is scored when a player advances safely around all three bases and returns safely to home plate. ...

Bats are sometimes used as a club in fights and assaults. It has been suggested that some sections of this article be split into a new article entitled Club (law enforcement). ...

Terminology

Although a stick to hit a ball with is a somewhat simple concept, the bat is a complex object. It is carved or constructed very carefully to allow for a quick balanced swing, while providing power. The bat is divided into several regions. The "barrel" is the thick part of the bat, where the bat is meant to hit the ball. The part of the barrel best for hitting the ball with, according to construction and swinging style, is often called the "sweet spot". The end of the barrel is not part of the sweet spot, and is simply called the tip or end of the bat. The barrel narrows down, and becomes the "handle". The handle is very thin, so that batters can comfortably set the bat in their fingers. Sometimes, especially on metal bats, the handle is wrapped with a rubber or cloth "grip". Finally, next to the handle is the "knob" of the bat, a wider piece that keeps the bat from sliding out of a batter's hands.

"Lumber" is a sometimes-used slang term for a bat, especially when wielded by a particularly good batter.

Baseball bat regulations

In professional baseball, only wooden bats are permitted, and they are not allowed to be corked—that is, filled with an alien substance such as cork which reduces the weight without costing greatly in hitting power. In amateur baseball, both wood and metal alloy bats are generally permitted. Recently there have been increasing numbers of "wooden bat leagues" and the trend back to wood seems to be accelerating on the grounds of safety concerns. Aesthetically, wooden bats are generally agreed to be superior to metal bats, both because of their more traditional appearance and because a ball hit with a wooden bat makes a loud "crack" sound, while metal alloy bats make more of a "ping". A professional can be either a person in a profession (certain types of skilled work requiring formal training / education) or in sports (a sportsman / sportwoman doing sports for payment). ... In baseball, a corked bat is a specially modified baseball bat that has been filled with cork or similar light, less dense substances to make the bat lighter without losing much power. ...

Most wooden bats are made from ash. Other woods used include maple, hickory, and bamboo. Hickory has fallen into disfavor because it is much heavier than other woods, while maple bats have become more popular recently. Species See text European Ash in flower Narrow-leafed Ash (Fraxinus angustifolia) shoot with leaves Closeup of European Ash seeds 19th century illustration of Manna Ash (Fraxinus ornus) An ash can be any of four different tree genera from four very distinct families (see end of page for disambiguation), but... For other uses, see Maple (disambiguation). ... Species See text Comparison of Carya nuts Ripe hickory nuts ready to fall, Andrews, SC Hickory is a tree of the genus Carya, including 17-19 species of deciduous trees with pinnately compound leaves and large nuts. ... For other uses, see Bamboo (disambiguation). ...

Within the standards set by the various leagues, there is ample latitude for individual variation, and many batters settle on an individual bat profile, or occasionally adopt a profile used by another batter. Formerly, bats were hand-carved to a template obtained from a fixed number of calibration points; today, they are machine-turned to a precise metal template: these templates are kept in the bat manufacturers' vaults; for example, Babe Ruth's template, which became understandably popular among major-league players, is R43 in the Louisville Slugger archives. Once the basic bat has been turned, it is then branded by burning, with the manufacturer's name, the serial number, and often the signature of the player for whom it was made: the brand is applied to the hard side of the bat, allowing the batter visual control of the hardness of the surface hitting the ball; the burn residue is then sanded off. (The first player to endorse and sign a bat was Honus Wagner.) The next step is the finishing of the head: bats are more often given a rounded head, but some 30% of players prefer a "cup-balanced" head, in which a cup-shaped recess is made in the head; this lightens the bat and moves its center of gravity toward the handle. Finally, the bat is stained in one of seven standard colors, which include natural white, red stain, black, and a two-tone blue and white stain.-1... The Louisville Slugger brand is made by Hillerich & Bradsby Hillerich & Bradsby Company is a company located in Louisville, Kentucky that produces the famous Louisville Slugger baseball bat. ... Johannes Peter Honus Wagner (February 24, 1874 - December 6, 1955), nicknamed The Flying Dutchman, was an American baseball player who played during the 1890s until the 1910s. ...

In high school baseball in the United States, the bat is not allowed to be more than 2 5/8 inches (67 mm) in diameter. The difference between inches of length and ounces of weight must be no more than 3. For example, a 34‑inch (863.6‑mm) bat must weigh at least 31 ounces (880 g). The bat in high school may consist of any safe, solid, uniform material; the National Federation of State High School Associations rules state only "wood or non-wood" material. For other uses, see High school (disambiguation). ... The National Federation of State High School Associations (or NFHS) is the body which oversees and governs most high school interscholastic athletics and extracirriculars in the United States at the national level. ...

In some 12-year-old-and-under youth leagues (such as Little League Baseball),the bat may not be more than 2 1/4 inches. However in many other leages (like PONY League Baseball, and Cal Ripken League Baseball), the bat may not be more than 2 3/4 inches (57 mm) in diameter. Little League Baseball - Logo Little League pitcher in Winesburg, Ohio Little League, Wayne, Michigan Little League Baseball is the name of a non-profit organization in the United States which organizes local childrens leagues of baseball and softball throughout the USA and the rest of the world. ... Pony Baseball began in the early 1950s. ...

Fungo bat

A fungo bat is specially designed bat used by baseball and softball coaches for practice purposes. The bat is not designed to hit thrown or pitched balls, rather it is designed to hit balls tossed up in the air. Typical fungo bats are 35–37 inches long and weigh 17–22 ounces. Coaches hit many balls during fielding practice and the weight and length allow for the coach to hit balls repeatedly with high accuracy. A fungo bat is specially designed bat used by baseball and softball coaches for practice purposes. ...

Manufacturers

Hillerich & Bradsby, which produces the Louisville Slugger and "TPX" brands, Easton, Wilson Sporting Goods, Rawlings, MaxBats, Mattingly, Prairie Sticks, Boner Bats, Mizuno, Demarini, Viperand Zinger Bats are makers of professional baseball bats.^{[citation needed]} Hillerich & Bradsby is a company located in Louisville, Kentucky that produces the famous Louisville Slugger baseball bat. ... Easton is a sports products company. ... Wilson Sporting Goods (or simply Wilson) is a sporting goods company that is based in Chicago, Illinois. ... Rawlings is an American company that manufactures sports equipment. ... A viper is a venomous snake belonging to the Viperidae family. ...

Game used bats

Professional baseball bats used by Major League Baseball players. Many historic game used bats are on display at the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, including Roger Maris's 61st Home Run game used bat and Mark McGwire's 65th, 66th, 67th, 68th, 69th, and 70th Home Run game used bat. They have become a very popular collectible for sports fans. A professional can be either a person in a profession (certain types of skilled work requiring formal training / education) or in sports (a sportsman / sportwoman doing sports for payment). ... MLB and Major Leagues redirect here. ... The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, located at 25 Main Street in Cooperstown, New York, United States, is a semi-official museum operated by private interests that serves as the central point for the study of the history of baseball in North America, the display of baseball-related... For a list of other places, see Cooperstown (disambiguation). ... Roger Eugene Maris (September 10, 1934 – December 14, 1985) was an American right fielder in Major League Baseball who is primarily remembered for breaking Babe Ruths 34-year-old single-season home run record in 1961 on the last day of the season. ... Mark McGwire swinging for the fences. ... Mark David McGwire (born October 1, 1963 in Pomona, California) is a former professional baseball player who played the majority of his major league career with the Oakland Athletics before finishing his final years with the St. ... Mark McGwire swinging for the fences. ... A collectible (or collectable) is typically a manufactured item designed for people to collect. ... For more information on fans of football (soccer), see Football (soccer) culture. ...

Used as a weapon

Baseball bats may be also used as a dangerous weapon: see club (weapon). In some countries where baseball is not popular, they are associated mostly with crime in the public mind. This perception is portrayed in the novel Trainspotting when the character Renton dubiously wonders how many Scots buy baseball bats with sports in mind. Many video games such as Double Dragon, Streets of Rage, Kingpin: Life of Crime, Max Payne, and Mafia: The City of Lost Heaven also feature baseball bat weapons. This article does not cite any references or sources. ... It has been suggested that some sections of this article be split into a new article entitled Club (law enforcement). ... Trainspotting is the first novel by Scottish writer Irvine Welsh. ... This article is about the country. ... “Computer and video games” redirects here. ... Double Dragon is a 1987 arcade game by Technos. ... Streets of Rage is a side-scrolling beat em up released by Sega in 1991. ... Kingpin: Life of Crime is a violent first-person shooter computer game developed by Xatrix Entertainment (now Gray Matter Interactive) and published by Interplay in 1999. ... Max Payne is a third-person shooter computer game developed by the Finnish company Remedy Entertainment, produced by 3D Realms and published by Gathering of Developers in July, 2001 for Windows. ...

See also

• Cricket bat

A cricket bat is used by batsmen in the sport of cricket. ...

External links

• Physics and Acoustics of Baseball Bats - How baseball bats work, how bat performance is measured, differences between wood, metal, and composite bats
• Woodturning Online - Making a Baseball Bat
• Bat Reference - Information about game used bats