Expert: John Priest - 1/14/2008

Question
Hello Mr. Priest,

Hi!  My name is Timmy.  I am nine years old and in 4th grade.  I am doing a project on baseball bats.  I've already learned that a bat is no more than 2.75 inches in diameter and no more than 36 ounces.  Here are some questions I want to ask you.

1.  Do you know who made the first official wood baseball bat?

2.  How many types of wood baseball bats are there?

3.  How many types of aluminum baseball bats are there?

4.  Why do wood baseball bats break sometimes?

5.  Can aluminum bats break from hitting a baseball?

6.  How does putting cork inside a bat reduce it's weight?

Thanks,
Timmy

Answer
Timmy,
Thank You for the question.  This subject is not my expertise.  I don't know too much about bats but I can tell you how to use them and how to be a better hitter.  I hope the information provided below is helpful to your project.

1.  Do you know who made the first official wood baseball bat?

   When baseball first began local woodworkers made the bats for the players.  As for the first company, I am not 100% sure but I believe Louisville Slugger made the first official bat.  In 1884 John Hillerich, who was 17 years old, made a bat for a Louisville Player named Pete Browning.  This was the start of the Hillerich and Bradsby bat company.

2.  How many types of wood baseball bats are there?

   Not sure if your asking how many models of wood bats are there or how many companies are there.  As for the companies I have a list of 110 baseball bat companies from very small to very large.  There and hundreds of models that baseball bats come in.  The most common models are M110, C243, C271, T141, R161, and P72.  There are more models but some are only available at the professional level.  Bats can be any shape and size as long as they conform to the Major League Baseball Rules.  The types of wood that bats are most commonly made of include ash, red oak, maple, hickory, and birch.   


3.  How many types of aluminum baseball bats are there?

   Aluminum bats are basically the same shape from company to company.  What sets one bat apart from another is how it is made.  Different alloys can be used to make the bat.  The bat can be two pieces.  The bat can be made of a composite material.  The most popular Aluminum bat companies are Easton, Louisville Slugger, Demarini, Worth, and Rawlings.


4.  Why do wood baseball bats break sometimes?

   Wood bats break for a number of reasons.  Most commonly hitting a baseball off the handle or off the end of the bat will cause breakage.  Wood billets are inspected for imperfections prior to turning them into baseball bats.  Some imperfections are on the inside which cannot be seen.  These imperfections can cause a wood bat to break but hitting a baseball wrong is the most common cause of a broken wood bat.     


5.  Can aluminum bats break from hitting a baseball?

   Although a lot less common than wood bats, aluminum bats can break.  This is mostly from using an old bat or using a bat in very cold weather.  I have seen most aluminum bats crush inward when they are old.  The only time I have broken an aluminum bat into two pieces was in very cold weather and usually these bats have been a two piece model.


6.  How does putting cork inside a bat reduce it's weight?

   Cork has less mass than the typical wood used for a baseball bat.  Replacing the bat wood with cork will make the bat feel lighter.  Doing this in competition is illegal.  

I hope this helps.  If you need me to explain anything further of have any other questions please let me know.  

Thank You,
John Priest