Baseball was a very young sport in the mid-eighteen hundreds, so batters usually made their own bats. This led to a lot of experimentation with the shape and size of the baseball bat. It didn't take long for players to learn that the best bats were those with rounded barrels. With all the shapes and sizes being used, some rule had to be established about the bat. In 1859, it was established that baseball bats could be no larger than two and a half inches in diameter, though they could be any length. After ten years, a restriction of 42 inches was put on the length of the baseball bat, but still no regulations governing the shape.

1884: The Louisville Slugger is Born

Baseball bat's most popular name, still to this day, is the Louisville Slugger. Seventeen-year-old John Hillerich watched Pete Browning break his bat at an 1884 Louisville game. John observed as Pete Browning got frustrated, and after the game offered to make him a new bat. Pete Browning joined John Hillerich at his father's woodworking shop, where Pete supervised the construction of his new bat. Browning went three for three with his new bat. Word spread quickly, but not as quickly as the demand did once everyone knew about these bats. It wasn't long before each baseball bat that John and his father constructed was slapped with the famous Louisville Slugger trademark.

Evolution of Regulations

In the 1890s, bats could no longer be flat at the end, according to the rules committee. They increased the diameter by a quarter of an inch as well, making the maximum diameter two and three quarters of an inch. In the early nineteen hundreds, one of the greatest players, Honus Wagner, was the first player paid to have his name burned into Louisville Slugger bats. Despite the continual evolution of the regulations regarding the size and shape of bats, the bats of today look much like the ones of a hundred years ago, the biggest difference being that today's bats are much lighter and have thinner handles.

The Rise of Aluminum

William Shroyer patented the first metal baseball bat in 1924, though they were not seen in baseball until introduced by Worth in 1970. Worth soon produced the first aluminum one-piece bat, and the first little league aluminum bat. Easton introduced a much stronger bat in the late '70s . These skyrocketed the popularity of aluminum bats, though they were not allowed in major league games. In 1993, both Easton and Worth introduced titanium bats, and in 1995 Easton and Louisville Slugger introduced the lightest grade of aluminum bats available to date. Continuing developments include double walled bats, and scandium-aluminum bats.

No matter what kind of baseball bat a player uses today, the sport remains one of the world's favorites. Not many can resist the sunny days and cool nights in the stands, with the cracking sound, fans on their feet, and the smell of hot dogs in the air.



By: Billy Beansprout

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Whether you want a traditional wood baseball bat or a new, high-tech metal bat, there is a wide selection of discount baseball bats available. A baseball bat is a vital piece of equipment and its quality can greatly impact a player's performance, so it is no surprise that many people are willing to pay a premium. Luckily, you can get a high-tech, top quality bat at discount prices. Discount baseball bats are available at most sporting equipment outlets, and especially at online stores.

Brand new aluminum baseball bats cost usually start at $200 and go up from there. Prices increase as technology introduces stronger and lighter materials. By crafting baseball bat barrels with cutting-edge metal alloys, manufacturers like Easton and Demarini arm batters with power while maintaining a quick, lightweight feel.

Discount baseball bats are abundantly available online. In many cases, online stores can offer discount baseball bats at great prices because there is less overhead than at a sporting goods store and, in many cases, there is no sales tax or shipping charged. When you shop for baseball bats online you have access to a vast and easily accessible selection user product reviews to help you get a feel for which bats are best for you, and also can save a great deal of time.

Don't forget to check out blemished baseball bats. This little secret can save you 30 to 70 percent. Many baseball bat dealers offer blemished baseball bats at severely slashed prices due to a cosmetic imperfection such as chipped paint. Lucky for you, the baseball bat's performance is untouched, but the price is hacked down significantly. Blemished baseball bats are available at many outlets and online. With a little looking, it is not that difficult to find a bat that offers premium performance at a reasonable price.

So, How Can I Choose The Right Baseball Bat?

This years' baseball season is here and parents I understand how you feel. It almost as if you're buying a new baseball bat every year, especially if you have younger kids playing that are literally growing right out of their equipment right before your eyes. When it comes to purchasing a new baseball bat though, it can really wear on you when it comes time to pull out your wallet. It's understandable; these aluminum baseball bats nowadays are very pricey. It then becomes that much more important to choose the right baseball bat.

The quality is there if you consider the amount of use you can get out of an aluminum baseball bat. Most aluminum baseball bats will last through a rigorous season of many practices and games, but some are a better bang for your buck than others. The big question is which bat to get? There are so many makes and models to choose from that it is not always an easy decision. Of course you will be looking for a bat that suits every need. It has to be a bat that is a controllable size and feels comfortable. The bat should be very responsive and most importantly it should last.

How do you know you have covered all of these points? By doing some research and perhaps a little 'trial and error,' you will find the best bat to buy. See if your child can ask a teammate to swing their bat a few times to see what an appropriate size is. If they can somehow actually hit with it a few times, that's even better.

Try and notice how much 'pop' some of your top choices are when others are using them. Obviously if a particular bat works for one person, it doesn't guarantee the same results for the next person. It is just another way of getting an idea. You can certainly ask around or look for sources offering baseball bat reviews that will discuss the components of the bats and give reviews about the durability and expected performance. Most websites with reviews will have Louisville Slugger, Demarini, Rawlings, and Easton baseball bat reviews because they are the more common bat makers.



By: Jeffrey Fang

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Demarini Baseball Bat Review

Is Demarini the best Baseball Bat on the market? The 2009 line up of baseball bats may well be the best bats Demarini has ever made! Established in 1989 Demarini Bats, a sub-division of Wilson, is making a strong case to take over the baseball bat market. All of the Demarini bats have flexed tuned carbon composite handles which are lighter than alloys and will flex 2 to 4 times more providing more power at contact. Demarini makes 3 collegiate and high school approved bats, each having a different patented end cap. New for 2009 Demarini is touting their new “Pitch Black” composite technology claiming it is stronger than competing technologies.

Here is the line-up for 2009

CF3 Black (or special edition white) is a 100 % composite, two piece bat with double walls and “Pitch Black” technology. This technology touts 22% more carbon fibers than any other bat on the market with no fillers added which should give it a distinct advantage when it comes to power. This enables Demarini to double re-enforce a vertical and horizontal weave. This process provides the strongest and tightest composite weave resulting in more over-all power. The 2009 CF3 comes in collegiate or high school sizes as follows:



31/28

32/29

33/30





34/31



For senior league:



29/21

30/22

31/23

32/24



The 2009 Demarini Voodoo Black is made with pitch black composite handles combined with the newest SC4 Alloy. The Voodoo is a high quality bat with a proven reputation at a very reasonable price. The Voodoo is a very popular bat with a larger sweet spot that the ball really explodes off of. The line-up of 2009 Demarini Voodoos come in Collegiate and High School sizes as follows:



31/28

32/29

33/30

34/31



The 2009 Voodoos come in Senior League sizes as follows:



29/20

30/21

31/22

32/23 (-9’s)



The Demarini Voodoos also come in minus 10 as follows:



29/19

30/20

31/21

32/22



The Demarini Vendetta.

Demarinis slogan for the 2009 Vendetta is “Attack the ball with a vengeance.” This bat is completely re-designed using “Rail” technology to completely re-define bat handle technology. The 2009 Vendetta comes with 4 flat composite rails with varying flexes that run through the handle and reduces vibration, increases bat speed and delivers a nice combination of handle to barrel flex. New SC4 Alloy in the barrel rounds out this bat of choice for many Division 1 Programs. The 2009 Demarini Vendetta comes in the following sizes for Collegiate and High School baseball:



31/28

32/29

33/30

34/31



For Senior League the following sizes are available:



29/20

30/21

31/22

32/23



Last but not least is the 2009 Demarini Vexxum. This bat comes with a 100 % composite handle and exclusive SC4 Alloy comprised with Long Barrel technology giving hitters the longest barrel in baseball providing maximum plate coverage and a larger sweet spot. Even though the Vexxum is on the low end of the range for Demarini, it is still a quality bat. The Demarini Vexxum comes in the following sizes for the Collegiate and High School player:



31/28

32/29

33/30

34/31



Senior League bats are available in the following sizes:



31/26

32/27

33/28

34/29



Youth and Little League are available in the following sizes:



28/19.5

29/20.5

30/21.5

31/22.5

32/23.5 (-8’s)



Youth and Little League also are available at -10 in the following sizes:



27/17

28/18

29/19

30/20

31/21

32/22 (-10’s)



Demarini is a player in the baseball bat industry and provides quality bats in both the high and low price range. You can’t go wrong with a Demarini Bat. To see more of my Baseball Equipment reviews visit me at Rick’s Bats and Gloves, ETC.



By: Rick Cates

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What Advantages do Composite Bats have over Aluminum Bats? And are they worth the extra cost?

Composite bats do offer distinct advantages to aluminum bats but they will certainly have a shorter life as they can, and probably will, break. They're also much more susceptible to the cold. All bats warn you to not use them when the temperature is below 50 degrees. For aluminum bats it’s just a safety valve for the manufacturer. For composite bats it’s the real deal.

Here’s the short version of the advantages composite bats offer. For a detailed, in-depth analysis click here Composite-vs-Aluminum.

- The Swing Weight is More Easily Controlled: The closer the bat's balance point is to the handle; the easier it is to swing. Composite bats make it easier to shift mass around from barrel end to handle to control the location of the balance point and thus the swing weight.

- Bending Stiffness May Be Tuned: Higher bending stiffness means that the frequencies of the bending vibrations for the lowest bending mode fall into the range where the hands are most sensitive to vibration. Composite materials, however, give the manufacturer the option of lowering the bending stiffness of the bat, without changing any of the stiffness properties in the barrel which affect performance. This means that one might be able to design a bat which would "feel" better or sting less by adjusting the bending stiffness.

- Trampoline Effect May Be Tuned: Composite materials have a distinct advantage over aluminum in that they are anisotropic, which means that the elastic properties of a composite material are not the same in all directions. The stiffness in the longitudinal (along the length of the bat) and circumferential (around the barrel of the bat) directions can be modified pretty much independently of each other. This means that you can make the barrel of a composite bat soft while still maintaining the stiffness in the handle.

- Bending vibrations Are More Highly Damped: The damping rate dictates how quickly the amplitude of a vibrating object decays. The damping values for all-composite bats or bats with composite handles are at least twice as high as aluminum bats, and some composite bats have as nearly 10 times more damping than aluminum bats. This is partly why composite bats are advertised as having a "more forgiving sweet spot."

- No "Ping" Sound: Oddly enough kids have become so accustomed to hearing the ping their initial thought is this bat sounds like wood. Hence they think it has no pop. Don't be fooled. Plus the sound will remind the "old-timers" of their youth baseball days.

For everything you need to know about baseball bats visit Baseball Bat Reviews.



By: R. Nelson

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America's National Pastime reached its Zenith of glory by 1860s. Alexander Joy Cartwright modernized the game in 1845 to almost its present form. However, the specifications to baseball bats kept changing with each innovation and need. The innovations changed bat materials to the present aluminum alloy from the classical wooden.

Although whole of baseball gear has undergone a complete makeover, nothing has changed as much and as fast as the bat. There are many different kinds of bats designed for Little Leagues, Senior Leagues, college, and pros. Each coalition has a congeal of parameters for keg diameter and loop dimensions. It can be unconditional overwhelming when you consider the variety of baseball bat brands, materials, styles, and qualities.

Bat Materials Basically there are three categories but enough for new comers to get bowled over.

Wood: generally willow wood from Canada and Australia goes into making bats for their good grain and fibrous structure. Seasoned wood is used to make bats which can be evidenced by the long fibers of wider nature. One biggest advantage of wooden bats is customizability as regards to barrel and grip. Contrary to beliefs, heavier wooden bats produce greater impacts than lighter bats by virtue of the momentum. But these are not crack free and the sweet spots get reduced after endured usage.

Aluminum alloys: Get ready to spend about $200 on these. These are stronger yet lighter and help generate greater swing speeds. The general alloy used here is 7046; but special alloys like CU31/7050 with higher zirconium, magnesium and copper content gives higher strength and durability. Ask for more choices in this category. Construction depends on the selling price; so we have single/double layered bats in different alloys for higher impacts, rebounds etc. In addition, cryogenically treated bats give lesser vibration and increased distance.

Graphite/Titanium lined: Beauty of this option is the lightest weight bats. Thinner walled bats lined with titanium/graphite provide desired strength and help reduce the impact shock of hitting the ball away from the ‘sweet spot.'

Specifications USA Baseball, the governing body, issues charts for bat selection which benefits fresher. The bat can be chosen either by age or by your height. The charts are available at every baseball club and over the internet.

For age between 5-7 years the bat length recommended is between 24"-26" which reaches 34" level for ages above 17 years. The other chart starts for a height of 36-40" with 26" bat till 73"+ having recommended a length of 34".

Bats are just part of the game and not the game within themselves. Remember the saying, ‘you can take the horse till the lake, but drinking water is his prerogative.'



By: Namsing Then

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This article is structured in two parts: The first will talk strictly about ash baseball bats, and the second will be about maple baseball bats. You can then decide for yourself which wood baseball bat is more suitable for you.

Ash is among the most common materials chosen to make bats out of. In fact, ash baseball bats have an important position in the history of the game of baseball. The characteristics of ash (soft, light and porous) make it very suitable for baseball bats. The straight grain patterns in ash are convenient for designing beautiful baseball bats and making them very effective. Being a ring porous wood, ash makes some large cells during its early life. In time these cells become smaller and denser. At the weak woods the cells are much larger. By looking at the grain count, you determine the hardness of ash wood:

There are two types of ash: white ash and green ash. Because white ash is a high-quality wood, it makes very good baseball bats, that are accepted by most leagues and organizations. Its unique characteristics lend itself to being the most common choice for game play or practice. On the other hand, the green ash, also known as water or red ash is rarely used to make bats.

Maple baseball bats are among the most popular choices in bats, with ash being the biggest competitor among the baseball fans. Yet, it is said that the maple woods are the leaders. This is because maple wood is endowed with a tight grain that offers many of the qualities suited for smacking a baseball. The finer the grade of maple, the more expensive the bat, so always remember to ask about this aspect when buying a bat.

Other factors to consider before purchasing any maple bat, like other bats, are weight, length, and grip. More and more players take advantage of the great swing-empowering benefits of owning a good maple baseball bat. Serious amateur baseball players in the non-professional leagues or those who have major league aspirations, will often practice with a maple bat instead of an aluminum bat. There are several reasons for this. First, the sweet spot is more precise. Secondly, maple bats are solid and weigh more. After you get to practice with a maple bat, come game time, your aluminum bat swing will be much more dangerous. Another advantage is that a hard rock maple bat is less likely to split when batting. Since maple is a hardwood it is quite dense giving the bat it's holding power.

Knowing what you know now, it will be much easier for you to make the right choice on a baseball bat.



By: Michael Shapiro

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As bats go, composite bats are relatively new on the market, considering wooden bats have been around for well over a hundred years. While there are a number of prohibited ways to juice baseball bats, with corking of wooden bats being one of the oldest, the fact is that not all of them are prohibited.

Not Banned

Bat rolling is one method of enhancing a baseball bats hitting ability and it is most commonly done to composite bats made from graphite fiber. In fact, it is virtually impossible to tell if a bat has been rolled or not, so banning composite bat rolling would be a moot point.

A Rigid Product

Composite bats are made from graphite fiber and polymer resin. It is an excellent manufacturing material combination and they are used to make a number items in every day use, including car and boat parts. However; for a bat, the finished product is slightly more rigid then is optimal for maximum distance on a hit ball.

Duplicates the Natural Seasoning Process

Bat rolling duplicates the natural seasoning process that takes place in a composite bat that has experienced heavy use. It is accomplished by repeatedly passing the bat between two rotating rubber wheels. The result is that the graphite fibers are stretched and the polymer bonds are loosened as well on the interior of the bat.

A Better Way to Go

Is there a benefit that bat rolling has over the standard seasoning process which is done by hitting 500-600 balls with a bat? You bet there is, because when a bat is rolled it is a far more controlled process that leaves the entire bats hitting area equally treated, which means no bad spots in the bat and far more predictability. Also, its a lot cheaper too when you consider the time and effort it takes to hit a ball so many times.



By: Josephine Maxten

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Aluminum baseball bats are Usually preferred to wooden bats due to their light weight and high power (note: pro players are allowed to use wood bats only). Lighter bats are usually preferable to heavier bats as they allow the hitter to create sufficient speed to put some "oomph" into it (although there are restrictions about bat weights at most levels). Additionally, aluminum bats can supply more "pop" of the baseball off the bat, and are much more stable (therefore cost effective) than wooden bats. Bats today are becoming increasingly high tech and costly

College baseball bats are more high-tech than the bats that the pros use. The pros, you see, are behind the times with their baseball bats. Their wood relics have been out of style for years. Wood makes for baseball bats that are heavier, less long lasting, and less functional than their counterparts made from aluminum.

Today's best baseball bats are to be found in the college ranks. They're made of military grade aluminum provided by corporations like Alcoa and Kaiser. And these companies keep working on this aircraft aluminum to make it stronger, thinner, lighter, and more stable.

These aluminum alloys go by their corporate trade names or numbers, and customarily by brand names too. You can sometimes find that the same trade name is marketed by different bat makers by unlike brand names.

If you want to see if your college baseball bats are made from one of these advanced alloys, simply look at the bat. Customarily, manufacturers are so proud of the fact that they'll advertise it in big bold letters on the bat. Then again, if you're bat is -11 or lighter, it is required by law not to state what kind of alloy is used in its assembly. In any case, these lighter bats probably do not contain the stronger newer alloys. To make weight, the producer possibly used a lighter alloy for the thinner walls of the bat.

If you want to be able to know accurately what is in your college baseball bats, look for the grade number on them. For instance, a grade number of 7046 means that the bat is fabricated with standard aircraft aluminum, a material fit for many budget bats.

The grade 7050 means the aluminum alloy contains an amount of copper, which makes it one-third stronger than 7046. Other numbers and grades, of course, designate other alloy blends and dissimilar strengths.

Baseball bats are measured using their length to weight ratio, a negative number that represents how many ounces a bat weighs compared to it's length in inches. For example, a 32 inch bat that weighs 28 ounces is a - 4. The largest ratio is in the range of -12 (for little league bats), while college and high school bats are restricted to a - 3. These restrictions are for safety reasons - a college or high school player swinging a very light bat (- 4 +) would simply have too much power and could pose a danger to other players on the field. Make sure to check the regulations of your league before buying a baseball bat!



By: William Smith

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Discount baseball bats are abundantly obtainable online. In many cases, online stores can offer reduce baseball bats at great prices because there is less overhead than at a sporting goods store and, in many cases, there is no sales tax or shipping charged. When you shop for baseball bats online you have access to a endless and easily available selection user product reviews to help you get a feel for which bats are best for you, and also can save a great deal of time.

Make sure you're buying the best when you buy mark down bats. Of course you can get the same quality and top-notch selection when you buy your bats from a discount vendor online or wholesale that you could get from an expensive sporting goods store or specialty store. The key for you, the consumer, is to be able to pick out the quality from among the pack of other so-so, average, and below par bats out there.

This process is also very personal. Select a baseball bat as you would golf clubs. It ought to be perfect for your specific arm length, height, grip, and swing feel. You wouldn't take just any driver off the shelf and stride over to the tee. You would make sure that your driver has the right sweet spot for you. Then you'll qualified to drive 300 yards. It's the same with baseball bats. You want the bat that will help you to propel the center field fence.

First, contemplate the barrel size of the discount bats you're shopping for. The barrel size involves the top part of the bat. It measures both the barrel length and barrel diameter. When it comes to a sweet spot on a baseball bat, you want a longer barrel. The everyday wisdom is that longer barrels, generally speaking, have larger sweet spots.

This goes against customary practice, though. Most players tend toward smaller barrels and a lighter bat for faster swing speed. Your standard baseball bat will have a diameter of about 2.5 inches. Your standard fast pitch softball barrel will be slightly bigger at 2.75 inches.

Your second measurement of consequence for your discount bats is the bat taper, which is the diameter of the bat at its handle. Your normal baseball bat has a taper of 31/32 of an inch. This size varies, nonetheless, depending on the weight of your bat. There are players who claim that a narrower taper on a lighter bat allows them to turn their wrists faster, while there are others who say the bigger taper helps lessen the discomfort when you don't catch a ball with the sweet spot.

Many baseball bat dealers offer blemished baseball bats at severely slashed prices due to a cosmetic imperfection such as chipped paint.



By: William Smith

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Ash is called a ring porous hardwood because early in the growing period the tree makes big cells. Then later on the cells become much smaller and denser. The zone of big cells each year is in reality the weakest portion of the wood--large cells mean a lot of void space and poor strength. (Oak is also a ring porous wood.) Well, if you develop the ash too slowly, then there can be a larger proportion of large vessels, which means the wood can be weaker; too fast means too weighty as there will be too many dense, small cells. So, it is critical to find the right growth rate that maximizes the properties of the wood.

Bat selections change from competitor to competitor. It does not always depend on your power or particular muscle mass to figure which kind of bat is going to improve your performance at the plate.

Northern white ash baseball bats are the most well-received baseball bats because they are not as weighty as the popular maple wood counter parts. While maple is touted as having greater durability and longevity, northern white ash baseball bats are more cost effective.

The implement being only as good as its user, your northern white ash baseball bat will dispatch equally as long as the esteemed maple wood bats if you focus on the basics of what it takes to be a good hitter. Pro players will boast that they are able to get as many as 2000 hits off of one bat, and it would not be a northern white ash baseball bat.

It is feasible to accomplish the same endurance with a northern white ash baseball bat by not swinging at poor pitches. Foul balls are hitting a part of the bat that sends a wave of energy like an earth rocking tremor down the to the end of the bat, circling through the knob, and racing right back up.

All that activity is jarring the outer circle of the bat, not to cite how you as the hitter can sometimes even sense that uneven power come reeling up through your own nervous systems ganglia like a shocker. Your bat deserves better choices being made. As a hitter, you understand if you have to reach out for that pitch, it is likely to go out of control.

Each time your bat gets the g-force of a pitch outside its ideal center point for hitting, it is receiving a fissure splitting damaging wound. Northern white ash baseball bats will give you as much fulfilment and achievement on the field as any around, just be sure to make sound decisions before you swing!

Wood bats are typically made of Northern White ash, or Rock Maple. These woods are used because they are very powerful, yet they are also fairly light. Ash is still probably the most common wood, but rock maple is becoming more and more accepted because of its durability. some may dispute maple provides a little more pop. Selecting a good piece of wood is important to durability and to how well the ball jumps off of the bat.



By: William Smith

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