The Difference Between Metal & Wooden Baseball Bats
Although wooden and metal bats serve the same purpose during baseball games, they are very different in many ways. Some of those differences are explained below.
Other People Are Reading
-
Features
-
According to the 2008 edition of Baseball for Dummies, bats at the Major League level must be a single round piece of solid wood no more than 2 and 3/4 inches in diameter at its thickest and no more than 42 inches long. Aluminum bats are hollow and light, but they have more hitting mass than their wooden counterparts.
Function
-
Major League baseball players and semi-pro players use wooden bats made to Major League standards. Aluminum bats are used in nonprofessional capacities, most notably high school and college baseball.
-
Types
-
Bats made from white ash are more durable because the wood is very dense. Maple bats are also popular for the same reason. Easton is the most popular maker of aluminum bats.
Effects
-
Aluminum bats allow the hitters the chance to generate more speed and power faster, which can propel balls far greater distances than a wooden bat can.
Considerations
-
The reason the pros use wood and others don't is because the price for wooden bats is high. And since wooden bats break more frequently, high schools and colleges would have a hard time replacing them. In 2009 aluminum bats cost between $55 (on sale) and $200; wooden bats cost between $75 (on sale) and $269.95.
Warning
-
Wooden bats have been known to shatter and splinter into several pieces at once. This can be very dangerous for everyone involved. Former Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Steve Yeager nearly died after being hit in his neck with a large shard from a broken bat.
-
