What Type of Wood Are Bats Made Of?
Throughout the history of baseball, players have experimented with the size, shape and composition of the bat. Although aluminum bats have been popular ever since they were introduced into baseball in 1970, Major League Baseball only allows the use of wooden bats.
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Baseball Needs Trees
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It takes thousands of trees each year to meet the demand for baseball bats. The log sections are dried in kilns for six to eight weeks then doweled to a uniform size.
White Ash
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Most of today's wooden baseball bats are made of white ash; it is a top choice for its hardness, strength and durability.
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Maple
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Maple bats enjoyed new popularity after Barry Bonds used one to hit 73 home runs. Maple bats are more expensive than white ash bats, but last longer.
Hickory
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Hickory bats were common in the early years (Babe Ruth used a hickory bat for most of his career). Though hickory is strong and hard, it is no longer used much for bats because of its weight.
Bamboo
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Bamboo bats are a recent introduction. Bamboo is hollow but can be pressed and processed into an extremely strong bat.
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References
- Photo Credit Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of John
