Composite Bats In Baseball

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Baseball was first made large in 1861 by Abner Doubleday, a war general during the time of the Civil War. While at war, when Doubleday and his troops weren’t at battle, they needed a way to wind down and have fun. The most commonly played game among them was a game with a long stick and a ball, hence the name “baseball.” Throughout time, this game spread among Americans for years upon years, until Major League Baseball (MLB) was created in 1869, only 8 years after Doubleday first started it with his men. However, we don’t know the true creator of baseball, all we know is that Doubleday sparked the growth of the game. At that time, the object they used to hit the ball was simply a club or stick, but it has slowly evolved into a specifically…show more content…
As people begin to get stronger through puberty, the use of a composite bat would result in a homerun each time, which ruins the point of a challenge in baseball. Composite bats are made up mostly of carbon fiber polymer, due to the fact that it’s strong, light, and very cheap. This is why children are able to use these metal bats, even though there is a strong and sturdy material, it’s actually extremely light. However, composite bats have some restrictions even in children’s leagues. Research has shown that the speed of a swing is more effective than the mass of the bat being used. The only way a heavier bat can beat a lighter bat is if the swing speed is high enough to compete. To help keep the swing speed in control for the children, composite bats must be a “drop three.” This means that the difference between the length and the weight must be three or less. If a bat were to weigh 30 ounces, the length could be no longer than 33 inches. If the weight was to be 26 inches, but the bat still 33 inches, it would be very effortless for a child to hit a ball a great distance. However, there is one disadvantage to using composite bats. While using a composite bat in cold, especially freezing temperatures, it can possibly crack. Having the bat crack can possibly lead to larger cracks, and the bat will eventually break, and this is very dangerous for small children to be…show more content…
However, they didn’t get their specific design until the late 19th century and early 20th century, around 30-40 years after baseball became larger, but there are no specific dates found. The last component added to the modern wood bat was Spalding’s Mushroom, the knob on the near end of the bat. Around that time period, while new designs were still being put into action for bats, the most common wood used was Hickory. It was strong and was able to support the swing of a player, but the material was later changed to Ash and Maple wood because they’re much lighter, and provide for a more powerful swing. Today’s regulations for bats in the MLB are very strict for the dimensions of each player’s bat. The largest diameter the bat can have in it’s largest spot is 2.61 inches, and this is so it’s not too easy for a player to make contact with a ball, and it’s much more of a challenge. The longest length permitted from Spalding’s Mushroom to the far end of the bat is 42 inches, which is approximately 1,000 millimeters. Bats aren’t allowed to be hallowed and corked either. Getting hallowed and corked means that the outside is made of wood, but the inside is made of a different material that’s most likely carbon fiber polymer. This is clearly done to provide a material that will have a different reaction on the ball, causing it to go faster and farther. The bat also must be smooth, so there are
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