Because they’re hollow, they’re also lighter, making them easier for small hands to grip and swing. Wood bats tend to have their weight in the barrel, and connecting without splintering usually means hitting the ball near the label metal bats are more forgiving when it comes to ball placement. In fact, an aluminum bat can make learning the game easier. Little Leaguers and rec leagues don’t typically see that kind of power. “I remember Robbie Alomar picked one up in Oakland, and he was going so far into the bleachers to straightaway center that it was almost ridiculous.” “We once had a couple aluminum bats around the big-league batting cage,” Cal Ripken Jr. Records would be shattered, and the game might be diminished. If aluminum and other metal bats were allowed, observers believe the technology would supersede player talent. When aluminum bats were first introduced in the 1970s, NCAA teams saw batting averages go up 20 points home runs doubled. Some players have even been known to break in a new aluminum bat to allow for greater flex in the material by running over it with a car. It becomes easier for hits to travel farther and faster, with their velocity known as bat-exit speed. Thanks to the “trampoline effect,” a metal bat will have a slight give when connecting with the ball, transferring more energy. The reason? Pro players are just too good.īoth the major and minor leagues have banned the metal bat because of the skill level of their participants.

It’s the difference between the crack of a wooden stick and the ping or bink of a baseball colliding with aluminum.

Like their big-league counterparts, Little League and recreational players will sport leather gloves, cleats, and umpire’s gear.īut there’s one piece of equipment some players will opt for that won’t be seen in any Major League Baseball (MLB) game-an aluminum bat. Throughout baseball diamonds across the country, teams are getting back into the swing of the season.

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