What is Answerbag?

Ask questions and share your knowledge with the world here on Answerbag. Get the best answers where there are no duplicate questions and questions are always open - our community of over 1,142,000 will find your answer!

 

Why Does Major League Baseball Use Wooden Bats?

Friday, July 10, 2009
Related Tags: wooden | baseball | players | league | major

Instructions

Weight

  • Step 1:
    Aluminum bats would be much too light for Major League Baseball. If bats were lighter, players would be able to swing with a greater force than they are able to with wooden bats, making it easier for professional players to hit a pitch.

Material

  • Step 1:
    Wooden bats are typically made of ash or maple, requiring the hitter to have more skill to drive a ball, as compared to the aluminum bats found in non-professional leagues.

Safety

  • Step 1:
    Major League Baseball uses wooden bats to protect the players. Other types of bats would present too much risk to the players on defense due to their enhanced ability to hit the ball hard. Major league players do not need any help.

Affordability

  • Step 1:
    Even though baseball players go through several bats in a season, wooden bats are less expensive, and more cost effective than other types of bats.

Continuity

  • Step 1:
    Baseball is considered a favorite past-time by many people. The sport is known for keeping to its traditions, such as relying on human umpires to call balls and strikes when technology could easily take the umpire's place. Wooden bats have been used since the 1800s and are a tradition in themselves that baseball will not soon let go.

Photo/Video Credit

SXC.hu

Related Content
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.
Wooden Baseball Bat Facts
Wood bats have been around as long as the game of baseball, more than 150 years. They are still the gold standard, the weapon of choice for Major League Baseball. However, in recent years, aluminum...
Rules of Kids' Baseball
Kids' baseball generally uses an abbreviated and slightly modified version of the official rules employed by Major League Baseball. Little League Baseball and smaller local organizations may set...
History of the Aluminum Bat
In the 1850s, when baseball was still a new sport, players could hit the ball with bats they made themselves, wooden bats of all shapes and sizes. Some were even flat. In 1859, the first...
How Does an Aluminum Baseball Bat Differ From a Wooden Baseball Bat?
Instructions Step 1: One of the biggest differences between an aluminum baseball bat and a wooden bat is the weight distribution--aluminum bats are hollow, and wooden bats are solid. Being that the...