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Materials and manufacture

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{{Short description|Piece of sports equipment}}
{{more citations needed|date=November 2024}}
[[Image:fourbats.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.25|Four historically significant baseball bats showcased in the [[National Baseball Hall of Fame]]'s traveling exhibit "Baseball As America". From left to right: bat used by [[Babe Ruth]] to hit his 60th home run during the 1927 season, bat used by [[Roger Maris]] to hit his 61st home run during the 1961 season, bat used by [[Mark McGwire]] to hit his 70th home run during the 1998 season, and the bat used by [[Sammy Sosa]] for his 66th home run during the same season.]]

A '''baseball bat''' is a smooth wooden or metal [[Club (weapon)|club]] used in the sport of [[baseball]] to hit the [[Baseball (ball)|ball]] after it is thrown by the [[pitcher]]. By regulation it may be no more than {{convert|2.61|in|cm}} in diameter at the thickest part and no more than {{convert|42|in|m|3}} in length.<ref>{{Cite web |title=MLB Bat rules and Reg. |url=https://lacassebats.com/pages/mlb-bat-rules-and-reg |access-date=2024-08-02 |website=LaCasse Bats |language=en}}</ref> Although historically bats approaching {{convert|3|lb}} or 48 oz were used,<ref name="Bleacher">{{cite web|url=http://bleacherreport.com/articles/589660-size-matters-top-10-biggest-in-mlb#/articles/589660-size-matters-top-10-biggest-in-mlb/page/2|title=Size Matters: Top 10 "Biggest" In MLB History|author=Jenn Zambri|work=Bleacher Report|access-date=13 September 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=Spalding's Official Base Ball Guide for ... |date=1919 |publisher=Americna Sports Pub. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6a4pAAAAYAAJ&dq=fungo%20bat&pg=PT9 |language=en}}</ref> modern bats of {{convert|33|oz|kg}} are common, topping out at {{convert|34|to|36|oz|kg}}.<ref name="Bleacher"/>

==Design==
A baseball bat is divided into several regions. The "barrel" is the thick part of the bat, where it is meant to hit the ball. The part of the barrel best for hitting the ball, according to construction and swinging style, is often called the "[[Sweet spot (sports)|sweet spot]]." The end of the barrel is called the "top", "end", or "cap" of the bat. Opposite the cap, the barrel narrows until it meets the "handle", which is comparatively thin, so that batters can comfortably grip the bat in their hands. Sometimes, especially on metal bats, the handle is wrapped with a rubber or tape "grip". Finally, below the handle is the "knob" of the bat, a wider piece that keeps the bat from slipping from a batter's hands.

The "bat drop" of a bat is its weight, in ounces, minus its length, in inches. For example, a 30-ounce, 33-inch-long bat has a bat drop of minus 3 (30 − 33 = −3). Larger bat drops help to increase swing speed, due to less mass per unit length; smaller drops create more power, due to greater momentum to transfer to the ball.{{citation needed|date=October 2024}}

== History ==
The bat's form has become more refined over time. In the mid-19th century, baseball batters were known to shape or [[Whittling|whittle]] their own bats by hand, which resulted in a wide range of shapes, sizes, and weights. For example, there were flat bats, round bats, short bats, and fat bats. Earlier bats were known to be much heavier and larger than modern regulated ones. During the 19th century, many experimental shapes and handle designs were tried. Modern bats are much more uniform in design.{{citation needed|date=November 2024}}

=== Innovations ===
* On June 17, 1890, Emile Kinst received {{US Patent|430388}} the ball-bat, or banana bat. The bat is shaped with a curve, hence the name banana bat. The creator of the bat, Kinst wrote: "The object of my invention is to provide a ball-bat which shall produce a rotary or spinning motion of the ball in its flight to a higher degree than is possible with any present known form of ball-bat, and thus to make it more difficult to catch the ball, or if caught, to hold it, and thus further to modify the conditions of the game".
* The mushroom bat, made in 1906 by [[Spalding (sports equipment)|Spalding]]. With baseball bats being larger in the 1900s the Spalding company designed a larger bat with a mushroom-shaped knob on the handle. This enabled the batter to get a better distribution of weight over the entire length of the bat.
* The Wright & Ditson Lajoie baseball bat. This bat had a normal size barrel but had two knobs on the handle. The lower knob was at the bottom of the handle and the other knob, also called the shoulder, was three inches above the lower knob. This was designed to have better spacing between the hands due to the shoulder being in the middle of the grip. This also gave batters an advantage when they choked up on the bat, because the second knob provided a better grip.{{citation needed|date=November 2024}}
* In 1990, Bruce Leinert came up with the idea of putting an [[axe]] handle on a baseball bat. He filed a patent application for the "Axe Bat" in 2007 and the bat started being used in the college and pro ranks over the following years. In 2012, the [[Marietta College]] Pioneers baseball team won the [[2012 NCAA Division III baseball tournament#World Series|NCAA Division III World Series]] using axe-handled bats.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Beckham |first1=Jeff |title=Baseball bat with an axe handle brings more power, fewer injuries |url=https://www.wired.com/2014/08/axe-bat/ |access-date=July 31, 2018 |work=Wired.com |date=August 18, 2014}}</ref> Several [[Major League Baseball]] players have adopted the bat handle including [[Mookie Betts]], [[Dustin Pedroia]], [[George Springer]], [[Kurt Suzuki]] and [[Dansby Swanson]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=McAuley |first1=Grant |title=Axe handle bat new weapon of choice for Braves' Swanson |url=https://929thegame.radio.com/articles/axe-handle-bat-new-weapon-choice-braves-swanson |access-date=July 31, 2018 |work=The Game 92.9 |date=May 19, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Passan |first1=Jeff |title=Why the Axe Bat, Dustin Pedroia may help make the round handle obsolete |url=https://sports.yahoo.com/news/why-dustin-pedroia-uses-the-axe-bat--which-may-make-the-round-handle-obsolete-013113798.html |access-date=July 31, 2018 |work=Yahoo Sports |date=June 23, 2015}}</ref>
*{{anchor|Torpedo bat}}{{anchor|Torpedo Bat}} In 2025, the [[New York Yankees]] popularized a {{anchor|Torpedo bat}}"torpedo bat" design, which was made to increase [[Contact hitter|contact hitting]]. The widest diameter of the bat is lower down than on standard bats, making the bat look more like a [[bowling pin]]. The bat quickly generated media coverage as the Yankees hit a franchise record nine home runs in their second game, the first three home runs being hit on the first three pitches. MLB stated the new design was legal as it did not exceed the maximum allowed diameter of 2.61 inches (6.6 cm) nor technically go against anything stated in the rules. The "torpedo bat" was designed by Aaron Leanhardt, a field coordinator with the [[Miami Marlins]].<ref name=":0" /> Leanhardt has a Ph.D. in [[physics]] from the [[Massachusetts Institute of Technology]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=2025-03-31 |title=Marlins Coach Aaron Leanhardt, Architect of Yankees' Torpedo Bats, Swarmed By Media |url=https://www.si.com/fannation/mlb/fastball/news/miami-marlins-coach-aaron-leanhardt-architect-of-new-york-yankees-torpedo-bats-swarmed-by-media-loandepot-park-01jqq03w8xqp |access-date=2025-04-01 |website=Fastball On SI |language=en-US}}</ref>
<gallery mode="nolines" widths="300" heights="300">
File:Banana bat.gif|Patent No. 430,388 (June 17, 1890) awarded to Emile Kinst for an "improved ball-bat"
File:Bottle bat.jpg|[[Heinie Groh]] and his signature "bottle bat"
File:Torpedo bat.png|Diagram of a 'Torpedo bat'. The maximum diameter and the length of a torpedo bat are equal to the dimensions of a standard bat
</gallery>

== Materials and manufacture ==
Baseball bats are made of either hardwood or a metal alloy (typically aluminum). Most wooden bats are made from [[ash tree|ash]]; other woods include [[maple]], [[hickory]], and [[bamboo]]. Hickory has fallen into disfavor over its greater weight, which slows down bat speed, while maple bats gained popularity following the introduction of the first MLB-sanctioned model in 1997.<ref name="SciAm1">{{cite web|last1=Patterson|first1=Brittany|title=Baseball Bats Threatened by Invasive Beetle|url=https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/baseball-bats-threatened-by-invasive-beetle/|website=Scientific American|access-date=21 November 2017}}</ref> The first player to use one was [[Joe Carter]] of the [[Toronto Blue Jays]].<ref name="Canadian Sports Magazine 2008, p. 8">''Canadian Sports Magazine'', Vol. 2, No. 3, August 2008, p. 8, (Publication Mail Agreement #40993003, Oakville, ON)</ref> [[Barry Bonds]] used maple bats the seasons he broke baseball's single-season home run record in 2001, and the career home run record in 2007.<ref name="Canadian Sports Magazine 2008, p. 8"/> In 2010, the increased tendency of maple bats to shatter caused Major League Baseball to examine their use, banning some models in minor league play.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2010/09/20/129985928/-the-well-is-effectively-dead?print=1|title=The Well Is Effectively Dead|date=20 September 2010|work=NPR.org|access-date=13 September 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | title = MLB bans use of many maple bats in minor leagues; safety concerns cited | date = 11 September 2012 | url = http://aol.sportingnews.com/mlb/story/2010-03-01/apnewsbreak-many-maple-bats-get-banned-minors | work = [[archive.li]] | access-date = 14 July 2017 | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://archive.today/20120911101218/http://aol.sportingnews.com/mlb/story/2010-03-01/apnewsbreak-many-maple-bats-get-banned-minors | archive-date = 11 September 2012 }}</ref>

Manufacturers position each bat's label over the mechanically weaker side of the wood.<ref name="woodbat.org"/>
To reduce chance of fracture,<ref name="woodbat.org"/> and maybe deliver more energy to the ball,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.baseball-fever.com/archive/index.php/t-24217.html|title=Wood bats - on which "side" should the ball's impact be?|work=baseball-fever.com|date=17 February 2005 |access-date=14 July 2017}}</ref> a bat is intended to be held so the label faces sky or ground when it strikes the ball during a horizontal swing.<ref name="woodbat.org">{{cite web|url=http://www.woodbat.org/|title=Wood science and how it relates to wooden baseball bats|work=woodbat.org|access-date=13 September 2015|archive-date=5 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210705174609/https://www.woodbat.org/|url-status=dead}}</ref> In this orientation, the bat is considered stiffer and less likely to break.<ref name="mlb.mlb.com">{{cite web|url=http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20081209&content_id=3708319&vkey=hotstove2008&fext=.jsp|title=Safety tests for maple bats mandated|work=Major League Baseball|access-date=14 July 2017|archive-date=30 July 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140730053611/http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20081209&content_id=3708319&vkey=hotstove2008&fext=.jsp|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Different types of wood will fracture differently.<ref name=hitting>{{cite web|url=http://woodbat.blogspot.com/2009/03/maple-bats-to-be-regulated-and-studied.html|title=Hitting with Wood|work=woodbat.blogspot.com|date=3 March 2009|access-date=14 July 2017}}</ref> For bats made of [[Fraxinus|ash]], labels will generally be where the grain spacing is widest. For [[maple]] bats they will usually be positioned where grain is tightest.{{citation needed|date=November 2024}}

Maple bats in particular were once known (circa 2008) to potentially shatter in a way that resulted in many sharp edges, sometimes creating more dangerous projectiles when {{nowrap|breaking.<ref name="woodbat.org"/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=92222323|title=Maple, Ash Baseball Bats May Strike Out|date=4 July 2008|work=NPR.org|access-date=13 September 2015}}</ref>}} Maple bat manufacture evolved significantly, in cooperation with [[Major League Baseball]], paying special attention to grain slope, and including an ink spot test to confirm safest wood grain orientation.<ref name="mlb.mlb.com"/>

Based on consistent anecdotal reports of sales at sporting goods stores, and because of the [[Emerald ash borer]] epidemic, maple appears to be displacing ash as most popular new baseball bat material in the United States. Next and rising in popularity is [[bamboo]], which has more isotropic fine grain, great strength, and less weight for a bat of any given size.{{citation needed|date=March 2017}}

Within league standards there is ample latitude for individual variation, many batters settling on their own bat profile, or one used by a successful batter. Formerly, bats were hand-turned from a template with precise calibration points but more recently they are machine-turned to a fixed metal template. Historically significant templates may be kept in a bat manufacturers' vault; for example, [[Babe Ruth]]'s template, which became popular among major-league players, is ''R43'' in the [[Hillerich & Bradsby|Louisville Slugger]] archives.<ref name=brchthnh>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=-PVLAAAAIBAJ&pg=5511%2C6126923 |work=Spokesman-Review |location=Spokane, Washington |agency=Associated Press |title=Babe Ruth changed design of bats to thinner handle |date=March 11, 1979 |page=C5}}</ref> Ruth favored a thinner handle than was the norm in the 1920s, and his success caused most to follow.<ref name=brchthnh/> Ruth used an unusually large bat, which he reduced in size incrementally during his career. In 1920 he was using a 40-inch, 54-ounce bat, made of ash, with a slender handle.<ref>"Playing The Game, My Early Years in Baseball." Babe Ruth, 1920, United News, syndicated in numerous newspapers including the Atlanta Constitution. Republished 2011 Dover Publications, Mineola, NY. p. 29 in this book.</ref> In 1928 he wrote, "A few seasons ago I used a 54 ounce bat, long and with the weight well at the end. Now I'm using a 46 ounce club--and each season when I have a new set of bats made, I have an addition ounce taken off."<ref>"Babe Ruth's Own Book Of Baseball," George Herman Ruth, 1928, G.P. Putnam's Sons, NY. p. 171.</ref>

Once the basic bat has been turned, it has the manufacturer's name, the serial number, and often the signature of the player endorsing it branded into it opposite the wood's best side. [[Honus Wagner]] was the first player to endorse and sign a bat. Next, most bats are given a rounded head, but some 30%{{citation needed|date=July 2013}} of players prefer a "cup-balanced" head, in which a cup-shaped recess is made in the head, introduced to the major leagues in the early 1970s by [[José Cardenal]];<ref name=brchthnh/> this lightens the bat and moves its center of gravity toward the handle. Finally, the bat is stained in one of several standard colors, including natural, red, black, and two-tone blue and white.{{citation needed|date=November 2024}}

===Environmental threat to ash wood===
The [[emerald ash borer]], an exotic beetle imported accidentally from Asia, has killed more than 50 million [[Fraxinus americana|white ash]] trees in the eastern United States and in 2017 threatened groves in [[New York (state)|New York]]'s [[Adirondack Mountains]] that are used to make baseball {{nowrap|bats.<ref name="NPRBATS">{{cite news |last1=Mann |first1=Brian |title=A Beetle May Soon Strike Out Baseball's Famous Ash Bats |url=https://www.npr.org/2016/08/03/488432537/a-beetle-may-soon-strike-out-baseballs-famous-ash-bats |work=NPR.org |publisher=[[NPR]] |access-date=21 November 2017}}</ref>}}

==Regulations==
In the American [[Major League Baseball|major leagues]], Rule 1.10(a) states:<ref>{{cite web | url = http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/downloads/y2010/official_rules/2010_OfficialBaseballRules.pdf | title = Official Baseball Rules | access-date = 2012-05-07 | publisher = Major League Baseball}}</ref>
<blockquote>The bat shall be a smooth, round stick not more than 2.61 inches in diameter at the thickest part and not more than 42 inches in length. The bat shall be one piece of solid wood.</blockquote>

Bats are not allowed to be hollowed or [[corked bat|corked]]—that is, filled with an alien substance such as [[cork (material)|cork]] which reduces the weight. This corking is thought to increase bat speed without greatly reducing hitting power, though this idea was challenged as unlikely on the [[Discovery Channel]] series ''[[MythBusters]]''.<ref>[[MythBusters (2007 season)#Corked Bat|''Mythbusters'', season 5 (Corked Bat)]]</ref>

Both wooden and metal alloy (generally aluminum) bats are generally permitted in amateur baseball. Metal alloy bats are generally regarded as being capable of hitting a ball faster and farther with the same power. However, increasing numbers of "wooden bat leagues" have emerged in recent years, reflecting a trend back to wood over safety concerns{{clarify|date=June 2025}} and, in the case of [[collegiate summer baseball]] wood-bat leagues, to better prepare players for the professional leagues that require wood bats. Metal alloy bats can send a ball towards an unprotected pitcher's head up to {{convert|60|ft|6|in|m|abbr=on}} away at a velocity far too high for the pitcher to get out of the way in time. Some amateur baseball organizations enforce bat manufacturing and testing standards which attempt to limit maximum ball speed for wood and non-wood bats.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.acs.psu.edu/drussell/bats/besr/2006_certification_protocol.pdf|title=National Collegiate Athletic Association Standard for Testing Baseball Bat Performance|work=acs.psu.edu|date=October 30, 2006|access-date=July 14, 2017}}</ref><ref>[https://www.ncaa.org/wps/ncaa?ContentID=38459 "Bat-testing regulations modified"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081210051151/http://www.ncaa.org/wps/ncaa?ContentID=38459|date=10 December 2008 }}</ref><ref>[http://www.nfhs.org/web/2003/06/baseball_rules_committee_focuses_on_clarification_of_bat_standar.aspx "Baseball Rules Committee Focuses on Clarification of Bat Standards and Sportsmanship During Pre-Game Practice"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080524002833/http://www.nfhs.org/web/2003/06/baseball_rules_committee_focuses_on_clarification_of_bat_standar.aspx|date=24 May 2008 }}</ref>

In [[National Federation of State High School Associations|high school baseball]] in the United States:
* The bat is not permitted to be more than {{convert|2+5/8|in|mm}} in diameter in proximity to width and length.
* Its "drop" (inches of length minus ounces of weight) must be no more than 3: for example, a 34-inch (863.6‑mm) bat must weigh at least {{convert|31|oz|g}}.<ref>[http://www.nchsaa.org/intranet/downloadManagerControl.php?mode=getFile&elementID=4047&type=5&atomID=7181 NCHSAA Baseball] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100706020131/http://www.nchsaa.org/intranet/downloadManagerControl.php?mode=getFile&elementID=4047&type=5&atomID=7181 |date=July 6, 2010 }}</ref>
* The bat may consist of any safe solid uniform material; the [[National Federation of State High School Associations]] rules state only "wood or non-wood" material.
* To be legally used in a game, an aluminum bat has to be a BBCOR (Batted Ball Coefficient of Restitution) bat because it has been determined that a pitcher loses the ability to protect himself when this ratio is exceeded.{{citation needed|date=August 2015}}

In some 12-year-old-and-under youth leagues (such as [[Little League]] baseball), the bat may not be more than {{convert|2+1/4|in|mm}} in diameter.<ref>[http://www.littleleague.org/Learn_More/rules/2007rulechanges.htm 2007 Regulation & Rule Changes] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080926002453/http://www.littleleague.org/Learn_More/rules/2007rulechanges.htm |date=September 26, 2008 }}</ref> However, in many other leagues (like [[PONY League Baseball]], and Cal Ripken League Baseball), the bat may not be more than {{convert|2+3/4|in|mm}} in diameter.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://bsbproduction.s3.amazonaws.com/portals/10758/docs/rulebooks/2017%20pony%20baseball%20rulebook%20online.pdf|title=2017 Rules and Regulations for PONY Baseball|work=bsbproduction.s3.amazonaws.com|access-date=July 14, 2017}}{{Dead link|date=October 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

There are limitations to how much and where a baseball player may apply [[pine tar]] to a baseball bat. According to Rule 1.10(c) of the Major League Baseball Rulebook, it is not allowed more than 18 inches up from the bottom handle. An infamous example of the rule in execution is the [[Pine Tar Incident]] on July 24, 1983. Rules 1.10 and 6.06 were later changed to reflect the intent of Major League Baseball, as exemplified by the league president's ruling. Rule 1.10 now only requires that the bat be removed from the game if discovered after being used in a game; it no longer necessitates any change to the results of any play which may have taken place.{{citation needed|date=November 2024}}

Rule 6.06 refers only to bats that are "altered or tampered with in such a way to improve the distance factor or cause an unusual reaction on the baseball. This includes, bats that are filled, flat-surfaced, nailed, hollowed, grooved or covered with a substance such as paraffin, wax, etc." It no longer makes any mention of an "illegally batted ball". In 2001, MLB approved the use of [[Gorilla Gold Grip Enhancer]] in major and minor league games as an alternative to pine tar.<ref>{{cite news |last=Heiss Grodin |first=Dana |title=Equipment and product guide |date=March 7, 2001 |newspaper=USA Today |url=http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/sports/bbw/2001-03-07/2001-03-07-equipment.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304091710/http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/sports/bbw/2001-03-07/2001-03-07-equipment.htm |archive-date=March 4, 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Lee |first=Sandra L. |title=For now, the mansion stands |date=December 27, 2001 |newspaper=[[Lewiston Morning Tribune]] |page=1A |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=yr9eAAAAIBAJ&dq=gorilla-gold&pg=4605%2C3200981 |access-date=November 7, 2012}}</ref>

==Care and maintenance==
[[File:Tony Gwynn's Bat-2.JPG|thumb|left|A [[Tony Gwynn]] game-used and autographed baseball bat]]
Players can be very particular about their bats. [[Ted Williams]] cleaned his bats with alcohol every night and periodically took them to the post office to weigh them. "Bats pick up condensation and dirt lying around on the ground," he wrote, "They can gain an ounce or more in a surprisingly short time." [[Ichiro Suzuki]] also took great care that his bats did not accumulate moisture and thus gain weight: he stored his bats in humidors, one in the club house and another, a portable one, for the road. [[Rod Carew]] fought moisture by storing his bats in a box full of sawdust in the warmest part of his house. "The sawdust acts as a buffer between the bats and the environment," he explained, "absorbing any moisture before it can seep into the wood."<ref name="www.baseballexplained.com">Baseball Explained by Phillip Mahony, McFarland Books, 2014. See [http://www.baseballexplained.com www.baseballexplained.com] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140813034018/http://www.baseballexplained.com/ |date=2014-08-13 }}</ref>

Many players "[[Boning (baseball)|bone]]" their bats, meaning that before games, they rub their bats repeatedly with a hard object, believing this closes the pores on the wood and hardens the bat. Animal bones are a popular boning material, but rolling pins, soda bottles and the edge of a porcelain sink have also been used. [[Pete Rose]] had his own way of hardening his bats: he soaked them in a tub of motor oil in his basement then hung them up to dry.<ref name="www.baseballexplained.com"/>

==Fungo bat==
[[File:Narahara hiroshi.jpg|thumb|right|[[Hiroshi Narahara]] holding a fungo bat]]
A ''fungo'' bat is a specially designed bat used by baseball and softball coaches in practice. It is a light bat swung by a coach, used to hit balls to players who are practice fielding these hits. The [[etymology]] of the word ''[[wikt:fungo#English|fungo]]'' ({{IPAc-en|pron|ˈ|f|ʌ|ŋ|ɡ|oʊ}}) is uncertain, but the ''[[Oxford English Dictionary]]'' suggests it is derived from the [[Scots language|Scots]] ''fung'': "to pitch, toss, or fling".<ref>''Oxford English Dictionary'' entry for "Fungo", http://www.oed.com/</ref>

Fungo bats are longer and lighter than regulation bats, with a smaller diameter. Typical fungo bats are {{convert|34|to|37|in|cm}} long and weigh {{convert|17|to|24|oz|g}}. Longer bats are preferred for outfield practice and shorter bats for infield practice.<ref>{{cite web |title=Everything You Need To Know About Fungo Bats |url=https://www.justbats.com/blog/post/everything-to-know-about-fungo-bats/ |website=JustBats |access-date=4 September 2025 |language=en}}</ref> The reduced weight allows a coach to hit many balls without tiring. It also lets them swing the bat one-handed, as they often throw the "pitches" to themselves with their free hand.<ref>{{cite web |title=Fungo Bats Resource Hub |url=https://phoenixbats.com/fungo-bats-resource-hub |website=Phoenix Bats |access-date=4 September 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.baseballrampage.com/Baseball/Types/Baseball-Bats/153/Fungo-Bats.html |title=Fungo bats |publisher=baseballrampage.com |access-date=July 14, 2017 |archive-date=April 15, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170415011634/https://www.baseballrampage.com/Baseball/Types/Baseball-Bats/153/Fungo-Bats.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>

== As a weapon ==
Baseball bats are sometimes used as weapons by civilians,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Loyd |first=Linda |date=Sep 24, 1992 |title=Baseball Bats moving from recreation to 'instruments of crime' in U.S. Cities |url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/1992/09/24/baseball-bats-moving-from-recreation-to-instruments-of-crime-in-us-cities/ |access-date=December 23, 2023 |website=Baltimore Sun}}</ref> criminals, protesters,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Palmer |first=Brian |date=Aug 10, 2011 |title=Why Are They Using Baseball Bats Instead of Cricket Bats in the U.K. Riots? |url=https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2011/08/why-are-londoners-using-baseball-bats-instead-of-cricket-bats-in-the-riots.html |access-date=December 23, 2023 |website=Slate}}</ref> and mobsters.<ref>{{Cite web |title=THE MOST COMMON WEAPONS OF THE MAFIA |url=https://www.nationalcrimesyndicate.com/the-most-common-weapons-of-the-mafia/ |access-date=December 23, 2023 |website=National Crime Syndicate|date=23 November 2020 }}</ref> Baseball bats are effective weapons because they are inexpensive compared to other weapons, and, unlike many other weapons, they can be carried without raising suspicion or violating laws, due to their primary purpose as sports equipment.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Bryant DD |first1=3rd |last2=Greenfield R |first2=3rd |last3=Martin |first3=E |title=Musculoskeletal trauma: the baseball bat. |journal=Journal of the National Medical Association |date=November 1992 |volume=84 |issue=11 |pages=957–60 |pmid=1460683 |pmc=2571736 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |date=February 24, 2007 |title=The baseball bat: a modern day cudgel |pmc=2658185 |last1=Lightbody |first1=C. J. |last2=MacIver |first2=C. |journal=Emergency Medicine Journal |volume=24 |issue=2 |page=112 |doi=10.1136/emj.2006.042929 |pmid=17251617 }}</ref>

Baseball bats have also been used as weapons in various forms of entertainment. As a [[Professional wrestling|professional wrestler]], [[Mick Foley]] sometimes brandished a baseball bat wrapped in barbed wire, which he named "Barbie". Other pro wrestlers have used baseball bats as weapons, and wrestling video games sometimes include bats as special weapons.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Ostler |first1=Scott |title=Bugs, barbed wire, baseball bats: Life of a Bay Area pro wrestling legend |url=https://www.sfchronicle.com/sports/ostler/article/vinnie-massaro-wrestling-independent-19719154.php |website=San Francisco Chronicle |access-date=4 September 2025 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Middler |first1=Jordan |title=WWE 2K24 ECW update adds barbed wire baseball bat and more hidden weapons |url=https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/wwe-2k24-ecw-update-adds-barbed-wire-baseball-bat-and-more-hidden-weapons/ |website=VGC |access-date=4 September 2025 |date=15 May 2024}}</ref>

Bats are common weapons in fiction as well. [[Negan]], a character on the TV show ''[[The Walking Dead (TV series)|The Walking Dead]]'' carried a barbed wire-wrapped baseball bat named "Lucille", which [[Jeffrey Dean Morgan]] has compared to Mick Foley's "Barbie".<ref>{{cite web |last1=McGeorge |first1=Alistair |title=The Walking Dead: Jeffrey Dean Morgan teases WWE legend Mick Foley's influence |url=https://metro.co.uk/2021/06/08/the-walking-dead-jeffrey-dean-morgan-on-wwe-legend-mick-foley-impact-14739679/ |website=Metro |access-date=4 September 2025 |language=en |date=8 June 2021}}</ref> [[Harley Quinn]], as a member of the [[Suicide Squad]], carries a baseball bat.<ref>{{cite web |last=Fraley |first=Jason |title=Review: Harley Quinn's star is born amid sloppy 'Suicide Squad' |url=https://wtop.com/entertainment/2016/08/review-harley-quinns-star-born-amid-sloppy-suicide-squad/ |website=WTOP News |access-date=4 September 2025 |language=en |date=5 August 2016}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Baseball doughnut]]
* [[Composite baseball bat]]
* [[Cricket bat]]
* [[List of baseball bat manufacturers]]
* [[Pink bat]]
* [[Softball#Bat|Softball bat]]
{{clear}}

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

==External links==
{{commons category}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070920190241/http://www.kettering.edu/~drussell/bats.html Physics and Acoustics of Baseball and Softball Bats]—How baseball bats work, how bat performance is measured, differences between wood, metal, and composite bats
* [http://www.woodturningonline.com/projects.php?catid=9 Woodturning Online]—Making a Baseball Bat
* [https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=92222323 "Maple, Ash Baseball Bats May Strike Out"]. ''[[Talk of the Nation]]''. [[National Public Radio]], July 4, 2008.

{{Baseball}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Baseball Bat}}
[[Category:Baseball bats| Bat]]
[[Category:Blunt weapons]]
[[Category:Clubs (weapon)]]

Baseball bat - Revision history

imported>Oknazevad: /* Materials and manufacture */