Originally, baseball bats were created in varying shapes and sizes, as players in the 1850's developed their own bats with different lengths and masses. By 1859, a rule was created to help regulate the types of bats used that specified no bat could be more than 2.5 inches in diameter. By 1869, rules specified that no bat was to exceed 42 inches in length (Baseball-Bats.net, 2003). These rules still apply today.

Until around the 1920's, many bats were made of white ash wood. However, in 1924, the first metal bat was created by William Shroyer, and although metal bats did not come into popularity until the aluminum bat in 1970, their use steadily increased over time (Sports-wired.com, 2002). Currently, the NCAA uses only aluminum bats (Kelly, 2000), while the professional leagues utilize only wooden ones (Baseball-bat.net, 2002).

Other differences between the bats can also be attributed to the materials used in the bat. Wooden bats, for example, are more likely to break upon impact with a ball near the middle of the bat (Russel, 2003). This is again due to the inflexibility of the wooden bat, as a result of its solid center. A wooden bat bends during a swing, then snaps back into place. If the ball strikes the 'wrong' area of the wooden bat, it is far more likely to break Conversely, since aluminum is stronger than wood and is creating using a shell with a hollow center, it is less likely to break on contact with the ball (Nathan, 2002).

ich type of bat is superior has raged since the introduction of the aluminum bat. While some publicize the safety of the wooden bat (Kelly, 2002), others point to increased performance of the aluminum bat (Crisco, Greenwood, 2000). Yet both types have distinctive attributes that make them equally exclusive and similarly dependable.

The difference is due to the "trampoline effect". The outside of the aluminum bat is thin, so it flexes when the ball hits the bat. During the impact, some of the energy is transferred into the bat instead of the ball, and the bat reacts by bouncing back against the ball. Wiith a more solid wooden bat, the impact is transferred fully to the ball, with energy loss in the impact. Rather than the bat 'bouncing back' against the ball, the energy is simply lost. While this results in fewer wrist injuries for those using a wooden bat, it also results in less matter transference to the ball (Manning, 2002).

Aluminum bats are lighter and stronger than wooden bats, making them the choice for many athletes. The technology used

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