| Baseball was a very young sport in the
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| | a quarter of an inch as well, making the
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| mid-eighteen hundreds, so batters usually
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| | maximum diameter two and three quarters
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| made their own bats. This led to a lot of
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| | of an inch. In the early nineteen
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| experimentation with the shape and size
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| | hundreds, one of the greatest players,
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| of the baseball bat. It didn't take long
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| | Honus Wagner, was the first player paid
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| for players to learn that the best bats
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| | to have his name burned into Louisville
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| were those with rounded barrels. With all
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| | Slugger bats. Despite the continual
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| the shapes and sizes being used, some
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| | evolution of the regulations regarding
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| rule had to be established about the bat.
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| | the size and shape of bats, the bats of
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| In 1859, it was established that baseball
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| | today look much like the ones of a
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| bats could be no larger than two and a
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| | hundred years ago, the biggest difference
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| half inches in diameter, though they
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| | being that today's bats are much lighter
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| could be any length. After ten years, a
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| | and have thinner handles.
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| restriction of 42 inches was put on the
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| | The Rise of Aluminum
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| length of the baseball bat, but still no
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| | William Shroyer patented the first metal
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| regulations governing the shape.
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| | baseball bat in 1924, though they were
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| 1884: The Louisville Slugger is Born
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| | not seen in baseball until introduced by
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| Baseball bat's most popular name, still
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| | Worth in 1970. Worth soon produced the
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| to this day, is the Louisville Slugger.
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| | first aluminum one-piece bat, and the
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| Seventeen-year-old John Hillerich watched
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| | first little league aluminum bat. Easton
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| Pete Browning break his bat at an 1884
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| | introduced a much stronger bat in the
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| Louisville game. John observed as Pete
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| | late '70s . These skyrocketed the
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| Browning got frustrated, and after the
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| | popularity of aluminum bats, though they
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| game offered to make him a new bat. Pete
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| | were not allowed in major league games.
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| Browning joined John Hillerich at his
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| | In 1993, both Easton and Worth introduced
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| father's woodworking shop, where Pete
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| | titanium bats, and in 1995 Easton and
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| supervised the construction of his new
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| | Louisville Slugger introduced the
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| bat. Browning went three for three with
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| | lightest grade of aluminum bats available
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| his new bat. Word spread quickly, but not
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| | to date. Continuing developments include
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| as quickly as the demand did once
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| | double walled bats, and scandium-aluminum
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| everyone knew about these bats. It wasn't
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| | bats.
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| long before each baseball bat that John
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| | No matter what kind of baseball bat a
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| and his father constructed was slapped
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| | player uses today, the sport remains one
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| with the famous Louisville Slugger
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| | of the world's favorites. Not many can
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| trademark.
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| | resist the sunny days and cool nights in
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| Evolution of Regulations
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| | the stands, with the cracking sound, fans
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| In the 1890s, bats could no longer be
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| | on their feet, and the smell of hot dogs
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| flat at the end, according to the rules
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| | in the air.
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| committee. They increased the diameter by
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