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