Baseball bats are an essential component to the game of baseball.  In the 1850s when baseball was still new, bats were not regulated, so baseball players made their own bats of varying lengths, widths, and weights.  It was learned that round bats worked the best, so that became the norm.  In the late 1850s a rule was established that regulated the diameter of a bat to 2.5 inches but any length, and then ten years later another rule was created allowing bats to be no longer than 42 inches.  Then, in the 1890s a rule was established that the end of a bat must be round and the bat diameter was increased to 2.75 inches.  Since then, bats have stated the same, and look almost identical to how they did back then.

The bat is carved to allow for a quick swing that provides power and also stays balanced.  There are different parts to the bat: the barrel, which is the thicker part that is meant to hit the ball, the tip, which is the end of the barrel and is not meant for hitting the ball, and then the handle, which is thin and allows for a comfortable grip on the bat.  Finally, the know is at the end of the bat below the handle and it keeps the bat from sliding out of the batter’s hands during a swing.

Baseball bats are made out of wood or metal.  Wood bats are solid and are harder to swing than metal (aluminum) bats and are heavier.  They are considered much safer than metal bats.  Wood bats are made most often from ash, but can also be made from hickory, maple, and even bamboo, and preferences vary depending on the hardness, lightness, and durability the person chooses to have.  Professional players are only allowed to use wooden bats.  For high school baseball, a bat cannot be wider than 2 5/8 inches in diameter.  High schools bats can be made of any safe and solid material, wood or not.  In youth leagues the bat must 2 1/4 inches in diameter at the most.

A baseball glove is a leather glove that is used by baseball players to catch baseballs.  In the beginning, only a few players used baseball gloves, and these first gloves were generally leather hand-fitting gloves with the fingertips cut off, allowing some padding to the hand but still plenty of control over the ball.  When players began using gloves they were looked at as being not manly enough to play baseball.  Eventually, the trend grew and so did baseball gloves, or mitts.  There are many different sizes and shapes of baseball gloves, and your choice depends on your position, your age, and your preference. 

Youth gloves go from about 8” to about 11” or 12”.  Adult gloves are from 12” to 13”, and professional gloves are required by the rules to be no longer than 12”.  Position is also a determining factor when choosing a glove.

If you are a catcher your glove should have extra padding and a hinged shape that lets the catcher catch fastballs along with other types.  The catchers mitt should also provide a good target for pitchers to throw at, and these gloves are not used at any other position.  First base gloves are generally longer and wider to help them scope and reach balls thrown from different angles of the field.  Their mitts are also heavily padded like a catcher’s glove.  Infield gloves are smaller so that the fielder can gain quick access to the ball once caught and throw it, and outfielder gloves are usually longer and a lot bigger to help them better catch balls in the air or balls they must dive for.  While Infielders such as the second basemen and shortstop prefer a closed web on their baseball glove, outfielders, the third basemen and first basemen prefer an open web on theirs.

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