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A baseball bat is a smooth rod, often but not always wooden, used in the game of Baseball to hit the ball after the ball is thrown by the Pitcher . It is not more than 2 3/4 inches (70 mm) in diameter at the thickest part and not more than 42 inches (1067 mm) in length. The Batter uses the bat two-handed to try to hit a pitched ball Fair so that he may become a Runner , advance bases, and ultimately score a Run or help preceding runners to score. Unofficially it is often used, usually one-handed, as a Baton or Club in fights and assaults. TERMINOLOGY Although a stick to hit a ball with is a somewhat simple concept, the bat is a complex object. It is carved or constructed very carefully to allow for a quick balanced swing, while providing power. The bat is divided into several regions. The "barrel" is the thick part of the bat, where the bat is meant to hit the ball. The part of the barrel best for hitting the ball with, according to construction and swinging style, is often called the "sweet spot." The end of the barrel is not part of the sweet spot, and is simply called the tip or end of the bat. The barrel narrows down, and becomes the "handle." The handle is very thin, so that batters can comfortably set the bat in their fingers. Sometimes, especially on metal bats, the handle is wrapped with a rubber or cloth "grip." Finally, next to the handle is the "knob" of the bat, a wider piece that keeps the bat from sliding off of a batter's hands. There is an image of a baseball bat at this link . BASEBALL RULES ABOUT BATS In Professional baseball, only wooden bats are permitted, and they are not allowed to be Corked -- that is, filled with a light substance such as cork which reduces the weight without costing greatly in hitting power. In amateur baseball, both wood and metal alloy bats are generally permitted, although many amateur "wooden bat leagues" do exist, and the trend back to wood seems to be accelerating on the grounds of safety concerns, since the lighter metal bats, in allowing greater distance to be achieved with less batter strength, also hit the ball at a greater velocity, and there is statistical evidence, if sometimes contested, of more injuries and even deaths with the metal bat. Most wooden bats are made from Ash . Other woods used include Maple , Hickory , and Bamboo . Hickory has fallen into disfavor because it is much heavier than other woods. Maple is increasing in popularity based on its hardness and lightness, as reflected in the success Barry Bonds has had using maple bats. Within the standards set by the various leagues, there is ample latitude for individual variation, and many batters settle on an individual bat profile, or occasionally adopt a profile used by another batter. Formerly, bats were hand-carved to a template obtained from a fixed number of calibration points; today, they are machine-turned to a precise metal template: these templates are kept in the bat manufacturers' vaults; for example, .) The next step is the finishing of the head: bats are more often given a rounded head, but some 30% of players prefer a "cup-balanced" head, in which a cup-shaped recess is made in the head; this lightens the bat and moves its center of gravity toward the handle. Finally, the bat is stained in one of 7 standard colors, among which natural white, red stain, black, and a two-tone blue and white stain. In High School baseball in the United States , the bat is not allowed to be more than 2 5/8 inches (67 mm) in diameter. It must have a Drop of no more than minus three. A 34‑inch (863.6‑mm) bat would weigh at least 31 ounces (.88 kg). The bat in high school may consist of any safe, solid, uniform material; the NFHS rules state only "wood or non-wood" material. In most 12-year-old-and-under youth leagues (such as Little League Baseball, PONY League Baseball , and Cal Ripken League Baseball ), the bat may not be more than 2 1/4 inches (57 mm) in diameter. MANUFACTURERS Hillerich & Bradsby , which produces the ''Louisville Slugger'', Easton , Wilson Sporting Goods , and Rawlings are popular makers of baseball bats. USED AS A WEAPON Baseball bats may be also used as a . In some countries where baseball is not popular, they are associated mostly with Crime in the public mind, especially Neo-Nazi Gang Violence . In the SNES games, '' EarthBound '', a baseball bat is Protagonist Ness 's main weapon, along with Yo-yo s. In the movie The Warriors, a rival gang of baseball players use baseball bats as their weapon. It is used by wrestler Sting for a weapon EXTERNAL LINKS
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