Battle of the bats: Wood versus aluminum

In those early days, there were only a couple of aluminum bat companies to choose from - the big players were Worth and Easton. Now, just about every bat manufacturer makes aluminum bats, including traditional wood bat companies such as Louisville Slugger and Rawlings.

What makes aluminum better than wood? Has the aluminum bat changed the game? If aluminum isn't used in the professional game, how do metal bats prepare players for the pros?

For many programs, cost is the determining factor in wood versus aluminum bats. A high school or college has limited budgets for supplies and in this day and age, many players buy their own bats. The initial cost of aluminum bats are rather prohibitive - a good metal bat will cost approximately $200 - but can last for years. Good, quality wood bats go for around $80, and there is always a chance the bat can break on one well-placed pitch. Wood and aluminum bats can be had for as little as $30, but like the old saying goes, you get what you pay for.

"I think (the biggest difference) is the quality and cost," said Tim Goode, manager of the Redwood City American Legion Post 105 team and an assistant coach for Menlo School. "(Wood bats) cost a lot more. It may be cheaper to go with aluminum instead of buying a $30 (wood) bat every day.

"If you're going to be paying that much, you want something to last."

Metal is better than wood

Since the advent of the aluminum bat, the technology has gotten better, resulting in stronger, lighter metals that enable players to hit the ball farther than with traditional wood bats.

There is plenty of scientific evidence to back those findings. The wood-metal bat debate boils down to this: When a pitched ball hits a wooden bat, the barrel of the bat does not compress. The ball, however, nearly wraps around the bat at the point of impact, depriving nearly 75 percent of the energy from the ball.

When a pitched ball hits a metal bat, the barrel actually compresses with the impact, which results in a "trampoline" effect, essentially "pushing" the ball off the bat. Hence, it goes farther.

Add to that wood is less durable than metal and breaks easier and there's no question why aluminum has taken over the youth ranks of baseball.

"There's a bigger barrel, larger sweet spot (with metal bats)," Goode said, referring to that perfect spot on the bat that produces the hardest and most solid hits. "(With wood bats) an inside pitch could break the bat. That doesn't happen with aluminum."

Weight and the distribution of that weight also plays a part. Wood bats are barrel-heavy, meaning most of the weight is at the business end of the stick. An aluminum bat that weighs the same, will have the weight more evenly distributed along the length of the bat, with the center of gravity closer to the handle, thus making it easier to swing quickly.

"You have to learn how to use it [wood bats]," Goode said. "There's more choking up. You have to be quicker with the barrel to the ball. It's a whole different game. You have to learn how to handle the bat. Guys don't do that any more."

Has metal altered the game?

Offense and defense suffered with the rise of aluminum bats. Even punch-and-judy hitters are turned into home run threats with metal bats. Because of their durability and strength, aluminum bats allow batters to turn even a pitch in on the hands into a flare base hit to right field. Players don't need to necessarily be the best hitter, all they have to do it get some part of the bat on the ball and there's a good chance to ball will drop.

To prevent the cheap hits, pitchers adjusted their throws. The inside pitch, once a staple of pitchers, has gone the way of dinosaur. An inside pitch no longer breaks a bat. Instead, a batter can fight it off, even pick up a single with a jam-shot off the fists.

"A pitcher doesn't get rewarded as much," Goode said. "Now you have pitchers trying to miss bats instead of throwing strikes."

Metal bats made it harder on professional scouts to project a player's ability. Players who hit well with aluminum do not necessarily hit well with wood bats. Keith Chapman, a Northern California scout for the Cincinnati Reds, said the organization will not make a decision - one way or another - until they see a player use wood.

"For us, before we can make a decision on a player, we have to work them out with wood," Chapman said. "The metal bats are very forgiving. You make a mistake and hit it on the handle and you can still hit it out of the infield. With wood, you'd probably break the bat. You have to be much more aware of where the sweet spot is. (Aluminum bats) make it easier to hit."

Chapman said he has not noticed much change in pitching philosophy. He said it all depends on the program.

"It's a matter of perception. I've watched games where they pitch inside, pitch outside. It's strictly dependent on what the coach's perception is," Chapman said.

Mike Chanteloup, manager for the San Mateo American Legion Post 82 and Sacred Heart Prep High baseball teams, said aluminum bats give players the confidence to swing for the fences on nearly every pitch.

"I think aluminum bats allow kids to have longer swings. They swing a lot more with their arms. They're trying to over-power the ball," Chanteloup said. "Metal bats have leveled the playing field for kids [who] are smaller."

Returning to the game's roots

While the amateur game is ruled by aluminum, some coaches, players and programs are pulling their wood out a little more. Many summer-league teams are regularly attending wood-bat-only tournaments. Goode's Post 105 team competed in such a tournament last week while the San Mateo American Legion Post 82 team traveled to a wood-bat tournament in Las Vegas in June.

Some of the reasons behind these tournaments may be wistful thinking of returning baseball back to its golden age, but Goode believes it actually serves a purpose and can be beneficial for the players down the road.

"I think [the tournaments are held] because it's fun and it distinguishes tournaments," Goode said. "Scouts like to see that because it's (comparing) apples and apples. Scouts don't have to project (what players will do when they're not using) aluminum.

"I like [wood] better. It gives the pitchers a game too. Pitchers (now) are nibbling (around the strike zone). The game is slow."

Coaches agree if players know how to hit with a wood bat, they'll be that much better when they switch back to metal. Chanteloup encouraged his Sacred Heart Prep players to use wood bats during practice and save the metal for game days. Using wood regularly strengthens wrist and forearm muscles, which is necessary to swing the top-heavy wood bats. The added strength, in turn, makes hands that much quicker when swinging metal.

"(Using wood) gets them better as hitters," Goode said. "If you're good with wood, you can be awesome with aluminum."