aluminum Demarini Phenix bats aren’t only cheaper
25 October 2009
Back in the 1850’s, baseball was still a new pastime, so players had to make their own bats. Many designs were attempted, different shapes like flat or round bats, different weights and sizes. Ultimately, the barrel-shaped bat we recognize today was deemed the most effective. Nowadays it’s a different material that’s being experimented with—Aluminum. Beginning in the 1970’s, college baseball teams started adopting aluminum bats due to high levels of breakage in wooden bats that ate up already limited funding. However, aluminum Demarini Phenix bats aren’t only cheaper than wooden bats; they tend to be more effective. This sparks a continuing debate among baseball fans: many purists feel wooden bats should be reinstated, as they feel players using wooden bats must work harder, while other fans enjoy the excitement aluminum bats bring to the game. Despite the controversy, most colleges still prefer the cheaper, lighter, and more durable aluminum bats over traditional wooden ones.