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We are all aware that Cricket came from England but the question is where did baseball come from? Like numerous other sports, baseball was quite popular in England too. The popularity doesn't mean the English were good at it but we can say the same for them in other sports too but in the 18th century the gentlemen or adults used to play cricket and on the other hand, children used to play baseball. Gradually, when the English went to America, they started playing baseball as a full-time sport. As a result, baseball revolutionized America, and by the end of the 19th century, the game became the national sport of America. Today the game is also played in parts of North, Central, and South America, the Caribbean, and East Asia, particularly Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan. Whereas the fan base is across the world. America's Major League Baseball (MLB) is one of the major competitions in the sport and generates millions in revenue.
Cricket is defined as a contest between bat and ball but it would be fair to say the same for baseball. The equipment used in both sports is more or less the same but different in many ways. While you have a bowler and batsman in Cricket, in baseball you find a striker and pitcher. The basic rule is simple, the batsman/striker is expected to hit the ball. While in cricket a batsman may look to time the ball, in baseball it is about hitting with extreme force. While the two games may look similar but the techniques, material used and other factors separate the bats used in both games. Let us look at some of the key areas that separate the two games.
The Five Biggest Differences Between Baseball and Cricket Bats
SHAPE OF THE BAT
The shape of a cricket bat is flattened from the front and has edges on both sides. The flat side is considered the face of the bat where a player can hit the ball. Due to this a player can drive, cut, glance, sweep, hook or pull in 360 degrees according to where the ball lands on the pitch. Not only this, the batsman can play the ball coming at a speed of up to 150 km per hour in any direction. This is the reason why one side of the bat is flattened.
On the other hand, talking about the baseball bat is thin and round from all sides. The batsman hitting with his bat can hit the ball from any side. However, like in cricket, in baseball, the striker does not have the option to play shots in any direction. In this, the batsman has to hit the ball in diamond shaped arc in front of the pitch.
LENGTH OF THE BAT
If you look at the length of the cricket and baseball bat, then the cricket bat is small in that regard. The standard length of a baseball bat is 42 inches. Due to this the baseball's batter rotates only in the direction of the horizontal plane. While talking about the length of the cricket bat, the standard size is 38 inches i.e. four inches less than the baseball bat. But the batsman rotates the matter of cricket in both the horizontal and vertical plane direction.
HITTING FORCE
Someone who has followed baseball knows that the force with which a player hits the ball is much higher than in cricket. It has a lot to do with the material of the bat but also because the pitcher throws from a closer angle and the shot hit is with brute force. The power of the bat which we also call stroke in common language is quite high when it comes to such things. The ball hit by a baseball bat travels a long way because the bat has a trampoline effect. This means that when the ball hits the baseball bat, it bounces in a way that is as if it has hit a spring. Not to be confused with Ricky Ponting's 'SPRINT BAT' rumour of 2003. While talking about cricket bats, this trampoline effect is negligible in it which also rules out any involvement of spring in Ricky's bat. This is the reason why people in cricket value timing more than force.
MATERIALS USED TO MANUFACTURE BATS
Ever since 1877, the cricket bat is manufactured through English willow. Although in the year 1979, Australia's Dennis Lillee came to the field with an aluminium bat, the umpire denied him of using the bat. After this, the ICC also banned bats made of any material other than wood in cricket.
Now talking about baseball bats, it is made by mixing all kinds of materials for their manufacturing. Although in the initial days, its bats were made using ash and maple wood. But later they switched to a mixture of aluminium and alloy. Composite bats thus prepared became much more effective and popular than earlier baseball bats. However, the aluminium bat that came in 1970 was forbidden to be used in America's MLB league. Because of the ease with which the strikers could hit the ball. At the same time, many players started getting injured at the school level. In this way, the trend of the aluminium bat was gaining momentum but MLB refused it. In this way, the aluminium bat was banned. Due to this the thrill of the game also started to end.
Baseball bat made of wood and ash
Now hardwood is also used in baseball bats. But maple wood white ash is mixed. Which is quite common in the world of baseball these days. In this way, the material itself makes this cricket bat different. Due to this, the ball travels a much longer distance than a cricket bat after being hit.
Talking about the cricket bat, a batsman can hit shots by rotating it 360 degrees in any direction according to the ball in the match. Whereas in baseball there is no such thing. In baseball, the ball comes from the side of the front shoulder of the batter and has to be shot within an arc on the front. That's why you can't play many shots with a baseball bat. Whereas with a cricket bat you can play shots that look appealing.
Cricket Bat vs Baseball Bat
Cricket Bat Length: 38 Inches vs Baseball Bat Length: 42 Inch
Cricket Bat Shape: Rectangular (Width - 67 mm) vs Baseball Bat Shape: Round Long Wooden (Thickness - 7 cm Diameter)
Cricket Bat Weight: 1360g vs Baseball Bat Weight: 940g
Cricket Bat Material: English Willow Wood vs Baseball Bat Material: Ash and Maple Wood
