BASEBALL BATS
The bat is the only piece of baseball equipment which predates the game and throughout the years there have been many changes. In the 1820's to 1830's small bats and paddles were used in early children's games of trap-ball and rounders. In the 1850's small round bats without knobs were used to play games such as town-ball and were sometimes made from axe handles. Later a small knob was formed at the end of the bats to prevent them from sipping through the fingers. Manufacturers experimented using different styles of knobs such as the mushroom and double knob style. In the early 1900's the handles changed from a thick style to a thinner style.