Patent ID: 7448971
Filing Date: 2008-11-11
Classification: A63B

Abstract:
1. A baseball bat comprising: a single piece of solid wood having a barrel portion of a diameter at a distal end, a handle portion at a proximal end having a smaller diameter than the diameter of the barrel portion, and a tapered throat portion between the barrel portion and the handle portion; a plurality of circumferential grooves circumferentially disposed about an outer portion of the single piece of solid wood, wherein the plurality of circumferential grooves are disposed about the barrel portion of the bat, the throat portion of the bat, the handle portion of the bat or combinations thereof; at least one reinforcing strand having opposed ends, the at least one reinforcing strand being securably disposed within each of the plurality of circumferential grooves and the opposed ends of the at least one reinforcing strand being secured to one and the other; and a sealant disposed within the groove and covering the at least one reinforcing strand; wherein the single piece of wood is substantially free of non-wooden materials or combinations of different wooden portion or materials; and wherein the bat has exterior wooden portions of about 95% or greater based on an exterior surface area of said exterior wooden portions free of the reinforcing members and the grooves such that a baseball will always strike a wooden portion of the bat which is free of the at least one reinforcing strand.