Abstract:
A kit for a recreational sport, comprising a substantially cylindrical bat including one or more positions between the first end and the second end for a ball stop located thereon, a ball with an outer surface defining a substantially cylindrical bore through the center of the ball, the bore having a diameter that is greater than the diameter of the bat and less than the diameter of the ball stop. The ball is slidingly engaged with the baseball bat such that the baseball bat hitting end is inserted into the bore of the ball. The present invention provides a method for a batter to position a ball for hitting or to deliver a ball directly to field of play and therefore provides a method for playing the game of baseball without a pitcher.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     The present invention relates to the field of baseball playing equipment and a method of playing baseball. More specifically, the present invention is concerned with a bat, a ball that is slidingly engaged upon said bat, and method of delivering said ball from said bat to field of play.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     The game of baseball typically involves a pitcher throwing a baseball to a batter so that the batter can hit the baseball into the field of play for advancing to a subsequent base or scoring a run. The game typically requires at least several people—a batter, a person or pitcher throwing a baseball to the batter, a catcher, and at least one person fielding the baseball after said baseball is hit. In many cases, though, it can be difficult or even impossible to find people in the requisite number to play baseball at the most basic level. For instance, if only two people are available, a decision must be made as to who will bat, pitch, catch, or field the ball—the most basic positions. In many cases, a compromise is made, wherein the game is played without the pitcher and catcher. In this situation, the batter, striving to hit the ball without benefit of the pitcher throwing the ball to the batter, improvises various methods as a substitute for the pitcher, such as tossing the ball into the air with one hand and quickly grasping the bat with both hands and swinging the bat toward the falling ball in order to hit the ball before it drops to the ground. Such a method of hitting a baseball can lead to unsatisfactory results as the batter must undertake and concentrate on several tasks at once, thereby compromising the ability of the batter to focus on and hit the baseball in a manner that takes full advantage of the batter&#39;s capabilities.  
         [0003]     The present invention provides a means by which the game of baseball can be played without a pitcher, and, more particularly, played with at least two players—a batter and at least one person in the field of play catching or otherwise retrieving the baseball. In this manner, the batter can concentrate more fully on hitting or otherwise delivering the baseball to the field of play without the distractions or encumbrances heretofore experienced by batters playing baseball without benefit of a pitcher.  
       DISCUSSION OF THE PRIOR ART  
       [0004]     Numerous designs for baseball bats, baseballs, and methods of hitting a baseball with a baseball bat or otherwise delivering a baseball to field of play have been provided in the prior art. Even though these designs may be suitable for the specific individual purposes to which they address, they are generally elaborate in construction and cumbersome to use, thereby limiting the ability of a batter to hit or otherwise deliver a ball to field of play without benefit of a pitcher. These designs are exemplified by the following patents:  
         [0005]     U.S. Pat. No. 4,006,900, Magnetic Baseball, Bat And Glove, issued to DiVito on 8 Feb. 1977;  
         [0006]     U.S. Pat. No. 5,388,822, Attachment For A Bat, issued to Cassady on 14 Feb. 1995;  
         [0007]     U.S. Pat. No. 6,565,462, Practice Baseball Bat, issued to Gregg on 20 May 2003.  
         [0008]     As such, it may be appreciated that there is a continuing need for a new and improved bat, ball, and method of manipulating said bat and ball that allows a batter to hit or otherwise deliver a ball to field of play without benefit of a pitcher throwing a ball to said batter. In these respects, the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus that substantially fulfills this need. Additionally, the prior patents and commercial techniques do not suggest the present inventive combination of component elements arranged and configured as disclosed herein.  
         [0009]     The present invention achieves its intended purposes, objects, and advantages through a new, useful and unobvious combination of method steps and component elements, with the use of a minimum number of functioning parts, at a reasonable cost to manufacture, and by employing only readily available materials.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0010]     Described briefly, according to a first embodiment, the invention presents a bat, a ball designed to be slidingly engaged upon said bat, and method of hitting or otherwise delivering said ball to field of play without benefit of a pitcher throwing said ball to a batter. The bat in a first embodiment thereof is comprised of an elongate cylindrical member having a first handle end and a second opposing hitting end. The handle end of the cylindrical member is configured to allow ease of gripping by a batter. The bat is grasped nominally by both hands of a batter at the handle end of the cylindrical member. A ball stop is located on the cylindrical member between handle end and hitting end thereof. In one embodiment, the ball stop is a raised ring around the circumference of the cylindrical member of the baseball bat such that the outer diameter of the ball stop ring is larger than the diameter of the cylindrical member.  
         [0011]     The ball stop ring may be integral to the bat, such as being molded or otherwise formed into the material—such as plastic, wood or metal—used to make the bat. In this embodiment, the ball stop ring would be in a fixed position on the bat.  
         [0012]     In another embodiment of the ball stop ring, the ring is made of an elastic material such as rubber or other polymer material. This embodiment of the ball stop ring can be relocated at various positions upon the cylindrical member of the bat and maintained in said position by means of the ring frictionally engaging said cylindrical member. The elastic ball stop ring may be in the form of an o-ring that has an inside diameter that is somewhat smaller than the diameter of the bat and thus requires being stretched in order to be placed around the cylindrical member of the bat and is therefore in frictional engagement with the bat. Alternatively, the ball stop ring may be similar to a common rubber band where the band is looped over multiple times in order to stretch the band taught around the circumference of the cylindrical member of the bat.  
         [0013]     In yet another embodiment of the ball stop, the bat is comprised of an elongate cylindrical member having a first handle end and a second opposing hitting end. The handle end of the cylindrical member is configured to allow ease of gripping by a batter. The cylindrical member is further comprised of a first section and a second section, which meet a common junction. The first section of the cylindrical member tapers from a narrower diameter at the hitting end thereof to a wider diameter at said junction with the second section, and the second section tapers from a narrower diameter at the handle end thereof to a wider diameter at said junction with the first section. It is the wider diameter near the junction that serves as the ball stop in this embodiment.  
         [0014]     The bat is constructed of a typical material used for bats that is lightweight, rigid, and resistant to oxidation and corrosion, such as hard plastic, wood, non-ferrous metals, various composite materials, and the like.  
         [0015]     A ball designed to be slidingly engaged upon the bat is comprised with at least one bore extending through the center of the ball. In an alternate embodiment of the ball, two bores extend through said ball in generally perpendicular relation to each other. The diameter of the bores is somewhat larger than the overall diameter of the cylindrical member at the hitting end of the bat and less than the diameter of the ball stop in its various embodiments.  
         [0016]     During use of the bat and ball as described herein, a batter grasps a bat, for instance the first embodiment thereof, at the handle end. The ball is situated upon a ground surface with the bore thereof disposed generally upward toward the batter. The batter inserts the cylindrical member of the bat at the hitting end thereof into the bore of the ball, substantially occupying said bore. The batter then lifts the bat up so that the hitting end is higher than the handle end, thereby forcing by gravity the ball toward the ball stop. The ball eventually makes contact with the ball stop, at which point its movement is checked. The batter then makes an upward flipping motion of the bat so that the ball is caused to slide off of the hitting end of the bat into the air in front of the batter. At such time, the batter swings the bat back and then forward, hitting the ball as it descends in front of the batter.  
         [0017]     Alternately, the batter, with the ball situated upon the bat by the aforementioned method or by manually placing the ball upon the bat, can deliver the ball to the field of play by swinging the bat with the ball thereon in such a manner that the ball slides off and separates from the bat, thereby hurtling toward the field of play. The velocity, force, and direction of the ball can be controlled or otherwise manipulated by varying the position of the ball stop upon the cylindrical member, which regulates the distance and time the ball must cover to become separated from the bat, and by varying the force and direction of the swing of the bat.  
         [0018]     In the second embodiment of the bat, the wider diameter junction of first and second sections of the cylindrical member functions as the ball stop.  
         [0019]     It can be appreciated that a number of equivalent devices could be used as a ball stop, including a protruding ring integral to the bat or any number of means in order to extend the diameter of the bat to a diameter greater than the diameter of the bore through the ball in order to check the sliding engagement of the ball along the bat. Other methods of checking the sliding engagement of the ball along the bat include using any type of protrusion or protrusions around the perimeter of the cylindrical member of the bat at the desired position of the ball stop—such as by using pegs or pins that protrude in at least one position on the bat so that the ball cannot slide past the protrusion. It can be appreciated that there are a number of means of forming the ball stop.  
         [0020]     In order that the detailed description of the invention may be better understood and that the present contribution to the art can be more fully appreciated, additional features of the invention will be described hereinafter. It should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the conception and the disclosed specific methods and structures may be readily utilized as a basis for modifying or designing other structures for carrying out the same purposes of the present invention. It should be realized by those skilled in the art that such equivalent methods and structures do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention.  
         [0021]     In this respect, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. Embodiments described herein have made reference to a baseball bat and a baseball for ease of conceptualizing the functionality of the invention, however it is to be understood that other ball and bat sports—such as whiffle ball, softball and cricket—can make similar use of this invention.  
         [0022]     Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide an improved product for ball and bat based sports play.  
         [0023]     For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should be made to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there are illustrated preferred embodiments of the invention. The foregoing has outlined some of the more pertinent objects of the invention. These objects should be construed to be merely illustrative of some of the more prominent features and applications of the present invention. Many other beneficial results can be attained by applying the disclosed invention in a different manner or by modifying the invention within the scope of the disclosure. Accordingly, other objects and a fuller understanding of the invention may be had by referring to the summary of the invention and the detailed description of the preferred embodiments in addition to the scope of the invention illustrated by the accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0024]     The foregoing and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become more fully understood from the following description of the preferred embodiments of the invention as illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which like reference characters refer to the same parts throughout different views. The drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating the principles of the invention.  
         [0025]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a first embodiment of a bat having a ball stop in accordance with the present version of the invention.  
         [0026]      FIG. 2  is an elevation view of a first embodiment of a bat having a ball stop in accordance with the present version of the invention.  
         [0027]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a first embodiment of a bat without a ball stop.  
         [0028]      FIG. 4  is an elevation view of a first embodiment of a bat without a ball stop.  
         [0029]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of a second embodiment of a bat having a tapered profile in accordance with the present version of the invention.  
         [0030]      FIG. 6  is an elevation view of a second embodiment of a bat having a tapered profile in accordance with the present version of the invention.  
         [0031]      FIG. 7  is a perspective view of a first embodiment of a ball having a single bore in accordance with the present version of the invention.  
         [0032]      FIG. 8  is an elevation view of a first embodiment of a ball having a single bore in accordance with the present version of the invention.  
         [0033]      FIG. 9  is a perspective view of a second embodiment of a ball having two orthogonal bores in accordance with the present version of the invention.  
         [0034]      FIG. 10  is a perspective view of a third embodiment of a ball having a single bore in accordance with the present version of the invention.  
         [0035]      FIG. 11  is an elevation view of a third embodiment of a ball having a single bore in accordance with the present version of the invention.  
         [0036]      FIG. 12  is a perspective view of a fourth embodiment of a ball having two orthogonal bores in accordance with the present version of the invention.  
         [0037]      FIG. 13  is a perspective view of a batter picking up a ball off a ground surface with the bat in accordance with the present version of the invention.  
         [0038]      FIG. 14  is a perspective view of a batter sliding the ball along the bat until said ball makes contact with the ball stop in accordance with the present version of the invention.  
         [0039]      FIG. 15  is a perspective view of a batter ready to swing the bat after said ball has slid off said bat and is located in mid-air in accordance with the present version of the invention.  
         [0040]      FIG. 16  is a perspective view of a batter striking the ball with the bat in accordance with the present version of the invention.  
         [0041]      FIG. 17  is a perspective view of a batter sliding the ball along the bat until said ball makes contact with the ball stop after said batter has placed said ball on said bat in accordance with the present version of the invention.  
         [0042]      FIG. 18  is a perspective view of the ball flung off the bat by the batter toward the playing field in accordance with the present version of the invention. 
     
    
     DRAWING REFERENCE NUMERALS  
       [0043]     The following table lists the drawing reference numerals with a brief description of each identifying numeral.  
                                                       10   Baseball Bat, First Embodiment           12   Cylindrical Member           14   Hitting End           16   Handle End           22   Ball Stop           24   Baseball Bat, Second Embodiment           26   Cylindrical Member           28   Hitting End           30   Handle End           36   First Section of Tapered Bat           38   Second Section of Tapered Bat           40   Junction           42   Ball with Single Bore           44   Bore           46   Ball with Double Bore           48   Bore           50   Bore           52   Ball with Single Bore           54   Bore           56   Ball with Double Bore           58   Bore           60   Bore           62   Player           64   Hand                      
 
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0044]     Referring now to the drawings and, in particular, to  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2  wherein there are illustrated a first embodiment of the baseball bat  10 . The present vision of the invention  10  consists of an elongate, cylindrical member  12  having a handle end  16  and an opposing hitting end  14 . A ball stop  22  is located on the cylindrical member  12  at a ball stop position between the handle end  16  and the hitting end  14 .  
         [0045]     In one embodiment, the ball stop  22  is made of an elastic material similar to a rubber o-ring or a rubber band so that said ball stop  22  can be repositioned at various positions along the cylindrical member  12  and retain said position thereon by frictionally engaging the outer surface of the cylindrical member  12 . The ball stop  22  can be repositioned as desired to optimize placement along the cylindrical member  12 .  
         [0046]     In another embodiment, the ball stop  22  is integral to bat  10  where the ball stop  22  is molded, formed, turned by lathe or otherwise permanently integrated at a fixed position onto the cylindrical member  12 .  
         [0047]     In one embodiment of the invention the bat  10  is approximately 32 inches in length. The cylindrical member  12  has a diameter of approximately 1.625 inches. The ball stop  22  functions to check the sliding motion of a ball when said ball having a central bore therethrough is fitted upon the cylindrical member  12 . A preferred position of the ball stop  22  along the cylindrical member  12  is at a location approximately 24 inches along the cylindrical member  12  with the range of said measurement beginning at the hitting end  14 .  
         [0048]     Referring to  FIG. 3  and  FIG. 4 , therein illustrated is the bat  10  without the ball stop  22  upon the cylindrical member  12 . In this example, a ball with a central bore therethrough can slide unimpeded from the hitting end  14  to the opposed handle end  16  of the cylindrical member  12 .  
         [0049]     In  FIG. 5  and  FIG. 6 , a second embodiment of the bat  24  is illustrated. The bat  24  is comprised of an elongate, substantially cylindrical member  26  having hitting end  28  and an opposing handle end  30 . The cylindrical member  26  is further comprised of a first section  36  and a second section  38 , said sections  36  and  38  meeting at junction  40 . More particularly, the first section  36  of the cylindrical member  26  tapers from a narrower diameter at the hitting end  28  to a wider diameter at junction  40  with the second section  38 , and the second section  38  tapers from a narrower diameter at the handle end  30  thereof to a wider diameter at junction  40  with the first section  36 .  
         [0050]     In one embodiment of the invention the bat  24  is approximately 32 inches in length. The cylindrical member  26  has a narrow taper diameter at opposed hitting end  28  and handle ends  30  thereof and a wider taper diameter at said junction  40  of first  36  and second  38  sections thereof. In one embodiment, the narrower taper diameter is approximately 1.625 inches and the wider taper diameter is approximately 1.875 inches. Each section  36  and  38  tapers along a generally continuous incline from the narrow taper diameter at the respective hitting end  28  and handle end  30  to the wider taper diameter at said junction  40 . In one embodiment, the junction  40  is located approximately 18 inches from the tip of the hitting end  28 . The junction  40  functions as a ball stop when a ball having a central bore therethrough is fitted upon the cylindrical member  26 .  
         [0051]     The bats  10  and  24  are comprised of material that is lightweight, rigid, and resistant to oxidation and corrosion, such as hard plastic, wood, non-ferrous metals, various composite materials, and the like.  
         [0052]     A first embodiment of a ball  42  intended for use with the bats  10 ,  24  is illustrated in  FIG. 7  and  FIG. 8 . A substantially circular bore  44  extends through the baseball  42  along the widest diameter thereof. The diameter of the bore  44  is somewhat larger than the overall diameter of the cylindrical member  12  of the first embodiment of the bat  10  and less than the diameter of the ball stop  22 . When used in conjunction with the second embodiment of the bat  24 , the diameter of the bore  44  is somewhat larger than the overall diameter of the cylindrical member  26  at the hitting end  28  of the second embodiment of the bat  24  and less than the diameter of the junction  40  of first  36  and second  38  sections thereof.  
         [0053]     Typical dimensions for the first embodiment of the ball  42  are such that the ball  42  has an outer diameter of approximately 3.5 inches, and the bore  44  has a diameter of approximately 1.75 inches.  
         [0054]     A second embodiment of the ball  46  is illustrated in  FIG. 9 . A first substantially circular bore  48  extends through the ball  42  along the widest diameter thereof, and a second substantially circular bore  50  extends through the ball  42  along the widest diameter thereof in generally orthogonal relation to the axis of the first circular bore  48 .  
         [0055]     The diameter of the bores  48 ,  50  is somewhat larger than the overall diameter of the cylindrical member  12  of the first embodiment of the bat  10 . When used in conjunction with the second embodiment of the bat  24 , the diameter of the bores  48 ,  50  is somewhat larger than the overall diameter of the cylindrical member  26  at the hitting end  28  of the second embodiment of the bat  24  and less than the diameter of the junction  40  of first  36  and second  38  sections thereof.  
         [0056]     Typical dimensions for the second embodiment of the ball  46  are such that the ball  46  has an outer diameter of approximately 3.5 inches, and the bores  48 ,  50  have a diameter of approximately 1.75 inches.  
         [0057]     A third embodiment of the ball  52  is illustrated in  FIG. 10  and  FIG. 11 . A substantially circular bore  54  extends through the ball  52  along the widest diameter thereof. The diameter of the bore  54  is somewhat larger than the overall diameter of the cylindrical member  12  of the first embodiment of the bat  10 . When used in conjunction with the second embodiment of the bat  24 , the diameter of the bore  54  is somewhat larger than the overall diameter of the cylindrical member  26  at the hitting end  28  of the second embodiment of the bat  24  and less than the diameter of the junction  40  of first  36  and second  38  sections thereof.  
         [0058]     Typical dimensions for the third embodiment of the ball  52  are such that the ball  52  has an outer diameter of approximately 2.75 inches, and the bore  54  has a diameter of approximately 1.75 inches.  
         [0059]     A fourth embodiment of the baseball  56  is illustrated in  FIG. 12 . A first substantially circular bore  58  extends through the baseball  56  along the widest diameter thereof, and a second substantially circular bore  60  extends through the baseball  56  along the widest diameter thereof in orthogonal relation to the axis of the first circular bore  58 . The diameter of the bores  58 ,  60  is somewhat larger than the overall diameter of the cylindrical member  12  of the first embodiment of the bat  10 . When used in conjunction with the second embodiment of the bat  24 , the diameter of the bores  58 ,  60  is somewhat larger than the overall diameter of the cylindrical member  26  at the hitting end  28  of the second embodiment of the bat  24  and less than the diameter of the junction  40  of first  36  and second  38  sections thereof.  
         [0060]     Typical dimensions for the fourth embodiment of the ball  56  are such that the ball  56  has an outer diameter of approximately 2.75 inches, and the bores  58 ,  60  have a diameter of approximately 1.75 inches.  
         [0061]     The baseballs  42 ,  46 ,  52 ,  56  are constructed of material that is rigid and having a relatively high molecular weight to absorb impacts, such as certain plastic and composite materials.  
         [0062]     Referring now to  FIG. 13  through  FIG. 16  therein are illustrated a first method of delivering a ball  42  into field of play using the bat  10 . In  FIG. 13 , the ball  42  with one bore  44  is situated upon a ground surface with the bore  44  aligned upwardly from the ground surface. A batter  62  grasps the bat  10  upon the cylindrical member  12  at the handle end  16  thereof with both hands  64  and directs the hitting end  14  of the bat  10  toward the bore  44  of the ball  42 . The batter  62  then inserts the bat  10  at the hitting end  14  of the cylindrical member  12  into the bore  44  of the ball  42  so that the cylindrical member  12  substantially occupies the bore  44 . If necessary, the batter  62  can use one of the balls  46 ,  56  with two bores in order to facilitate the positioning of a ball  46 ,  56  upon the ground surface so that the cylindrical member  12  of the bat  10  can be more easily inserted into respective bores  48 ,  50 ,  58 ,  60  since the additional bore adds an additional insertion point. Alternatively, the ball  42  can be placed on the bat  10  by hand where the batter holds the ball  42  and manually fits the bore  44  of the ball  42  onto the hitting end  14  of the bat  10 .  
         [0063]     As illustrated in  FIG. 14 , the batter  62  raises the hitting end  14  of the bat  10  above the ground so that the ball  42 , situated upon the bat  10  with the bore  44  thereof receiving a portion of the cylindrical member  12 , can slide along the portion of the cylindrical member  12  between the hitting end  14  thereof and the ball stop  22  and toward the ball stop  22 . The batter  62  manipulates the bat  10  in various positions or configurations, such as slightly dropping the hitting end  14  of the cylindrical member  12  or rotating the bat  10  to cause the ball  42  to slide along the cylindrical member  12  and away from the ball stop  22  so that the ball  42  eventually slides off and becomes separated from the bat  10 . A rapid rotation of the bat  10  about a center of rotation near the handle end  16  of the bat  10  where that hitting end  14  is rapidly rotated, or flipped, in an upward motion serves to separate the ball  42  from the bat  10  such that that ball  42  slides off of the hitting end  14  of the bat  10  and is propelled upward in from of the batter  62 . As shown in  FIG. 15 , the ball  42  is separated from the bat  10  in mid-air at a position where the ball  42  would otherwise be over home plate if the ball  42  were being thrown to the batter  62  by a pitcher. The batter  62  then quickly swings the bat  10  back upon one shoulder to assume a familiar hitting stance. As shown in  FIG. 16 , the batter  62  swings the bat  10  toward the ball  42  so that the bat  10  strikes the ball  42  upon the cylindrical member  12  proximate to the hitting end  14  thereof.  
         [0064]     A second method of delivering a ball  42  into field of play using the bat  10  is illustrated in  FIG. 17  and  FIG. 18 . In  FIG. 17 , the ball  42  is located upon the bat  10  by either means previously described—either by inserting the bat  10  into the bore  44  of the ball  42  while the ball  42  if situated on the ground or by manually placing the ball  42  on the bat  10 . The batter  62  then swings the bat  10  using centrifugal force to urge the ball  42  away from the ball stop  22  and to slide the ball  42  off the bat  10 . As the ball  42  slides along the bat  10  as said bat  10  is being swung or rotated toward the field of play, forward energy is imparted upon the ball  42  so that said ball  42  is hurtled or flung toward the field of play at a particular velocity. The velocity and direction of the ball  42  can be controlled by a combination of placing the ball at a particular location upon the bat, said location adjusted by repositioning the ball stop  22  upon the cylindrical member  12 , and adjusting the speed and force at which the bat  10  is swung. For instance, the ball stop  22  can be located upon the cylindrical member  12  toward the handle end  16  so that the ball  42  will travel farther down the cylindrical member  12  of the bat  10 . With the ball  42  located relatively far down the cylindrical member  12  of the bat  10  from the first end  14  thereof, a greater degree of force is imparted upon the ball  42  when the bat  10  is swung so that said ball  42  leaves the bat  10  at greater velocity than if the ball  42  were located at a position proximate to the hitting end  14  of the cylindrical member  12  of the bat  10 . Similarly, the swing of the bat  10  can be manipulated to control the location at which the ball  42  becomes separated from the bat  10  at a particular point of arc during the swing of the bat  10 . In this manner, the ball  42  can be directed, or otherwise “pointed” toward a particular area in field of play, such as first base, third base, left field, or right field; or in a particular manner of play, such as a ground ball, or fly ball.  
         [0065]     Using the aforementioned methods of play, the batter  62  using said bat  10  and ball  42  can deliver the ball  42  to the field of play without the necessity of having a pitcher throw the ball toward the batter  62 .  
         [0066]     In the second embodiment of the bat  24 , the junction  40  of first  36  and second  38  sections of the cylindrical member  26  functions in a similar manner as the ball stop  22  of the first embodiment of the bat  10 , i.e., controlling movement and location of the ball  42  upon the cylindrical member  26  of the bat  24  to produce desired velocity and direction of the ball  42  as said ball  42  becomes separated from the cylindrical member  26  of the bat  24 . The  
         [0067]     While this version of the invention has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and foregoing description, the same is to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive in character, it being understood that only the preferred embodiments have been shown and described and that all changes and modifications that come within the spirit of the version of the invention are desired to be protected.  
         [0068]     For instance, alternate versions of first  10  and second  24  embodiments of the bat can be provided with various lengths and diameters, such as a length of approximately 44 inches for older and more experienced batters  62 . With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, to include variations in sizes, lengths, diameters, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by the present invention. The bat and ball may be taken as representative of baseball, softball, whiffle ball or cricket in addition to any other forms of recreation involving a bat and a ball.  
         [0069]     From the foregoing, it will be understood by persons skilled in the art that an improved bat and ball and method of delivering the ball to field of play has been provided. The invention is relatively simple and easy to manufacture, yet affords a variety of uses. While my description contains much specificity, these should not be construed as limitations on the scope of the version of the invention, but rather as an exemplification of the preferred embodiments thereof. The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.  
         [0070]     Although this invention has been described in its preferred form with a certain degree of particularity, it is understood that the present disclosure of the preferred form has been made only by way of example and numerous changes in the details of construction and combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.