When did metal bats start?

Some of you "old-timers" like me, about what year do you recall as the beginning of the metal bat era?

I believe it was somewhere in the range of 1972-74. At my HS as a freshman in 1974 we had both wood & metal bats. I have a brother who was a HS senior in 1971 and it was all wood at that time.

 

correct

Metal bat era began in 1972 or thereabouts.

 

I

was as sr in 1977 and it was all wood then. The next year in 78 metal bats were allowed. Now maybe other places in the state had them before 77 but I didn't see any of them while I was playing. But in 78 I did see them being used.

 

link

http://www.dtmba.com/history.html

 

thanks Coach 27

I recall you commenting about this before. I too was a sr. in 1977 & played at South Johnston HS 1974-77. I definitely recall having aluminum bats in 1976 & '77. Don't recall the brands, but I remember the colors. We had a few "silver" bats and one "gold" bat. And in those early years we kept a few wooden bats in stock for use if anyone desired.
I can't recall for sure about the bats in 1974 & '75.

 

I seem to remember that the first aluminum bats to come out were really heavy.

 

I guess

we were just behind of the times then.

 

We were alluminum beginning my Jr season in '74 . Our "bat bag" was 2 big old bats, just big chunks of green metal ( no fancy markings ) ... and they were heavy, made the old Nellie Fox model look sleak. Just choke up and hold on ...

 

Everbody at my HS was still using wood in 78. Never picked up aluminum until 80 and it was an Easton, really only reason I used it was because it was something different. That Easton in 1980 was heavy as hell if you compared it to todays "weapons".

Btw, Im not a oldtimer. But Braves is. He can tell you when they started using wood...