Baseball bat

1. A bat comprising:

a body comprising a first material, the body defining an exterior surface with a top end and a bottom end;

a barrel portion having a barrel cross-section with a substantially circular perimeter that defines a center point;

the barrel cross-section defining a longitudinal axis substantially perpendicular to the barrel cross-section, the longitudinal axis intersecting and extending through the exterior surface, near the top and bottom ends, at respective upper and lower intersection points, and otherwise within the exterior surface, the lower intersection point located outside the bottom end of the body;

a handle portion that includes the bottom end;

the handle portion defining a maximum forward distance, measured along a first line perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, from a first point on the longitudinal axis to a first location on the exterior surface of the handle portion that is farthest forward of the longitudinal axis;

the handle portion defining a maximum rearward distance, measured along a second line perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, from a second point on the longitudinal axis to a second location on the exterior surface of the handle portion that is farthest rearward of the longitudinal axis;

the handle portion also having an asymmetrically flared region extending from an upper boundary to a lower boundary, the upper boundary being more proximate the top end and the lower boundary being more proximate the bottom end;

the asymmetrically flared region defining a non-circular cross-section perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, the non-circular cross-section having a major axis; and

portions of the exterior surface, in the asymmetrically flared region, defining a front edge and a rear edge, wherein the distance from the longitudinal axis to the front edge, measured along respective lines perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, is greater than the distance from the longitudinal axis to the rear edge, for each point of the longitudinal axis throughout the asymmetrically flared region.

2. The bat of claim 1 , wherein the handle portion comprises plastic.

3. The bat of claim 1 , wherein the major axis increases continuously throughout the flared region, from the upper boundary to the lower boundary.

4. The bat of claim 1 , wherein the handle portion has a region with at least one cross-section that defines a substantially circular perimeter thereof.

5. The bat of claim 1 , wherein the distance from the longitudinal axis to the front edge is not less than the distance from the longitudinal axis to the rear edge, for each point of the longitudinal axis that is within the flared region.

6. The bat of claim 1 , wherein the non-circular cross-section defines a perimeter having an oblong shape.

7. The bat of claim 1 , wherein the distance from the upper boundary to the lower boundary of the flared region occupies at least 2 inches, measured along the longitudinal axis.

8. A bat comprising:

a body defining an exterior surface with a top end and a bottom end;

a barrel portion having a barrel cross-section with a substantially circular perimeter that defines a center point;

the barrel cross-section defining a longitudinal axis substantially perpendicular to the barrel cross-section, the longitudinal axis intersecting the barrel cross-section at approximately the center point, the longitudinal axis intersecting and extending through an upper intersection point of the exterior surface at or near the top end and extending through a lower intersection point of the exterior surface near the bottom end;

a handle portion that includes the bottom end, the handle portion having a handle component;

the handle portion defining a maximum forward distance, measured along a first line perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, from a first point on the longitudinal axis to a first location on the exterior surface of the handle portion that is farthest forward of the longitudinal axis;

the handle portion defining a maximum rearward distance, measured along a second line perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, from a second point on the longitudinal axis to a second location on the exterior surface of the handle portion that is farthest rearward of the longitudinal axis;

the handle portion having a region with at least one cross-section that defines a substantially circular perimeter thereof;

the handle portion also having an asymmetrically flared region extending from an upper boundary to a lower boundary, the upper boundary being more proximate the top end and the lower boundary being more proximate the bottom end;

the asymmetrically flared region defining a non-circular cross-section perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, the non-circular cross-section having a major axis;

portions of the exterior surface, in the asymmetrically flared region, defining a front edge and a rear edge, wherein the distance from the longitudinal axis to the front edge, measured along respective lines perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, is greater than the distance from the longitudinal axis to the rear edge, for each point of the longitudinal axis throughout the asymmetrically flared region; and

at least one point of the longitudinal axis, in the asymmetrically flared region, corresponding to a non-circular cross-section having a perimeter that defines an oblong shape.

9. The bat of claim 8 , wherein the major axis increases continuously throughout the asymmetrically flared region, from the upper boundary to the lower boundary.

10. The bat of claim 8 , wherein the handle portion comprises plastic.

11. The bat of claim 8 , wherein the distance from the upper boundary to the lower boundary of the asymmetrically flared region occupies at least 2 inches, measured along the longitudinal axis.

12. The bat of claim 8 , wherein the body comprises metal.