Sports ball, bat, and associated methods

Abstract

A sports ball for use in baseball-type games includes a hollow, substantially spherical plastic ball that has a plurality of substantially planar, intersecting regions covering an outer surface thereof. Preferably the ball also has a weight that is substantially less than a weight of a regulation baseball, for enhancing safety in use. The sports system further includes a bat for use with the ball, or with any similar ball, preferably a plastic ball. The bat is a hollow, elongated member that has a handle portion adjacent a bottom end and a barrel portion between the handle portion and a top end. The bat further has a sheath surrounding at least a portion of the barrel portion. The sheath has a coefficient of friction higher than a coefficient of friction of a surface of the barrel portion, for imparting “traction” to a struck ball.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of playing a baseball game comprising:
 throwing a plastic baseball, the plastic baseball including a hollow plastic shell, an outer surface of the shell being composed of a plurality of solid planar surfaces such that all boundaries between the plurality of solid planar surfaces form convex intersections and a number and arrangement of the plurality of solid planar surfaces being sufficient to allow the plastic baseball to bounce and rebound predictably like a spherical ball;   wherein throwing the plastic baseball includes imparting a spin thereto such the plastic baseball curves during flight.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the plastic baseball is thrown with spin such that, for a given hardness of the throw, the plastic baseball curves more than a regulation baseball. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the plastic baseball is thrown with spin such that the plastic baseball rises during flight. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein every one of the plurality of solid planar surfaces is bounded by at least another four of the plurality of solid planar surfaces. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein there are more than 50 solid planar surfaces. 
     
     
         6 . The method of claim, wherein the plastic baseball is thrown toward a batter. 
     
     
         7 . A method of enhancing the curve characteristics of a plastic baseball, the method comprising:
 forming the plastic baseball from a hollow plastic shell composed of a plurality of solid planar surfaces such that all boundaries between the plurality of solid planar surfaces are convex intersections.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein every one of the plurality of solid planar surfaces is bounded by at least another four of the plurality of solid planar surfaces. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein a number and arrangement of the plurality of solid planar surfaces is sufficient to allow the plastic baseball to bounce and rebound predictably like a spherical ball. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the plastic baseball is formed to be lighter than a regulation baseball. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein a number and arrangement of the plurality of solid planar surfaces is sufficient to allow the plastic baseball to curve more than a regulation baseball for a given spin and hardness of throw. 
     
     
         12 . A plastic baseball comprising:
 a hollow plastic shell, an outer surface of the shell being composed of a plurality of solid planar surfaces such that all boundaries between the plurality of solid planar surfaces form convex intersections and a number and arrangement of the plurality of solid planar surfaces being sufficient to allow the plastic baseball to bounce and rebound predictably like a spherical ball;   wherein every one of the plurality of solid planar surfaces is bounded by at least another four of the plurality of solid planar surfaces;   wherein there are more than 50 of the plurality of solid planar surfaces and a number and arrangement of the plurality of solid planar surfaces is sufficient to allow the plastic baseball to bounce and rebound predictably like a spherical ball.   
     
     
         13 . The plastic baseball of  claim 12 , wherein the plastic baseball is lighter than a regulation baseball. 
     
     
         14 . The plastic baseball of  claim 13 , wherein the number and arrangement of the plurality of solid planar surfaces is sufficient to allow the plastic baseball to curve more than a regulation baseball for a given spin and hardness of throw.