40 years ago. (Pastimes).

February 1962: At the recent meeting of the Magnesium Association, a "break-through" for magnesium was announced -- it occurred in an unusual field, the baseball park, to be precise.... Having already undergone "pilot-plant" trials by selected "researchers" on major league teams, the [plastic-covered magnesium] bat is said to be highly satisfactory. In the language of the usual laboratory report, "It was found that the new design of ball propulsion device could be operated in much the same manner as the conventional wooden model. Furthermore, ...