Steel is isotropic, while wood is anisotropic. We can argue about an engineering definition of homogeneity (difficult because the properties of wood can vary widely even within the same species) but the anisotropy of wood is what forces baseball players to take care when stepping up to the plate. If the ball is hit on the wrong side of the bat, the chances of a broken bat are greater because wood is weaker in one direction than another. The bat must be swung so that the ball makes contact with the bat
along the grain, not against the grain.
Fascinating stuff...
link for the geeks:
The effect of wood grain on vibrational modes of a wood bat
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