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Louisville Slugger: Baseball Bats
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Published: May 28, 2007
Almost anyone who played baseball as a youth has heard of (and used) the Louisville Slugger. Manufactured by the Hillerich & Bradsby Company, the well-known bat has been a baseball staple for decades.
The original story claims the first Louisville Slugger baseball bat was created in 1884 by John Bud Hillerich in his father's wood shop, called J.F.
Hillerich, Job Turning. Here, Bud crafted an emergency replacement bat for Louisville Eclipse star player Robert Browning. According to legend, Browning recovered from a slump by getting three hits the next day with his new baseball bat.
Bud took over for his father 10 years later and patented the revised name Louisville Slugger. In 1905, Hillerich and Son paid Hall of Fame hitter Honus Wagner to put his name on one of their bats, a first-of-its-kind marketing move which has since been mirrored by sports superstars Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods. Hillerich & Bradsby have sold over 100 million bats, and over 60 percent of major league players now use the Slugger. Famous users include Baby Ruth, Lou Gehrig and Ty Cobb. Present day stars Derek Jeter and Paul Konerko also swing Louisville Sluggers.
Not long after a fire damaged the original factory, salesman Frank Bradsby came aboard and the name was changed to Hillerich & Bradsby. Bradsby had a love of golf, and the newly renamed company began making golf clubs. Hillerich & Bradsby relocated to Indiana in 1974, but moved headquarters back to Louisville in 1996 and opened the Louisville Slugger Museum and Factory. To this day, professional players come in to have baseball bats custom made and it remains among the most frequented attractions in Kentucky. The building makes its presence known with a 120 foot long baseball bat adorning the side of the building.
Hillerich & Bradsby expanded its products to baseball gloves in 1978, but in 2000 it created the Bionic Glove division. This division creates gloves for all purposes – hockey, gardening, golf, and baseball. In addition to the famous bat, the Louisville Slugger name brands gloves, helmets, equipment bags, and other baseball accessories.
The baseball bat's official website details the performance technology which makes their products durable and superior to competing items. The number 125 in the corner of the logo denotes the grade of wood used in manufacturing; 125 is the highest grade and reserved for professional level baseball. The Louisville Slugger website also provides a catalog of products as well as advice on choosing and taking care of a baseball bat. Aluminum/composite Louisville Sluggers are divided into four categories – Adult/College, Senior League, Youth and Tee-ball – and go by names like Samurai, Warrior and Genesis. The site currently offers almost 40 varieties of wood baseball bats.
H&B remains a family-owned operation: Bud's grandson, John A. Hillerich III, is the current president and CEO. The company has used the Louisville Slugger's popularity for charitable causes. On Mother's Day 2006, H&B made pink baseball bats available to the public as part of the Going To Bat Against Breast Cancer fundraiser. Sales pulled in more than $200,000 that went to breast cancer treatment and screening. The baseball bats are still sold online, with $10 from each bat going to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer foundation.
Sources:
Associated Press. Pink bats are part of fundraiser for cancer foundation. ESPN.com. 10 May 2007. 22 May 2007. http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=243950 2.
Kline, Chris. “Holiday Gift Guide.” Baseball America. 1999-2007. Baseball America, Inc. 1 March 2007. http://www.baseballamerica.com/marketing/holidaygi ftguide/262904.html
Louisville Slugger History. Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory. 2007. 2 March 2007. http://www.sluggermuseum.org/sluggerhistory.aspx.< br />Louisville Slugger since 1884. Hillerich and Bradsby Co. 2006. 5 March 2007. http://www.slugger.com/.
The original story claims the first Louisville Slugger baseball bat was created in 1884 by John Bud Hillerich in his father's wood shop, called J.F.
Related Articles
Bud took over for his father 10 years later and patented the revised name Louisville Slugger. In 1905, Hillerich and Son paid Hall of Fame hitter Honus Wagner to put his name on one of their bats, a first-of-its-kind marketing move which has since been mirrored by sports superstars Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods. Hillerich & Bradsby have sold over 100 million bats, and over 60 percent of major league players now use the Slugger. Famous users include Baby Ruth, Lou Gehrig and Ty Cobb. Present day stars Derek Jeter and Paul Konerko also swing Louisville Sluggers.
Not long after a fire damaged the original factory, salesman Frank Bradsby came aboard and the name was changed to Hillerich & Bradsby. Bradsby had a love of golf, and the newly renamed company began making golf clubs. Hillerich & Bradsby relocated to Indiana in 1974, but moved headquarters back to Louisville in 1996 and opened the Louisville Slugger Museum and Factory. To this day, professional players come in to have baseball bats custom made and it remains among the most frequented attractions in Kentucky. The building makes its presence known with a 120 foot long baseball bat adorning the side of the building.
Hillerich & Bradsby expanded its products to baseball gloves in 1978, but in 2000 it created the Bionic Glove division. This division creates gloves for all purposes – hockey, gardening, golf, and baseball. In addition to the famous bat, the Louisville Slugger name brands gloves, helmets, equipment bags, and other baseball accessories.
The baseball bat's official website details the performance technology which makes their products durable and superior to competing items. The number 125 in the corner of the logo denotes the grade of wood used in manufacturing; 125 is the highest grade and reserved for professional level baseball. The Louisville Slugger website also provides a catalog of products as well as advice on choosing and taking care of a baseball bat. Aluminum/composite Louisville Sluggers are divided into four categories – Adult/College, Senior League, Youth and Tee-ball – and go by names like Samurai, Warrior and Genesis. The site currently offers almost 40 varieties of wood baseball bats.
H&B remains a family-owned operation: Bud's grandson, John A. Hillerich III, is the current president and CEO. The company has used the Louisville Slugger's popularity for charitable causes. On Mother's Day 2006, H&B made pink baseball bats available to the public as part of the Going To Bat Against Breast Cancer fundraiser. Sales pulled in more than $200,000 that went to breast cancer treatment and screening. The baseball bats are still sold online, with $10 from each bat going to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer foundation.
Sources:
Associated Press. Pink bats are part of fundraiser for cancer foundation. ESPN.com. 10 May 2007. 22 May 2007. http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=243950 2.
Kline, Chris. “Holiday Gift Guide.” Baseball America. 1999-2007. Baseball America, Inc. 1 March 2007. http://www.baseballamerica.com/marketing/holidaygi ftguide/262904.html
Louisville Slugger History. Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory. 2007. 2 March 2007. http://www.sluggermuseum.org/sluggerhistory.aspx.< br />Louisville Slugger since 1884. Hillerich and Bradsby Co. 2006. 5 March 2007. http://www.slugger.com/.
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