Part 2: Birth of the Louisville Slugger®

Posted on November 10, 2011 by admin

The announcement that 30-year sporting goods industry veteran Charlie Dunbar joined Estrada Beisbol as Chief Operations Officer (COO) to help market The Hitting Jack-It™ System reminded us once again just how important brands and bats are to our business. Charlie has extensive sales and marketing experience working with many premier brands, especially Louisville Slugger®, “the Official Bat of Major League Baseball (MLB).”

Bud Hillerich’s bats were originally sold under the name “Falls City Slugger” until Bud took over his father’s company in 1894. Then the name “Louisville Slugger®” was registered with the U.S. Patent Office. In 1905, Honus Wagner signed a deal with the
company, becoming the first baseball player to officially endorse a bat.

In 1916, Frank Bradsby, a salesman, became a partner and the company’s name changed to Hillerich and Bradsby. By 1923, H&B was selling more bats than any other bat maker in the country, and legends like Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig were using them.

During World War II, the company produced wooden rifle stocks and billy club nightsticks for the U.S. Army. In 1954, the company purchased Larimer and Norton, Inc., a Pennsylvania lumber company, to ensure a supply of hardwood for their products.

In 1976, the company moved across the Ohio River, to Jeffersonville, Indiana, to take advantage of the railroad line there. In the 1990s, the company returned to Louisville, Kentucky.

Popular Brand Name

Today, the Louisville Slugger® name is attached to numerous sponsorships. The Louisville Bats – the Cincinnati Reds’ Triple A affiliate – play at Louisville Slugger® Field in downtown Louisville. The Louisville Slugger® name is also attached to awards for top power-hitters at both the high school and college levels.

In addition, the Silver Slugger® award is given annually to the Major League Baseball player with the best offensive output in each position. The Louisville Slugger® Batting Champion award is given to the American Legion player with “the highest batting average during national competition.”

Silver Slugger® Award ballots are now in the hands of MLB managers and coaches. Skippers and coaching staffs for each Major League team will select the players they feel are the best offensive producers at each position in both the American and National Leagues in 2011. The award winners will be announced live on the MLB Network at 6 p.m. ET on Wednesday, November 2.

Selections are based on a combination of offensive statistics that include batting average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage, as well as the coaches’ and managers’ general impressions of a player’s overall offensive value. Managers and coaches vote for players in their respective leagues, but are not allowed to vote for players on their own team.

The Silver Slugger® Award was instituted by Louisville Slugger® in 1980 as a natural extension of the Silver Bat Award, which is presented to AL and NL batting champions. These awards are the most prestigious offensive awards in Major League Baseball.

The Louisville Slugger® is now in its 127th year and still going strong as both an effective batting tool and an enduring symbol of the Great American Pastime.

Part I: Louisville Slugger® — Great Bat and Enduring Symbol