Sam Bat, officially The Original Maple Bat Corporation, is a Canadian company based in the town of Carleton Place, Ontario that manufactures baseball bats.[1] It was the first company to supply baseball bats manufactured from maple wood to professional baseball players.[2] As of 2013, it is one of 32 licensed baseball bat suppliers for Major League Baseball (MLB) and Minor League Baseball (MiLB) players.[3] It is also a bat supplier for baseball leagues throughout the world, including Germany, Japan, Korea, Italy, Mexico, and the Netherlands. It is the official bat manufacturer for the Australian Baseball League.
The company was founded in 1997 by Sam Holman, who manufactured bats in his garage at the company's inception.[1] Its president is Arlene Anderson, who with her husband Jim and investor Paul Balharrie acquired shares in the company in 2008.
After spring training in 1996, Holman's friend Bill Mackenzie, who was working as an MLB baseball scout for the Colorado Rockies,[5] told him that baseball bats were breaking too frequently,[1] asking Holman if he could "do something about it".[4] Holman read about the physics of baseball and researched baseball bat patents.[6] After some trials with ironwood,[7] he eventually settled on using maple wood, which has greater density than the traditional ash wood, to manufacture bats.[4]
Holman established the company with financing from his sister in 1997[9] following the successful trial of his bats by the Toronto Blue Jays.[1] Carter used a Sam Bat, which was not officially licensed by MLB at the time, by sneaking it into a game during the 1997 season,[10] hitting a home run in one of his at-bats.[5] He became the company's first MLB client.[11] In 1998, MLB approved the maple bat for use in games, and Sam Bat became an authorized licensee of MLB.[9]
Holman continued to manufacture baseball bats in a workshop at his home until opening a 29,000-square-foot (2,700m2) factory on a 2-acre (8,100m2) site in Gatineau in late 2001.[4][12][13] In November 2011, the company moved to North Industrial Park in Carleton Place.[7]
The company does not disclose the source of wood for its bats, neither supplier nor region.[1] In the past, it has sourced its wood from a supplier in the Catskill Mountains.[8] The bats it manufactures are made from Acer saccharum, also known as rock maple or sugar maple.[1] The company purchases veneer-grade cylindrical billets having 8% moisture weighing between 4.9 to 6 pounds (2.2 to 2.7kg).[14] The billets are sorted by weight after being weighed "to the thousandth ounce", and the slope of the grain is visually graded; billets with the straightest grain are reserved for MLB players.[14]
Each bat model can be manufactured using billets in a small range of weights (for example, the bat manufactured for Miguel Cabrera is made from billets between 5.380 to 5.420 pounds (2.440 to 2.458kg), usually 5.400 pounds (2.449kg)).[14] After a final visual inspection, it is mounted into a wood tracer lathe, which in up to four minutes shapes the billet to match a template, leaving sufficient material for sanding.[14] The bat's handle and barrel are then measured with a caliper to ensure it meets the template's specifications, and for models that require it, the end of the barrel is cupped (a small indentation is carved into the head of the barrel to shift the bat's centre of gravity toward the handle).[14] The superfluous ends are cut off, and it is then mounted into a sanding lathe, which smooths the bat to its desired weight.[14]
A drop of ink is placed about 12 inches (30cm) from the base of the handle, and follows the wood's grain.[14] The path it follows is measured with a protractor using a magnifying glass, and those diverging by more than 3° are rejected.[14] This "ink-dot test" is required by Major League Baseball to ensure bats used in MLB games are less prone to break.[14] Microscopic scratches are smoothed, the bat is painted to the specifications defined by the player for whom it was produced, and the player's name and bat model are laser engraved on the barrel.[14] Each bat is labelled with the logo of a bat and the term "Rideau Crusher", a reference to the nearby Rideau Canal.[4] It is finished with a coat of varnish and dried overnight before being shipped with silica gel, a desiccant that controls humidity to ensure the moisture in the bat does not change.[14]
In 2006, Holman listed the company for sale on eBay for $3.5 million,[10] citing his age and that the company was underfunded.[17] In addition to the factory, machinery, and kilns, he advertised the company's patents and a "client list of the world's top hitters in baseball".[17] At the time, the company had nine employees, produced about 17,000 bats a year generating sales of US$1.3 million ($2 million in 2023), with about 150 Major League Baseball hitters as clients.[17]
Holman did not expect any bids from the listing, which he used partly as a means to advertise the sale of his business.[13] This also provided Holman some time to find investors.[18] Three of five parties that eventually contacted him about purchasing the business learned of it as a result of the eBay listing.[13] In 2007, Paul Balharrie,[12] and husband and wife Arlene and Jim Anderson bought shares in the company.[19] The Andersons own 50% of the company,[7] and Arlene Anderson became the company's president.[16]
Bonds worried that his bat supply may no longer be guaranteed, wrote a cheque for $40,000 to assure delivery of 80 bats during the season.[10] This stabilised the company's finances, enabling it to buy wood it needed to manufacture the bats.[10]
Legacy
Initially, Sam Bat was the only company producing maple baseball bats for use in professional and amateur games. With its success, by 2006 there were 30 companies that had developed maple baseball bats to compete with Sam Bat.[17]
The company now earns 85% of its revenue from international markets, including France, Germany, Japan, Korea, Italy, Mexico, and the Netherlands.[6][20] It is the official bat manufacturer for the Australian Baseball League.[20]
Barry Lamar Bonds is an American former professional baseball left fielder who played 22 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). Bonds was a member of the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1986 to 1992 and the San Francisco Giants from 1993 to 2007. He is considered to be one of the greatest baseball players of all time.
In baseball statistics, slugging percentage (SLG) is a measure of the batting productivity of a hitter. It is calculated as total bases divided by at-bats, through the following formula, where AB is the number of at-bats for a given player, and 1B, 2B, 3B, and HR are the number of singles, doubles, triples, and home runs, respectively:
Matthew Wade Stairs is a Canadian former professional baseball outfielder, first baseman, and designated hitter, who holds the record for most pinch-hit home runs in Major League Baseball (MLB) history with 23. His pinch-hit home run in the eighth inning of Game 4 in the 2008 National League Championship Series off the Los Angeles Dodgers reliever Jonathan Broxton was called "one of the most memorable home runs in Phillies history".
Joseph Chris Carter is an American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as an outfielder and first baseman for the Chicago Cubs, Cleveland Indians, San Diego Padres, Toronto Blue Jays, Baltimore Orioles, and San Francisco Giants. Carter hit a walk-off home run to win the 1993 World Series for the Blue Jays, their second consecutive championship. Carter is one of only two players to end a World Series with a home run, the other being Bill Mazeroski.
Brady Kevin Anderson is an American former baseball outfielder and executive who played 15 seasons in Major League Baseball (1988–2002) for the Boston Red Sox, Baltimore Orioles and Cleveland Indians. He spent the majority of his career as a center fielder and leadoff hitter for the Orioles in the 1990s, where he was a three-time All Star, and, in 1996, became the 15th player in major league history to hit 50 home runs in one season. Anderson bats and throws left-handed, stands 6 feet 1 inch (1.85 m) tall, and weighs 199 pounds (90 kg).
Larry Kenneth Robert Walker is a Canadian former professional baseball right fielder. During his 17-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career, he played with the Montreal Expos, Colorado Rockies, and St. Louis Cardinals. In 1997, he became the only player in major league history to register both a .700 slugging percentage (SLG) and 30 stolen bases in the same season, on his way to winning the National League (NL) Most Valuable Player Award (MVP). The first player in more than 60 years to record a batting average of .360 in three consecutive seasons from 1997 to 1999, Walker also won three NL batting championships. He was inducted into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame in 2007, and the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in the Class of 2009, and was named the 13th-greatest sporting figure from Canada by Sports Illustrated in 1999. In 2020, he was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Mike Mitchell Goliat was an American professional baseball second baseman, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Philadelphia Phillies (1949–51) and St. Louis Browns (1951–52). He batted and threw right-handed, and was listed at 6 feet (1.8 m) tall and 180 pounds (82 kg).
A baseball bat is a smooth wooden or metal club used in the sport of baseball to hit the ball after it is thrown by the pitcher. By regulation it may be no more than 2.75 inches (7.0 cm) in diameter at the thickest part and no more than 42 inches (1.067 m) in length. Although historically bats approaching 3 pounds (1.4 kg) were swung, today bats of 33 ounces (0.94 kg) are common, topping out at 34 to 36 ounces.
José Antonio Bautista Santos, nicknamed "Joey Bats", is a Dominican former professional baseball right fielder and third baseman who played 15 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), primarily for the Toronto Blue Jays. Bautista also played for Baltimore Orioles, Tampa Bay Devil Rays, Kansas City Royals, Pittsburgh Pirates, Atlanta Braves, New York Mets, and Philadelphia Phillies.
Hillerich & Bradsby Company (H&B) is an American manufacturing company located in Louisville, Kentucky that produces baseball bats for Wilson Sporting Goods, which commercializes them under the "Louisville Slugger" brand.
Kurt Harold Ainsworth is an American former professional baseball pitcher. His wife is named Angie. He has four kids: Kaylyn, Alex, Ryan, and Lucy Ainsworth. He played for the San Francisco Giants and Baltimore Orioles of Major League Baseball (MLB) and went to Louisiana State University. Ainsworth also won an Olympic Games gold medal with the United States national baseball team at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney. Following his professional baseball career, Ainsworth co-founded Marucci Sports and currently serves as the company's CEO.
The Toronto Maple Leafs were a high-level minor league baseball club located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, which played from 1896 to 1967.
Goodwin George Rosen was a Canadian professional baseball outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) before and after World War II for the Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Giants. He batted and threw left-handed.
Acer is a genus of trees and shrubs commonly known as maples. The genus is placed in the soapberry family, Sapindaceae, along with lychee and horse chestnut. There are approximately 132 species, most of which are native to Asia, with a number also appearing in Europe, northern Africa, and North America. Only one species, Acer laurinum, extends to the Southern Hemisphere. The type species of the genus is the sycamore maple, Acer pseudoplatanus, the most common maple species in Europe. Maples usually have easily recognizable palmate leaves and distinctive winged fruits. The closest relatives of the maples are the horse chestnuts. Maple syrup is made from the sap of some maple species. It is one of the most common genera of trees in Asia. Many maple species are grown in gardens where they are valued for their autumn colour.
Jay Allen Bruce is an American former professional baseball right fielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Cincinnati Reds, New York Mets, Cleveland Indians, Seattle Mariners, Philadelphia Phillies and New York Yankees. The Reds drafted Bruce in the first round, 12th overall pick, of the 2005 Major League Baseball draft; he made his MLB debut in 2008. Bruce was named an All-Star three times during his career, and won the Silver Slugger Award twice.
Marucci Sports is an American sports equipment manufacturing company based in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. It focuses on baseball equipment, specifically producing bats, balls, gloves, batting gloves, batting helmets, and chest protectors.
Charles Lemoine Thompson was an American professional baseball player and catcher in the Major Leagues. He appeared in 187 games over all or parts of four seasons for the Brooklyn Dodgers, Kansas City Athletics, and Detroit Tigers.
David Donald Dillard was an American professional baseball player. The outfielder appeared in six Major League seasons and 272 total games played for the Cleveland Indians (1959–62) and Milwaukee Braves. He batted left-handed, threw right-handed, stood 6 feet 1 inch (1.85 m) tall and weighed 200 pounds (91 kg).
Marcus Allen Knecht is a Canadian professional baseball outfielder for the Toronto Maple Leafs of the Intercounty Baseball League (IBL). Prior to beginning his professional career, he played college baseball at Oklahoma State University and Connors State College. Knecht has also competed for the Canadian national baseball team.
Tyler Alan O'Neill is a Canadian professional baseball outfielder for the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the St. Louis Cardinals. He has represented Canada in international play, winning a gold medal at the 2015 Pan American games. Listed at 5 feet 11 inches (1.80 m) and 210 pounds (95 kg), he throws and bats right-handed.
"Sam Bat". Woodworking Newsletter. Vol.6, no.1. Lee Valley. September 2011. Retrieved 5 February 2017.
Holman, Sam (22 November 2006). "Sam Holman" (Interview). Interviewed by Sasha Nagy. The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 5 February 2017.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
