Articles

'America's Pastime' didn't actually originate here in America. In fact there is evidence that can be traced back to some countries of Europe and even Russia as far back as the 1300's of similar type games being played. Baseball can be traced back to the 1700's here in America to informal games that were played much more aggressively with few rules and even fewer rules regulating the equipment that could be used, specifically the bats used for offense. There wasn't just one size or shape. Men used homemade baseball bats that were sometimes long, short, heavy, or even flat. This seemingly simple tool would not be perfected for a while. The first rules of the game set by an organization were implemented in 1845 by the amateur New York Knickerbockers. It was a team that was created as a social club for the upper middle classes of New York City. Alexander Cartwright was the club leader and is the person credited with being the founder of baseball, which is a common misconception to have been Abner Doubleday. The Knickerbockers were the first to play under the 'force out' rules of baseball and could no longer get a base runner out by hitting or 'plugging' him with the ball. In 1859, the rules finally set restrictions on the size of the bat. Baseball bats were now being restricted to 2.5 inches in diameter. Ten years later a rule stating that the length of a baseball bat could not be more than 42 inches was put in place and that rule has remained the same until today. Although, no ballplayers use a bat anywhere near that length when playing in a game. By 1890, the rules involving the size of a baseball bat became much more detailed stating that a bat had to be round and could no longer be sawed off; this was shortly after the first American bat making company opened up shop. Pete Browning was a player on the hometown Louisville baseball team in 1884. Attending one of the local ballgames, then 17 year old John Hillerich, who was a wood worker for his father, watched Browning break his favorite bat in a ballgame. After the game, Hillerich went home to make a replacement bat out of white ash lumber for Browning. The next game Browning went 3 for 3 causing that bat to become known locally as' the Louisville Slugger baseball bat'. Word traveled fast of this new creation and soon after people were paying the father and son wood workers to make more. The Hillerich's started making baseball bats under that growing Louisville Slugger name. Honus Wagner was the first player that was paid to allow his name to be engraved into the bat which is still done today. Their bats have always been high quality and have basically remained the same over time, but are lighter weight and have thinner handles nowadays. Louisville Slugger baseball bat reviews are normally very favorable in comparison to other baseball bat reviews. The 'Louisville Slugger' set the standard for baseball bat makers to follow.