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•• VOLUME 3 VOLUME 4 •• NUMBER 3 NUMBER 10
OCTOBER 2003 MARCH 2004
The Louisville Slugger
In 1842 (ironically the same year baseball became a professional sport), Michael Hillerich moved to America from Germany, and settled down in Louisville, Kentucky. His son Frederich owned a wood-turning business. Michael’s other son, John A. “Bud” Hillerich, became an apprentice in his brother’s shop and began learning the family trade. The family earned a good living by making bowling pins, bedposts, handrails, and a variety of decorative ornaments. Like most boys his age, Bud enjoyed going to watch Louisville’s baseball team, for one of the best players in the league was on the team. One day, Bud attended a game when Pete “The Gladiator” Browning broke his favorite bat. In those days, baseball bats were very precious since many players actually made their own bats and usually only owned one. With a game the next day, Browning was very concerned. When the game ended, Bud approached Browning and offered to spin him a new bat at his father’s shop. Desperate for a bat, Browning agreed to let 18-year-old Bud Hillerich make a new bat for him. The two of them went to the shop, and Bud picked out a good piece of wood. As Browning sat and told Bud how he liked his bats, Bud began to spin his first bat ever. In the game the next day, Browning went 3 for 3. Soon Bud found himself receiving orders from several other local players. By 1894, Bud Hillerich was able to obtain a registered trademark for the name on all of his bats— Louisville Slugger. Now all of his bats had that name engraved in them, along with his trademark signature of the player for whom the bat was made. For the first time, players could easily determine which bat was theirs. Many great ball players began to use only Hillerich’s bats. One of those players was Honus Wagner. When Wagner left Louisville to play for Pittsburgh, the two kept in touch and maintained their friendship. In 1905, Honus Wagner signed a contract with Hillerich which allowed him to use Wagner’s signature on baseball bats to be sold in stores. Honus Wagner became the first professional athlete to receive endorsement money by allowing the use of his name on a product. The popularity of the Louisville Slugger continued to grow, and today, the Louisville Slugger is the official bat of Major League Baseball. Sixty percent of pro players use this bat, using an average of 100 bats per season.
Take me out to the ball game…
Baseball is a favorite American pastime, partially because you never know what will happen—even in the World Series. Heroes and hams, pride and politics—it’s all part of the game we call baseball. • Short promotion amuses Browns fans, 1951 St. Louis Browns’ owner Bill Veeck shocked the baseball world when he signed midget Eddie Gaedel and sent him to the plate in the first inning of the nightcap of a doubleheader against Detroit. Gaedel, wearing uniform No. 1/8, walked on four pitches, trotted to first and left for a pinch runner. • Too much pine tar, umpires rule, 1983 George Brett’s two-run, ninth-inning homer off Goose Gossage, apparently giving Kansas City a 5-4 win at Yankee Stadium, was wiped out by umpires who ruled he had too much pine tar on his bat, thus making it illegal. Brett’s tirade was recorded for posterity and officials eventually overruled the decision, resulting in a Royals’ victory. • Disco Demolition Night goes awry, 1979 White Sox owner Bill Veeck watched helplessly as his Disco Demolition Night promotion turned into an out-of-control bonfire and riotous romp for unruly fans at Comiskey Park, forcing the White Sox to forfeit the second game of a doubleheader against Detroit. • Earthquake interrupts World Series, 1989 Just moments before the start of World Series Game 3 between San Francisco and Oakland, an earthquake measuring 7.1 on the Richter scale rocked Candlestick Park, a phenomenon that caused death and destruction in the Bay Area and forced postponement of the classic for an unprecedented 10 days.
• Rick Monday rescues the flag, 1976 Chicago Cubs center fielder Rick Monday made a dramatic catch when he dashed into left field at Dodger Stadium and snatched an American flag away from two protesters, who were trying to set it on fire. The patriotic Monday earned a standing ovation from 25,167 appreciative Los Angeles fans and became a national celebrity in baseball’s Bicentennial season. • Yanks win, with help from a friend, 1996 Jeff Maier, a 12-year-old fan at Yankee Stadium, stuck his glove over the right field fence and pulled in a long drive by Yankee shortstop Derek Jeter, a ball that might have been caught by Baltimore outfielder Tony Tarasco. The controversial play was ruled a home run and the Yankees went on to record a 5-4 win in the opener of the ALCS. • Marichal attacks Roseboro, 1965 Juan Marichal, thinking Dodgers catcher John Roseboro had whizzed a return throw too close to his ear, turned around and attacked him with a bat, touching off a 14-minute brawl that shocked 42,807 fans at Candlestick Park.
• Lonnie Smith freezes and Braves lose, 1991 Smith might have cost Atlanta a World Series when he was duped by Minnesota infielders into thinking Terry Pendleton’s eighth-inning double had been caught and failed to score, a base-running gaffe that spiced up a Game 7 eventually won by the Twins in 10 innings, 1-0. • Pirates, Red Sox play first Series, 1903 The venerable Cy Young, the ace of Boston’s staff and winningest pitcher in baseball history, drew the honor of firing the first World Series pitch to Pittsburgh center fielder Ginger Beaumont. The Pirates beat Young in the inaugural, but the Red Sox rebounded to win the first Series in eight games. • Major League Baseball is on the air, 1939 With Red Barber handling play-by-play for NBC affiliate W2XBS, an experimental station in New York, Major League Baseball made its television debut with the airing of Cincinnati’s 5-2 win over the Dodgers in a doubleheader opener at Brooklyn’s Ebbets Field.
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Through 2003, the American League has won 58 World Championships, the National League has won 41.
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Memorable Moments in Baseball
There are lots of great plays and many heroes of the game. Here are some fans’ top 10 favorites: 1. 1995—Cal Ripken breaks Lou Gehrig’s games played streak with his 2,131st consecutive game. 2. 1974—Hank Aaron breaks Babe Ruth’s all-time home run record. 3. 1947—Jackie Robinson becomes the first African-American Major Leaguer. 4. 1998—Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa surpass Roger Maris’ singleseason home run record. 5. 1939—Lou Gehrig retires with his “luckiest man” farewell speech. 6. 1985—Pete Rose passes Ty Cobb as the all-time hits leader. 7. 1941—Ted Williams is the last man to post a .400 average. 8. 1941—Joe Dimaggio hits in 56 straight games 9. 1988—Kirk Gibson’s pinch-hit homer sends LA on its way to a World Series upset. 10. 1991—Nolan Ryan pitches his seventh career no-hitter.
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October 2004
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