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The Legend of the World Famous Louisville Slugger Baseball Bats

Louisville Slugger baseball bats, the official bat of Major League Baseball, got their start in 1880. That’s when little Bud Hillerich started work as an apprentice in his father’s woodworking business, "J.F. Hillerich, Job Turning." Mr. Hillerich had emigrated from Germany decades past, and had settled in Louisville to explore his path toward the American Dream. His business thrived, and he was able to employ his son, as well as 20 other local craftsmen and workers.

Bud Hillerich was a baseball player at the time, so Bud used the opportunity of his coffee breaks and off moments to make his own baseball bats. He got so good at the craft that he began to craft bats for several of his teammates, too.

There is some debate over which of these bats should be called the first actual Louisville Slugger. Some would even argue that Bud had nothing to do with his father’s changing the course of his business, from everyday woodworking to the baseball bat world. But experts at the actual present day Louisville company agree that Bud Hillerich had some serious doing in involving his father's business in the baseball world.

And according to the company lore, the first official Louisville Slugger baseball bats came out in 1884. Bud created them for Pete "The Old Gladiator" Browning, who was a leader on the professional baseball team in Louisville for the American Association. The team name was the Eclipse.

As the legend goes, Bud was out watching his hero during a game on a crisp spring afternoon. The Old Gladiator was at the plate, when with one fell swoop the batter shattered his bat. Only seventeen at the time, but ever the brave entrepreneur, Bud marched down to his hero and offered to make him a bat. Browning agreed.

The end result, the first Louisville Slugger baseball bats, pleased Browning so much that he then smacked three hits with them in the next game. A legend was born.

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