History Hillerich & Bradsby

the largest bat in world outside louisville slugger museum & factory

j. f. hillerich opened woodworking shop in louisville in 1855. during 1880s, hillerich hired seventeen-year-old son, john bud hillerich. legend has bud, played baseball himself, slipped away work 1 afternoon in 1884 watch louisville s major league team, louisville eclipse. team s star, pete louisville slugger browning, mired in hitting slump, broke bat.

bud invited browning father s shop hand-craft him new bat own specifications. browning accepted offer, , got 3 hits break out of slump new bat first day used it. browning told teammates, began surge of professional ball players hillerich woodworking shop.

j. f. hillerich uninterested in making bats; saw company future in stair railings, porch columns , swinging butter churns. in fact, brief time in 1880s, turned away ball players. bud, however, saw potential in producing baseball bats, , elder hillerich relented son.

the bats sold under name falls city slugger until bud hillerich took on father s company in 1894, , name louisville slugger registered u.s. patent office. in 1905, honus wagner signed deal company, becoming first baseball player officially endorse bat.

frank bradsby, salesman, became partner in 1916, , company s name changed hillerich , bradsby. 1923, h&b selling more bats other bat maker in country, , legends ty cobb, babe ruth , lou gehrig using them.

during world war ii, company produced wooden rifle stocks , billy clubs u.s. army. in 1954, company purchased larimer , norton, inc., pennsylvania lumber company ensure supply of hardwood products.

in 1976, company moved across ohio river, jeffersonville, indiana, take advantage of railroad line there. in 1990s, company returned louisville, kentucky.