In this week’s news roundup…Major League baseball bats go pink, Joe Maddon warns young bat flippers, a hot new bat company opens in Chicago, and extended netting in MLB ballparks is actually doing some good.
- MLB Honors Mother’s Day by Going Pink
- New MLB-Approved Bat Company Opens in Suburban Chicago
- Young Red Sox Fan Makes it to Fenway for his Late Father, Gets A-Rod’s Home Run Bat
- ‘Laws of Base Ball’ Documents Fetch Record $3.2 Million at Auction
- Joe Maddon Warns Young Baseball Players to not Flip their Bat
- Nationals Park Netting Saved Fans from a Flying Shattered Bat
- Homegrown: Old Hickory Bats is a Heavy Hitter in Major League Baseball
- Baseball bats Fear the Wrath of Carlos Gomez
- Matt Holliday Really Needs to Work on his Bat-Tossing Skills
MLB Honors Mother’s Day by Going Pink
Major League Baseball paid tribute to all mothers on Sunday in stadiums across the league. Pink was displayed in all its splendor at the ballparks – on uniforms, on the bases, on lineup cards and of course on the bats, among many other places. Even the game balls featured pink stitching. The color pink is also synonymous with the fight against breast cancer, a cause that will benefit from auctions of Sunday’s game-used gear at MLB.com. Read the full story here.
Newly Launched Homewood Bat Company Swinging for Fences
A new suburban Chicago bat company just opened for business in April, and it’s been such a hit that its bats are already being swung in the big leagues. Homewood Bat Company makes custom bats in its 6,000 square foot facility that includes a pro shop and test batting cage, with an online bat shop to go live soon. Read the full article here.
Young Red Sox Fan Makes it to Fenway for his Late Father, gets A-Rod’s Home Run Bat
When Andy Moss was diagnosed with cancer last year, there was one big item on his bucket list: to take his son, David, to Fenway Park and meet his hero, David Ortiz. Sadly, Andy passed away in late September, but on his 8th birthday, David made sure his dad’s wish came true — he and his sister and mom made the trip to the Red Sox-Yankees game on Friday night. Read the full story here.
‘Laws of Base Ball’ Documents Fetch Record $3.2 Million at Auction
The original 23 pages of yellowed documents that set the rules for the sport of “base ball” back in 1857 were sold for an astronomical sum of $3.2 million at a recent auction. These documents set many cornerstone rules still in use today, including the 90-foot distance between bases, the nine-inning length of games and more. Read the entire article here.
Joe Maddon Warns Young Baseball Players to not Flip their Bats
Cubs skipper Joe Maddon believes that proven MLB veterans have earned more leeway for displaying personality than younger players, who could be putting themselves in harm’s way by flipping their bats. Read the full story here.
Nationals Park Netting Saved Fans from a Flying Shattered Bat
Major League Baseball’s recommendation to expand netting in its ballparks may have saved fans from serious injury in a recent game at Nationals Park. A shattered bat from a Cesar Hernandez foul ball stuck high in the extended net on the third base side of home plate, an area uncovered by netting just last season. Read the full article here.
Homegrown: Old Hickory Bats is a Heavy Hitter in Major League Baseball
Goodlettsville, Tennessee-based Old Hickory Bats has grown from making 100 bats per year to now carving out over 45,000 each year, with many of them going to the professional ranks. However, the company still maintains the small business mentality that began in a one-car garage in 1999. Read the full article here.
Baseball Bats Fear the Wrath of Carlos Gomez
The Astros’ Carlos Gomez is mired in a slump and baseball bats are fearing for their very lives…
Matt Holliday really Needs to Work on his Bat-Tossing Skills
The Cardinals’ Matt Holliday nearly takes out an ump with his bat toss following a walk.
The #BatFlip is a delicate art. pic.twitter.com/EWLC9Ulijr
— MLB GIFS (@MLBGIFs) April 24, 2016