Sam Bat Blog — Batting Practice Bats

Why Sam Chose Maple!

Continued from our previous blog post! WHY DID SAM CHOOSE MAPLE? When Sam Holman was first tasked to find a better wood than ash for baseball bats by then Rockies scout Bill McKenzie, he wasn’t quite sure what wood could be better. He was great at working with wood and knew the different characteristics of a lot of wood, but had never tried to make a baseball bat. Sam spent countless hours in the library researching different types of wood from oak, to hickory, to beech, to walnut, and finally to maple.  You cannot just use any type of wood...


How the first approved maple baseball bat was born…..the SAM BAT!

SAM BAT – The setting and the Bar Challenge, Mayflower Pub How the first approved maple baseball bat was born….. Sam Holman was strolling down Elgin Street on the way to his favorite spot the Mayflower Pub for a pint of Creemore Springs Ale. It was a cold spring day in 1996 and he pulled the collar of his windbreaker up which covered his well-worn signature overalls and a T shirt. He was tired, the day hadn’t quite gone as planned.  Heading around to the back to where the regulars entered, he pulled open the heavy carved wood door. The...