Sam Bat Blog — wood bats

Over 26 years in the wood bat business, we have heard many things about wood bats.  Some are more true than others! Here are three common misconceptions about wood bats: MISCONCEPTION #1 : Ash and Birch bats are lighter than Maple bats: A drop-3 is a drop-3.  Put another way, an ash or birch bat that is 30oz is the same weight as a maple bat that weighs 30oz.  The confusion probably lies in the feel. Maple is a harder and denser wood than ash or maple.  As a result, when ball contact is made, the wood species feel quite...

The “ink dot test” for wood is not new, in fact it dates as far back as WWI!  The test was developed to measure the straightness of the grain of hardwoods used for airplane propellers and has been used for decades. The straighter the grain the stronger the wood.  Sam Holman the Founder of SAM BAT is very passionate about aviation and was well aware of the cutting properties necessary to cut a great piece of “bat wood”. Sam took this into consideration when he was creating the first professionally approved maple bat. This special cutting, coupled with the drying...

The Sam Bat Rideau Crusher (pronounced Read-oh Crusher) is a phrase coined by Sam Holman the Founder and creator of the SAM BAT, it has become a staple not only of SAM BAT but the entire maple baseball bat industry. It has been inscribed on nearly every bat produced by the company dating back to as early as 1997 when The Original Maple Bat Corporation was formed. This has become the legendary catch phrase of SAM BAT. Contrary to popular belief the phrase does not indicate any specifications or level of quality! It is there as a way to honor...

The MMO is a one of our featured bats carried by Dick's Sporting Goods.  We feature this bat in our traditional "Bonds" colors. Cherry handle, black barrel, gold logo that was made famous by Barry Bonds. Barry and Sam worked together for years to perfect look.  The MMO has been around since the very early days of SAM BAT.  When Sam Holman crafted the first professionally approved maple wood baseball bat in 1997. The Sam Bat MMO has always been one of our most popular models. It has hovered consistently in the 4th or 5th bat position overall. In the...

We often get asked what our most popular model is. While it has evolved, two models that are long standing favorites (and that are super hot right now!) are the MMO and the KB1.    Here’s the breakdown:   The MMO is similar to the classic M110 profile made famous by Micky Mantle and Roger Maris.  A perfect all-around bat, the MMO has a nice long barrel hitting surface, but is still incredibly well balanced with a medium 15/16” handle and classic rounded knob. We recommend it to all types of players from youth who are just transitioning to wood, all the way up...