As legend has it, one day in 1884 John A. “Bud” Hillerich slid out of his father’s woodworking shop to watch Louisville’s major league team the Louisville Eclipse play baseball. That day when Eclipse star Pete Browning broke his bat, Bud came up with a revolutionary idea. Against the advice of his father J.F. Hillerich, Bud followed his bat-making dream. By 1923, the now branded “Louisville Slugger” was the bat of choice in the big leagues, and Hillerch and Bradsby became the leading bat producer in the country. Today, along with bats the company produces various other baseball equipment, golf clubs, training aids and accessories.