Sam Holman
Record-breaking baseball bats started in a library
By Carrie Benseler
History was made in 1996 while Sam Holman, founder of the Original Maple Bat Company, was relaxing at the Mayflower Pub in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. His friend Bill MacKenzie, then a scout for the Colorado Rockies, complained that major league hitters were breaking too many baseball bats made of the traditional wood—ash.
Holman had previously worked for the Ottawa National Arts Centre building theater sets, and had learned to whittle and carve many years ago. He knew wood. His first thought was to use iron wood (used to make piano keys), but he found it was too dense and not harvested commercially. He started researching different types of wood, and found that maple would make a stronger and more durable bat than ash. According to Major League Baseball (MLB) rules, all bats must be made from solid wood. However, the MLB must sanction manufacturers of new equipment before players can use it in playoff games.
Holman set to work immediately, researching the 225 baseball bat-related patents at multiple public and special libraries in Canada, such as the patent library at Gatineau-Hull, the Wood Council, the Canadian National Library and Library and Archives Canada.
Holman’s first baseball bat was carved out of a maple banister from the stairway in his house. The approval process was a slow one. Players wrote letters to the Major League Baseball Commissioner, asking for the bats to be sanctioned. Holman even sent a few bat samples to the Commissioner. One day the Commissioner called Holman and asked if the bats were made of solid wood—he said yes, and Sam Bats were approved!
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| For the Original Maple Bat Company, producing more than 30,000 Sam Bats a year is a true team effort. |
Today, the Original Maple Bat Company makes more than 30,000 Sam Bats a year, and more than 200 major leaguers swear by them, such as former Montreal Expo Larry Walker and Milwaukee Brewer Corey Koskie.
Holman’s story is showcased in the latest advocacy advertisement from OCLC, highlighting the fact that many entrepreneurs use library resources to guide them to success. Through the campaign, OCLC hopes to raise awareness of critical library issues, enable more informed dialogue and ultimately help libraries demonstrate their value to their communities.
Visit the OCLC Advocacy Web Site for more information about the Sam Bats success story.
Q+A
Name
Sam Holman
Age
61
Hometown
Wessington Springs, South Dakota.
Education
I attended the University of South Dakota for one year. I was then drafted into the Vietnam conflict and sent to Germany. I later spent two years at L’Ecole de Commerce in Beil, Switzerland.
How you stay motivated
Sleep as little as possible. When the world’s best players are using your product, you’re motivated.
Best thing about libraries
There is a sereneness about them. They are better than a place of worship for me.
Worst thing about libraries
Their fate with the Internet. People forget the usefulness of three dimensions and hands on experiences.
The world without libraries
Knowledge is what corrects society. We need a free flow of information. People using misguided information is frightening.
The future of libraries
Google must be a partner. If libraries find ways to work with Google, they will stay strong.
Favorite authors
Kurt Vonnnegut, James Michener, Peter Matthiessen.
Last book read
A book my mother gave me on Barry Bonds.
Favorite television shows
Formula One Racing, History Channel, Discovery Channel.
Type of music
I like it all. Especially Blues on guitar and live music. When I worked for the Ottawa National Arts Centre, I would listen to the orchestra practice—it was really nice.
Magazine cover you would most like to be on and why
I’ve already had a Sports Illustrated feature story, sandwiched between two Louisville Slugger advertisements—you can’t get much better than that!
Favorite meal
Rack of lamb.
Most visited Web site
Google.
Hobbies
Whittling and carving. My grandfather taught me using jackknives.
Personal motto
Be persistent.
Proudest moment
The Canadian Prime Minister (The Right Hon. Paul Edgar Philippe Martin) invited me to dinner to meet President George W. Bush. Sam Bats were presented to both George W. Bush and his father, George H.W. Bush.
Memorable library experience
Researching the 200-plus baseball bat patents at the patent library at Gatineau-Hull. It was a pleasant experience—they just kept bringing me books!
On library funding cuts
When communities cut library funding, it is an example of society being cruel to itself. It’s being cruel to those who need it most.
Greatest achievement
Breaking my first pony at 10-years-old—you can’t learn how to do that from a book!
Why reading and libraries are important
Reading is the foundation of knowledge. It expands how people think.
Favorite types of wood
I like working with walnut because there are walnut trees on my dad’s farm in Missouri. I also like Osage Orange, a type of greenwood. It’s fun to play with.
Items you have made out of wood (besides bats)
I’ve made Formula One race cars out of white pine at a scale of 1/25. I carved the coffee table in my living room entirely from Japanese hand tools.
How you compete with other specialty bat manufacturers
I designed the XY lathe machines used in the factory. These machines do not put added wear and tear on the wood the way other bat manufacturers do. I tell players that there is a difference between a Ferrari and a Chevy. Sam Bats offer a difference in quality.
Marketing and advertising strategy
We make trips to spring training each year. We find out the players’ bat specs, and take bats for them to try. They usually like them. We do not advertise at all. Promotion is purely by word of mouth.
Countries that use Sam Bats
Everywhere baseball is played.
Famous baseball players who use Sam Bats
Barry Bonds, Albert Pujols, Joe Carter, Corey Koskie and Larry Walker, to name a few.
Where you live
In Ottawa, two blocks away from the bat factory, in a brick farmhouse built in 1904. My wife, Denise, and I have lived there since 1985.
The future of Sam Bats
We are currently trying to streamline our effort to reduce costs. I’m looking into buying a new factory in Point Gatineau, Quebec that will allow a better work flow and be less expensive to own. It’s the perfect site for us, but I’ve been running into some zoning laws. I guess I have a tendency to fight City Hall!
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