MLB’s Official Bat And Official Glove Now From Same Company With Sale Of Louisville Slugger
Louisville Slugger’s parent company Hillerich & Bradsby sold the 131-year-old batmakers to Amer Sports, which owns Wilson, reports Bloomberg Business. Wilson makes the MLB’s official glove, while Rawlings is the producer of the league’s baseballs.
Though it’s unknown how much the deal is worth, a person familiar with the matter told Bloomberg that it was likely going to happen for under $100 million.
Hillerich & Bradsby will continue to manufacture the wood bats for Wilson, with an exclusive deal to produce them at its Louisville factory.
“Louisville Slugger will enrich our company significantly, enhance our baseball and softball product offering at all levels of the game, and ensure we are delivering only the best performance products to athletes of every age,” Mike Dowse, president of Wilson, said in a statement.
According to Hillerich & Bradsby, 60% of MLB players use the Louisville Slugger, with more than 100 million bats sold.
In 2009, a Montana jury found that Hillerich & Bradsby should put warning labels on its aluminum bats after an 18-year-old player was killed by a line drive in a 2003 game.
Louisville Slugger Is Sold to Amer Sports Oyj’s Wilson Brand [Bloomberg Business]
Want more consumer news? Visit our parent organization, Consumer Reports, for the latest on scams, recalls, and other consumer issues.