Our Story

Many of you already know the story behind Phoenix Bat Company, but for those of you who have never heard it I will start where every story should start, in the big inning.

In 1996, I was restoring old houses for a living and had a small wood shop. For about five years I had been playing 19th Century baseball for the Ohio Historical Society. The Historical Society, knowing my shop included an old lathe, asked if I could make some bats typical of the 1860s. Never one to shy away from something new (or in this case really old), I agreed. Little did I expect how much I would have to learn or how much fun I would have. Not only did my team like the bats but the teams we were playing started asking me to make bats for them as well.

Over the next couple of years my "hobby" grew from just historic bats to include a few modern bats as well. I even got the interest of some minor league players. Wouldn't it be great to have professional players swinging my bats? Not so fast!...bats had to be approved for use by Major League Baseball. Well, it turns out I have a knack for this bat making thing and we received that approval back in 2000.

I am trying to keep this short, so I will not bore you with the multiple moves into larger facilities or with buying a lathe that cost more than my house. I will just say that it is more than just me now and we are not in my little wood shop anymore, but we still love what we are doing.

Thanks for taking the time and when you are in Columbus, Ohio stop on by!

Charley "Lefty" Trudeau

Our Difference
At Phoenix Bats, we're proud to create your wood bats on the most advanced model of the most advanced lathe in the bat industry….and we're the only baseball and softball bat manufacturer to have it. Not only does it cut our wood bats to amazing precision, but it automatically sands it as well. Whether you order your next wood bat from us later in the season or years down the road, you'll get a Phoenix bat with the exact same specifications as the one you are ordering today.

To get a great baseball, softball, vintage, or training bat, you also need great wood. Rejecting wood that some other bat manufacturers accept means we are darn picky about the wood we use for your Phoenix bat. Upon delivery from the mill, every piece of wood is hand graded for quality and weight. Unlike many others, we do not cut your wood bat until your order comes in. This helps protect it from excessive moisture or dryness before finishing—conditions that weaken a bat. Quality, consistency, craftsmanship - pick up a Phoenix bat and you'll know this is not your big box store bought bat!

Quality, consistency, craftsmanship - pick up a Phoenix bat and you'll know this is not your big box store bought bat!