New Ithaca bat company vying for MLB bat certification - The Ithaca Voice
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2. New Ithaca bat company vying for MLB bat certi=cation
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ITHACA, N.Y. -- The dream of all bat manufacturers is to have their company
certified by the Major League Baseball (MLB). Ruth Baseball Bats, a new
startup launched in May and based in Ithaca, is close to achieving this dream.
After our first interview in June, we reached out again to Bill Ruth, founder
and president of the company, to discuss its latest developments. Even if
Ruth Baseball is only eight months old, sales were very strong in June and
July and Ruth bats are more and more present at local practices, including
the new baseball academy here in town, the Cayuga Lake Storm.
Related: New Ithaca startup, Ruth Baseball, takes swing at bat-making
market (http://ithacavoice.com/2015/06/new-ithaca-startup-ruth-
baseball-takes-swing-at-making-bats/)
4. (http://ithacavoice.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Bat-5.jpg)
Photo by Bill Ruth
The most exciting development is that a few current and former MLB players
are testing Ruth bats and the company is one step closer to getting MLB
certified for the 2017 season.
Here are the 5 questions we asked Bill Ruth in an interview on Sunday; click
on the one you're interested in to see his answer, or read the entire story in
order.
5. (Did we miss your question? If so, email us at jalmendarez@ithacavoice.com)
1) You said that sales were very strong in June and July. How did you obtain
this result?
2) You have a strong background in business and marketing, is there any
advice you can offer to new startups so that their business is as successful
as yours?
3) You said that the kids in the new baseball academy here in town - the
Cayuga Lake Storm – ordered your bats and they are among the top players
in their age groups in the County. Do you think the quality of yours bats will
improve their game? Why?
4) It is really exciting that a few MLB players got your bats! Can you explain
to the readers of the Ithaca Voice who are not familiar with baseball what it
means to have your company MLB certified?
5) What’s next for the company? Is there anything else you’d like to tell us?
1) You said that sales were very strong in June and July.
How did you obtain this result?
“Sales were very strong in June and July because baseball is very seasonal.
It’s usually quiet from August to the end of January and very busy in the
summer. So after the launch on May 21, our business ramped up quickly and
was great in June and July. We put a lot of hard work into the launch.”
7. The main piece of advice I can offer to someone who starts a new business is:
Do something you are passionate about because you are going to work for
more hours and have more stress than if you were working for somebody
else.
You invest far more time in the business, so you really need to do something
that you love. I have always been passionate about baseball and my two sons
are both passionate baseball players. They practice in Lansing with their
coach twice a week all winter long.
CONTENT CONTINUED BELOW
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Do what you love. Be prepared to put in far more hours than a regular job.
Starting your own business is not a nine-to-five thing, but if you love it then it
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9. the County. Do you think the quality of yours bats will
improve their game? Why?
In the academy there are several age groups and, yes, there are some of the
top players in the area. The coaches there really like to have the kids hitting
with wood. Today’s baseball bats are mostly made of aluminum and
composite and they do a very good job of eliminating the feedback you
receive in your hands when you hit a ball. Instead, wood baseball bats provide
players with instant feedback on their swing: if you hit one on the sweet spot
you really know it, it feels great; if you mishit one by an inch or two you also
know, because you get some feedback in your hands. Wood bats provide
better feedback than the other bats.
We also offer a material that no one else is offering called ‘European Beech.’
Beech is a denser and more elastic wood than maple, which is what most of
the bats today are made of.
When the kids train outdoors, they will notice an improvement in their
performance and that’s because the wood is denser and translates more
energy in the ball. The ball jumps a little bit more than it does with maple so
it’s sent farther into the field. We also offer Maple and Ash bats for players
who prefer a more traditional material.
11. In order for major league baseball players to use your bats your company has
to be MLB certified, meaning your name has to be on their list. I think last
year they had about 27 or 28 companies on the list. It’s a very expensive
process.
You have to apply, send in your application fee, then send them 15 dozen bats
that they test each year. You also have to carry a large insurance policy that
MLB mandates, so it’s a very expensive process but once your name is on the
list it is a signal to the baseball community that you make a very serious
baseball bat. We are making bats that are MLB quality right now and there is
no question at all that our bats would pass that test, the only question is if
and when we are going to be able to fund that next step.
We have been fortunate enough that a few MLB players are testing our bats
and have expressed an interest given the quality and material of the bats.
They are very interested in the European Beech. There has been some
discussion about maybe taking the next step with some help from these guys.
We missed the 2016 MLB certification deadline, but we can do it next year or
the year after. The fact that some major league baseball players have found
out about the bats and have asked about it is really exciting for us. For now
though, we are focused on selling to high school, college and independent
league professional players.
12. (http://ithacavoice.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Bat-7.jpg)
Photo by Bill Ruth
5) What’s next for the company? Is there anything else
you’d like to tell us?
Right now we are just coming into the sales season. We are partnering with
some up-and-coming young companies that are in a similar stage in their life.
We are focusing on bat manufacturing, selling as many bats as we can but
13. also on getting the word out about the bats. We hope that everybody who
gets the bats will like them and tell more people.
Our business is beginning to grow, so we’ll see about this bat certification
plan as it's a pretty big step. The MLB players just got our bats, the bats
literally landed on their porch on Friday, so we have to give them some time.
If all goes well hopefully we’ll be sitting here with a bat certification a year
from now.
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