Louisville Slugger is Ridiculous

[BMH]

Re: Louisville Slugger is Ridiculous

Any manufacturer could make pink bats. They could not put their logos on the bats. This is the same for fielding gloves, shoes, gloves, sweat bands, etc. Go back and watch the games, only the official sponsor for each piece of equipment is allowed to put their branding on the pink items. If you see a player using a pink item without a logo that is the reason.

[godwulf]

Re: Louisville Slugger is Ridiculous

I'm pretty sure Komen has gone to court more than once to protect it's "Walk for the Cure" brand/event.

Not only has the Komen group spent upwards of a million dollars a year suing other charities over their use of the word "cure", they have made attempts to prevent other charities from even using the color pink in their advertising. (Before this, I mean.)

As far as I'm concerned, MLB assumes 100% of the blame for this situation, because they essentially brokered and approved the monopoly; regardless of what either H&B or Komen wanted, it would never have happened without MLB's blessing and authority.

[tony433433]

Re: Louisville Slugger is Ridiculous

http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2013-05-12/sports/bal-nick-markakis-doesnt-use-pinklabeled-bat-vs-twins-20130512_1_breast-cancer-awareness-pink-cleats-pink-wristbands

Being at the game, I can confirm that Plouffe did use his Pink MaxBat. He even talked to me a little bit before the game and I overheard some additional talk about the potential of being fined. Let's hope MLB doesn't fine him, since they allowed the Jackie Robinson day shoe fiasco be swept under the rug; Plouffe has an all too close connection to breast cancer, so it'd be best if it was addressed in a meeting and not with bank accounts.

This whole dilemma was not a well thought out ploy by a bat company attacking the big dog, it was a player just trying to use his same bat model and honor his mom - it was only a pink sticker and pink writing on a black bat! you could barely even see the pink, and the fact that the Orioles players had black MaxBats with Orange stickers/type tells me that it's totally a fight over the color pink, not color in general.

Sorry, I may be a little biased as Trevor is my favorite player, since he has treated me quite well over the years.

[Phil316]

Re: Louisville Slugger is Ridiculous

Also...from the Washington Post

MLB clarified its policy on Friday, saying that pink bats made by other companies can be used on Sunday as long the manufacturer makes a “modest donation” to the Komen foundation.
(UPDATE 8:25 p.m.: According to a league official, this was, in fact, the second year in which pink bats made by companies other than Louisville Slugger could be used on Mother’s Day if a charitable donation was made to the Komen foundation. If a player used a banned bat in a game, the player wouldn’t be subject to fines or discipline. The bat manufacturer, however, would be in violation of rules.)

That's a little better.

[mdube16]

Re: Louisville Slugger is Ridiculous

Also...from the Washington Post

MLB clarified its policy on Friday, saying that pink bats made by other companies can be used on Sunday as long the manufacturer makes a “modest donation” to the Komen foundation.
(UPDATE 8:25 p.m.: According to a league official, this was, in fact, the second year in which pink bats made by companies other than Louisville Slugger could be used on Mother’s Day if a charitable donation was made to the Komen foundation. If a player used a banned bat in a game, the player wouldn’t be subject to fines or discipline. The bat manufacturer, however, would be in violation of rules.)

[Phil316]

Re: Louisville Slugger is Ridiculous

1. I think people should definitely look into the donations they make to certain non profit organizations. I personally have never donated to Susan G Komen because I do not like how they handle the donated money among other reasons. It's also important to look into how the money is distributed within the non profit. When you see CEO's of these companies making a high 6 figure income you gotta ask yourself is this whom i want to donate my hard earned money too.

2. I stopped playing baseball long ago. But I did use a Louisville Slugger glove and it was probably one of the best I ever used.

[mdube16]

Re: Louisville Slugger is Ridiculous

nice post. business is business.

seems as though Max Bat was given a memo not to send bats with label and ignored the mandate from MLB. The could have still delivered the pink bats to the players just without the company logo.

Exactly the point. Who is the greedy one here? If max bats was really only interested in the cause why did they not just produce the pink bats without the label?

[Takuleechch]

Re: Louisville Slugger is Ridiculous

if it wasn't a big deal LS wouldn't have done this. they obviously see some sort of benefit for their business by doing it

[joelsabi]

Re: Louisville Slugger is Ridiculous

Having been employed by a major non-profit organization for many years, let me share that viewpoint.

I would think that the donation was quite sizeable and would easily offset the money raised through MLB Auctions. I am sure if any of the other bat makers would have been first to step up to the plate and made the same (or similar) offer, Susan G. Komen and MLB would have accepted that company's offer and everyone else would have been shut out (including Louisville Slugger) in the same manner.

I can assure you that this is nothing but a win-win for Komen. Not only do they get the money guaranteed upfront, they still get the publicity through MLB. It is nothing that Louisville Slugger would (or should) be ashamed of as they are contributing funds to a worthy organization. It's about raising money, and I am sure that the deal made perfect sense to Komen or they would not have entered into the agreement.

At the Washington Nationals game today, pink was everywhere as nearly all the players were wearing pink wristbands, and some were wearing pink sleeves while a few wore pink shoes. Pink Komen advertisements flashed on the stadium scoreboards throughout the game. At the Nationals' game-used stand, there were "team-issued" pink bats for sale of several prominent Nats players. One sold while I was standing there. Bases from the game with pink writing were also available at the GU stand. I am making the assumption that the sales from the pink bats and bases were contributed to Komen. Most non-profits can only dream of this type of exposure at a major sporting event, much less 14 other venues on the same day.

This is BUSINESS folks! I know that some collectors tend to have a negative reaction almost anytime the "B" word rears its head in our hobby, but that door opened a long time ago and it is never going to be shut again - like it or not.

Here is the question I ask any of you.
1. For those of you who make a regular donation to Susan G. Komen (outside of MLB Auctions), will you still donate to Komen after learning of this deal?
2. For those of you who still play baseball or softball, will this deal encourage you to stop using Louisville Slugger bats or other products?

I can't answer for any of you, but this deal will not affect my donations to Komen in the least bit, and it won't stop me from using my favorite C271 bats.

Remember what is most important here.

Mark Hayne
Gridiron Exchange
gixc@verizon.net

nice post. business is business.

seems as though Max Bat was given a memo not to send bats with label and ignored the mandate from MLB. The could have still delivered the pink bats to the players just without the company logo.

[G1X]

Re: Louisville Slugger is Ridiculous

Having been employed by a major non-profit organization for many years, let me share that viewpoint.

I would think that the donation was quite sizeable and would easily offset the money raised through MLB Auctions. I am sure if any of the other bat makers would have been first to step up to the plate and made the same (or similar) offer, Susan G. Komen and MLB would have accepted that company's offer and everyone else would have been shut out (including Louisville Slugger) in the same manner.

I can assure you that this is nothing but a win-win for Komen. Not only do they get the money guaranteed upfront, they still get the publicity through MLB. It is nothing that Louisville Slugger would (or should) be ashamed of as they are contributing funds to a worthy organization. It's about raising money, and I am sure that the deal made perfect sense to Komen or they would not have entered into the agreement.

At the Washington Nationals game today, pink was everywhere as nearly all the players were wearing pink wristbands, and some were wearing pink sleeves while a few wore pink shoes. Pink Komen advertisements flashed on the stadium scoreboards throughout the game. At the Nationals' game-used stand, there were "team-issued" pink bats for sale of several prominent Nats players. One sold while I was standing there. Bases from the game with pink writing were also available at the GU stand. I am making the assumption that the sales from the pink bats and bases were contributed to Komen. Most non-profits can only dream of this type of exposure at a major sporting event, much less 14 other venues on the same day.

This is BUSINESS folks! I know that some collectors tend to have a negative reaction almost anytime the "B" word rears its head in our hobby, but that door opened a long time ago and it is never going to be shut again - like it or not.

Here is the question I ask any of you.
1. For those of you who make a regular donation to Susan G. Komen (outside of MLB Auctions), will you still donate to Komen after learning of this deal?
2. For those of you who still play baseball or softball, will this deal encourage you to stop using Louisville Slugger bats or other products?

I can't answer for any of you, but this deal will not affect my donations to Komen in the least bit, and it won't stop me from using my favorite C271 bats.

Remember what is most important here.

Mark Hayne
Gridiron Exchange
gixc@verizon.net

[Phil316]

Re: Louisville Slugger is Ridiculous

I can see both points.

[Birdbats]

Re: Louisville Slugger is Ridiculous

So you are all mad at H&B.. Are you ignoring that this tradition started with them and was their brain child? So every other bat manufacturer jumps on board.. And MLB jumps on board.. And the ball maufacturer, and shoes, and so on.. And it all started with H&B all these other companies pile on and increase sales from an HB idea.. Not to mention the millions raised for breast cancer, and when it all comes full circle and HB wants an exclusive agreement to something they started.. Everyone piles on. If anyone's to blame its MLB and Susan G Komen for putting a price on it in the first place.. But this is Susan G Komen we're talking about..

Jimmy is absolutely right. H&B started the pink bat/breast cancer awareness tradition. I'm not sure if something like a bat color can be trademarked or copyrighted, so I'm not sure what steps they could have taken to protect their intellectual property. Obviously, other companies copied what H&B started. So, H&B "bought" the exclusive rights to an idea that was theirs to begin with. You might not like the idea that fund-raising and disease awareness can be "branded" or "owned" by one organization, but it has happened over and over. I'm pretty sure Komen has gone to court more than once to protect it's "Walk for the Cure" brand/event. Philanthropy almost always has ulterior motives in the business world, which means H&B isn't sinister, it's just a typical American business.

[GoTigers]

Re: Louisville Slugger is Ridiculous

So you are all mad at H&B.. Are you ignoring that this tradition started with them and was their brain child? So every other bat manufacturer jumps on board.. And MLB jumps on board.. And the ball maufacturer, and shoes, and so on.. And it all started with H&B all these other companies pile on and increase sales from an HB idea.. Not to mention the millions raised for breast cancer, and when it all comes full circle and HB wants an exclusive agreement to something they started.. Everyone piles on. If anyone's to blame its MLB and Susan G Komen for putting a price on it in the first place.. But this is Susan G Komen we're talking about..

[Mark17]

Re: Louisville Slugger is Ridiculous

+1.

Instead of getting to share their stories, ballplayers who were under contract by other bat companies were effectively silenced by Louisville Slugger....

Are you serious? Is using a non-pink bat really the same as being "effectively silenced"? Were the players who didn't use pink bats not allowed to speak to reporters?

If displaying pink is so important, can't they wear pink sweatbands, pink batting gloves, use pink fielding gloves, pink catchers' gear, drive a pink car, or for that matter, use pink bats on other days of the season?

Equating the use of a pink bat on one day of the season as making some huge statement, to me, is really a stretch. Does anybody really think the players using non-pink bats don't love their mothers, wives, daughters, or don't care about breast cancer research?

I think you're getting worked up over nothing. A quality, class company, synonymous with baseball for over 100 years, sponsors the day with a "sizeable" donation, and some people "lose all respect" for them. Wow. I thought what H&B did, sponsoring the day, was pretty good of them.

[frikativ54]

Re: Louisville Slugger is Ridiculous

Breast cancer awareness loses because now the players who would have used a pink max bat or Sam bat used their normal bat. That would bring BCA less money at MLB auctions would it not?

+1.

The whole pink bat thing is about everybody making that personal connection to Mother's Day and breast cancer. Instead of getting to share their stories, ballplayers who were under contract by other bat companies were effectively silenced by Louisville Slugger.

You say it's only a bat? A bat is a key signifier of Major League hitting prowess. You say that they could have used other companies' bats, but not shown their logos? To not allow other companies to publicly associate their brand with breast cancer awareness is patently absurd.

I've lost all respect for LVS, no matter how large the donation was. This is not just a donation; it is a blatant attempt by a company to silence brands, as well as ballplayers not under their contract.