Made in Barnstable: Barnstable Bat Company

Driving through a residential neighborhood in Centerville one would not expect to find one of Barnstable’s most unique manufacturing enterprises. But that is where the Barnstable Bat Company has been located for almost 20 years.

Christine and Thomas Bednark were at a Cape Cod Baseball League game when Thomas declared he was going to make a wooden bat. His first products were Christmas gifts for family and friends, who then began to request bats to also give as gifts, which lead the Bednarks to decide to take the plunge and start making wooden baseball bats full-time.

Thomas, a custom woodworker by trade who, according to Christine, “knows wood, inside and out” still faced “quite a learning curve.” But after years of trial and error the Barnstable now produces about 10,000 wooden bats a year, for little leagues, softball leagues, and as corporate, wedding and baby gifts.

A few years after Thomas made the first Barnstable Bat, the company became approved by Major League Baseball, which meant professional baseball teams and players could use their bats. Players like Mo Vaughn, Manny Ramirez, Jose Canseco and Trot Nixon all used Barnstable Bats. Being a Major League bat dealer eventually became too costly, and the Bednarks no longer produce for the league.

This has not hurt their sales, however. “Having the Cape Cod Baseball League in town definitely helps our business,” Christine said, “and there are a lot of wood baseball leagues all over the country - even as far as Alaska.”

In fact most of their business comes from California, Florida and Texas, because in those warmer areas people can play baseball year round. They also get a large order every year from author John Grisham for his community park in Virginia.

The Bednarks source the wood they use, whether it be ash, maple or birch, from Maine and New York from sustainably managed forests. The wood arrives in cylindrical form, and is weighed to determine the type of bat for which it would be best suited.

Then Thomas places the wood in a computerized machine called a lathe where the bat is formed. The bat is then sanded, and dipped into a finish. Christine takes the finished bat to their laser machine for engraving, fills in the engraving with paint, and sends it off to the customer.

Both Thomas and Christine say they have “great customers” who come back bat after bat, and spread the word about their product. And because of their supportive customers they continue to hold their own in a continually expanding industry of “mom and pop” baseball bat crafters.