"The pitcher has got only a ball. I've got a bat. So the percentage in weapons is in my favor, and I let the fellow with the ball do the fretting." Hank Aaron Fans focus on a pitcher's pitch. The question is which of his pitches is the best. Is it his fastball? His curve? Maybe his splitter? Or his slider? Regardless of the pitch, the ball is always the same. Notwithstanding the issues about possibly "juiced" balls, each pitcher uses the sport's current version of the ball. The ball itself is not terribly interesting unless it's the one used when something unusual happens. An ordinary ball becomes distinctive if it was used in a no-hitter or a record-breaking hit or home run. Besides that, one pitcher's baseball is not different from another's ball. Baseballs aren't exciting. Babe Ruth Bats - Babe Ruth Birthplace Museum Hitters’ bats are different. Each player’s bat is unique. Their bats are like medieval knights’ swords. Each one is different and has a special relationship with its owner. Similarly, the bat is what hitters take into battle, and fans revere them. Many fans who cherish the game and its traditions, want to see and hold their favorite players’ bats. I was in the middle of a drive through Ohio, and Pennsylvania. My goal was to see the Indians, Reds, and Pirates. Since Louisville - home of the Louisville Slugger Museum and Factory - is only 100 miles from Cincinnati, I had to include it in my itinerary. After all, the Louisville slugger was synonymous with the "official" Major League’s bat for most of its history. The Louisville Slugger a Brief History "Baseball just came as simple as the ball and bat. Yet, as complex as the American spirit symbolizes. A sport, a business and sometimes almost even a religion."Ernie Harwell The legend tells us that 17-year-old John Andrew "Bud" Hillerich was watching the major league Louisville Eclipse in 1884. At that game, the team's superstar, Pete Browning, whose nickname was "The Louisville Slugger," broke his bat. Bud, who was an apprentice at his father's woodworking shop, "J. Heinrich, Job Turning," offered to craft a replacement. When Browning got three hits with his new bat, Heillerach's baseball bat business was born. However, Bud's father, J. Fred Hillerach, was not interested in the baseball bat business. He didn't like baseball and didn't think bats would be a valuable addition to his burgeoning business. Instead, J. Fred felt that the future of the company was in his "very popular, swinging butter churn." Undeterred, Bud continued to build their bat-making business and even invented some patented manufacturing processes. As the bat business grew, the company trademarked the name “Louisville Slugger” in 1894. In 1897, Bud became a partner in the business, which became J.F. Hillerach & Son. As their business grew, they started garnering endorsements. The first was from the Pittsburgh Pirates' superstar shortstop, Honus Wagner, in 1905. In so doing, Wagner became the first professional athlete to endorse…

They were hiding behind hay bales, They were planting in the full moon They had given all they had for something new But the light of day was on them, They could see the thrashers coming And the water shone like diamonds in the dew.Neil Young - "Thrasher" It would be one last ride for the Nomad, the would-be vagabond. For the last fifteen years, my baseball travel tended to begin and end with my regular trip to Spring Training in March. The exceptions were the occasional trip to Queens to see my Metsies or a visit to a ballpark while traveling for business. This year, my baseball travel continued to opening day, throughout the summer and into the fall. That season's long baseball travel ended on Saturday night October 12th at the Arizona Fall League's "Fall Stars Game." However, when I booked my journey, I didn't realize that the AFL had an all-star game. Moreover, I didn't know that they took an All-Star break after the game. As such, there were no games scheduled for Sunday. Since I didn't leave until Monday, I had a free day. However, I was confused. As the trip ended, I knew I was entering a "new normal" where I didn't have a big baseball trip to occupy my time. The trip was supposed to give me time to decide what my new direction would be. Unfortunately, as I write my latest post, I still haven't figured that part out. Moreover, I am struck by some equally profound questions. Do I understand why I made the trip? Why did I need to go away? Why didn't I do the expected, and find another job? What to do? I took a lonely, revealing, and rewarding drive. Morning - Drive North Past Flagstaff And I was just getting up, hit the road before it's light Trying to catch an hour on the sun When I saw those thrashers rolling by, Looking more than two lanes wide I was feelin' like my day had just begun.Neil Young - "Thrasher" My goal for Sunday was to see as much of Arizona as possible, so I left early. My first stop was to be the Sunset Crater Volcano, just north of Flagstaff, about 180 miles away. Since it opened at 9:00 AM, I left the hotel around 5:30. Morning drive passed Flagstaff The drive took me up through the Coconino National Forest. As I drove, the altitude grew from 1,000 feet in Phoenix to 6,000 feet in Flagstaff. The sun was rising as the terrain transitioned from desert to forests and grassland filled with ponderosa pines. The brilliant orange sunrise cast a hopeful glow on the hills. I drank my Monster Energy drink and ate a couple of granola bars (bought the night before) as I drove. Energy drinks are a new find for me. I first tried one as I was making a similar drive from Dallas to Houston earlier in the summer. They don't taste bad and…