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Saturday, May 30, 1998

Bat makers aim for each other in Texas courtroom

TEXARKANA, Texas (AP) -- Two leading makers of baseball bats are swinging at each other in federal court.

Hillerich and Bradsby Co., maker of the "Louisville Slugger" bat, is seeking an injunction to prevent a former consultant from going to work for one of its rivals, Rawlings Sporting Goods.

A hearing on the matter began Thursday and continued Friday before U.S. District Court Judge David Folsom.

Folsom has issued no rulings in the case, and it's unknown when he'll make a decision, a court official said Friday.

Lawyers for Louisville, Ky.-based Hillerich and Bradsby claim Jack Mackay, who worked on bat designs and sales promotions from 1990 to 1997, has inside information about the company's bats and college promotional programs.

When Mackay discussed doing the same work for Rawlings, the two sporting goods companies sued each other. Rawlings officials said they hired Mackay for his contacts with coaches, not because he worked for Hillerich and Bradsby.

Hillerich and Bradsby was founded in 1916 but traces its roots to 1884. Its most famous product, the Louisville Slugger, dates to 1894. The company is the world's largest maker of baseball bats.

Rawlings began as a sporting goods store in St. Louis in 1887. Its most famous product may have been the webbed baseball glove, introduced in 1920. The company sold stock to the public in 1994.