X-Bats earns MLB suspension

[Birdbats]

Apparently, the folks who make X-Bats did something to rub MLB the wrong way. According to St. Louis Post-Dispatch writer Derrick Goold: "A handful of Cardinals — and certainly players around baseball — are without their usual bats this spring because a bat manufacturer has been fined and (at least momentarily) suspended from use by Major League Baseball. Above each of the players lockers in the clubhouse is a shelf usually loaded with bats, but Yadier Molina, Cesar Izturis, Skip Schumaker and pitcher Ryan Franklin did not have any stacked because their company, X-Bats, is momentarily suspended for a dispute not related to the quality or makeup of the bats, a club official said. Each player has shifted to another brand of bat or is test-driving selections." I did a quick search of the Web and couldn't find more information about the suspension. Does anybody have more information? Wonder what a bat company could do to earn a fine and suspension...

[AWA85]

Does that mean we could see a large number of X bats hit the market now, or did the players never get them yet this season? Very interesting story.

[kylehess10]

I'm VERY glad to hear this, especially since the original post on here about their customer service

[OaklandAsFan]

There were reps from Zinger out in Phoenix today and the A's training facility trying to get anyone who would listen to them to try their bats.

[kingjammy24]

I'm VERY glad to hear this, especially since the original post on here about their customer service

kyle, i was well into my 20s before i started developing a good case of schadenfreude. bravo!

rudy.

[brianborsch]

Yeah, they suck! It just shows that what goes around, comes around.

[hblakewolf]

Instead of guessing, I asked the owners of Xbat for information on this. The following email was received:

----- Original Message ----- From: X Bats (CustomerService@XBats.com)@XX
To: Howard Wolf (hblakewolf@patmedia.net)
Sent: Saturday, February 23, 2008 10:04 PM
Subject: Re: BATS



My son, who had just graduated from college, was working on our website (my wife and I were very occupied with my father-in-law who has esophageal cancer and moved in with us during the World Series) and thought it would be nice for the Fall Classic to show two bats showing “2007 World Series, Boston Red Sox and Colorado Rockies”. We never sold a single one of these bats but MLB said using their trademarked names, World Series, Boston Red Sox and Colorado Rockies was a violation of their intellectual property rights. They suspended us for the 2008 season, then relented and said we would only have to pay them a $50,000 penalty if we wanted to continue being approved for the Major Leagues in 2008 (we were the number two bat in baseball in 2003-2007). $50,000. was more than we made the entire 2007 year, our best year since we started. We are trying to work it out this week, but they won’t budge on the $50,000. 17 Employees at our Jamestown, NY factory are in danger of losing their livelihoods. Not a good situation for us.

When I asked if they mind if I make their email/info. public, they responded with:

It’s all fact, people need to know how they treat small business. They are protecting their licensees and there is absolutely no human element involved whatsoever. Our crafts people are sick about it. I haven’t slept in two months, getting up at 2am worrying about how we stay afloat. Very hard for us to swallow. We’ll work for them for a year to preserve all we’ve accomplished over the past 7 years in getting 305 Major Leaguers to swing our bats

Howard Wolf
hblakewolf@patmedia.net

[kellsox]

Wow- a pretty stiff penalty for items allegedly never sold. I hope things work out for them as I did notice an increasing amount of players using their bats. I never really agreed with the backlash toward XBats. I realize for a while there was no difference between player model and publically purchased XBats, but I never felt that the company had to cater to the collector. Same thing with revealing information about player orders. Not many industries can someone call a company and request information about others' purchases and expect to get help. I don't agree with the way that the employee from XBAts dealt with the situation in the thread posted here a while ago but I;m assuming that they were doing something right based on the amount of players bringing thier bats to the plate.
Kelly

[godwulf]

MLB, out of control, as usual. Those guys make Microsoft look like a bunch of Quakers.

What can you expect, though, from an organization that routinely suspends pitchers for the offense of getting attacked by another player, and tolerates umpires who make up their own strike zone from game to game?

[mvandor]

If the most they've made was under $50,000 in a year, as a businessman, I suggest they find a new line of work. T'ain't enough cheddar to make running ANY biz worth the stress - especially after 7 years.

[camarokids]

If the most they've made was under $50,000 in a year, as a businessman, I suggest they find a new line of work. T'ain't enough cheddar to make running ANY biz worth the stress - especially after 7 years.


Just guessing , but maybe he meant 50k after expenses ??

[mvandor]

Just guessing , but maybe he meant 50k after expenses ??

I assume that was his profit, but unless that's his profit after pulling down significant salaries for himself and other family members, forgeddaboutit. I've been running small businesses for 20+ years and you don't turn off at 5:00 p.m., it dominates your thoughts 24/7. $50 gr might go a ways in parts of Mexico but not even in Arkansas can you provide a middle class lifestyle for a family on that.

JMHO.

[suave1477]

I am not aware of the past thread of XBATS except for the one about they should doing something with the bats to clarify between retail and player bats, but even if they did something wrong in the past I don't feel it is up to MLB to practically put a company out of a business.

On the other hand as MVANDOR said, even if 50k was the profits, that's not a great turn around after 7 years and hope they can weather this storm and become more profitable in the future.

Also if they can fix that one little thing it would be helpful to the collector, but as another member mentioned here they are not catering to us and they don't have too.

[mwbosoxfan]

It's hard to get a good read on the strength of the X-Bats company. As pointed out, healthy family salaries or bonuses would have a great effect on the bottom line. Furthermore, depreciation expense would be at the highest proportional percentage in the first 5-7 years, unless some major future expansion occurred. A major strategy of most small business, and especially family owned businesses, is to limit income to avoid taxes. That is done by the aforementioned items and to further expense as many other items beneficial to the business and its employees. Without further details, the yearly bottom line mentioned doesn't mean much.

The question I do have is, why such a harsh penalty from MLB? Unless X-Bats has done something similar in the past, why not a warning? Especially, if no direct sales were recorded. It makes you think that there may be some other motivation for MLB to take such a hard stance. It would have to be some other monetary motivation. That seems to be the only thing that gets MLB's attention.

I think MLB has become a greed machine. Remember the Extra Innings TV deal last year between cable and the satellites? MLB basically blackmailed them by saying that they have to carry the MLB Channel on a basic tier when it becomes available or you can't carry the baseball package.

I'm not sure where the good comes out of this for the fans, and now with X-Bats, where does the good come out for the players?

[89ASMVPBats]

A few ramblings:

It is important to remember the source of the explanation regarding the X-Bat suspension. The owner of X-Bats would be foolish to admit to some sort of wrongdoing in an email and subsequently permit said email to be posted on a public message board. There is definitely more to the story than the explanation Howard received and the devil is probably in the details (i.e. the contract).

It is likely that the $50,000 fine relates to the licensing fees paid by other bat manufacturers like Louisville Slugger. MLB has a legal obligation to protect its trademark as well as the interests of its licensed manufacturers. Otherwise MLB would run the risk of losing its intellectual property rights and putting companies who pay the licensing fees, like LS, and those who decide that they cannot afford to pay the fees, like Cooperstown Bat, at a competitive disadvantage.

Further, if there was a groundswell of support by players to get the suspension lifted it would only cost the 305 players who swing an X-Bat about $164 a piece to come up with the $50,000 fine.

Drew

eighty9asmvpbats@yahoo.com

[eGameUsed]

Drew,

You bring a good point regarding the use of the trademarks. Many small bat companies don't put team names for a reason - because they can't. It is one thing to be approved for use in the MLB and approved to use the MLB name on your product.

I agree! If the owner of X-Bats is only making $50K a year, he is a poor businessman and needs to reconsider a new business model or product. As someone else suggested, it is very easy to put every member of your family on the payroll and pay them a "fair" salary. The IRS only requires you show a profit 3 out 5 years in operation.

Thanks,

[brianborsch]

I agree with everything stated above except the part where people hope X-bat can get through this. If they are only making 50K profit, then he is a poor businessman.
Their customer service reps are such jerks that I have been wishing their company to go under. In fact, I figured it would regardless. Having a careless attitude as reflected in my and other's encounters means they are going to mess up somewhere and cost them big bucks. Which it did! I wouldn't be surprised if it was their son who has been giving us some wise-assed responses to our questions.
Anyway, to each his own. What goes around comes around! Good riddance (hopefully).
It sounds harsh, but I have tolerated more than I possibly can from those guys.

BB

[kellsox]

Brian-
I have a hard time understanding your anger toward this company. A small business trying to sell bats to major/minor league players has no obligation to answer questions regarding other customers orders. Especially when the people asking the questions probably have no intention of doing business with them anyway. It's a shame that questions were not addressed in a more polite/curtious manner but they must have been doing something right based on the increasing amount of players using their product.
K

[brianborsch]

And I am not saying they were being rude to players, but when someone in the public has an inquiry regarding your company/product, you don't just be a jerk to them because they may not have an intent to actually purchase something. Thats just carelessness and idiocy wrapped up into one! Thats what got them in this mess they are in now.
Its PR man! You got to represent the company well on ALL fronts. Not just to your customers! Otherwise you look like a greedy pig of a company. I (and others) were asking simple questions about their bats and they just be a**holes about it. If this doesn't do them in, I am pleased they may get some realizations from this.

[BMH]

We pay six figures to be allowed to put be the official bat of the MLB and for the right to put the team names on bats. Fifty grand seems cheap to me.

[brianborsch]

Exactly! I agree! All the other bat companies who use team names and are mlb licensed have to pay big bucks to follow the rules. X-bat breaks the rules and then bitches about it because they got called out on it? I gaurantee you they won't break the rules again! It's like being a child all over again!

[BMH]

Hey Brian, send me an email, I have something that will make you very happy about this.

[chakes89]

Isn't XBat one of those companies that gives free bats to players?

Or I am 100% wrong in thinking that?

[Nnunnari]

Brian,
X Bats is in the business of providing bats to professional and amateur ball players, the least of their concerns is the collecting community, as it should be. Why should they be obligated to provide you with any info regarding shipping records? The fact that you are this angry at a bat company is somewhat comical and sad at the same time. These are honest, hard working people and you're wishing them misfortune- this coming from the same guy who said "what goes around comes around"- might want to think about that one bud.
In my opinion X Bats produces the highest quality maple bat on the market (sorry BMH) , getting that many players to switch from L.S. and Rawlings speaks volumes for their product. I'm sure there will be many dissapointed players this year if they are not producing bats.

Nick

[BMH]

No problem Nick, I won't say they're the best;) but they do make a good Maple bat of higher quality than some of the other companies I have seen on the market lately. Xbat has been in business for a while now and in my opinion earned it's place in the ranks of baseball. I put them in the same groups as Rawlings, SAM, and Louisville Slugger.

They aren't the only ones having difficulties with MLB this year. I've had to remix our Black lacquers because they feel it's too dark and doesn't allow the grain to show on our Maple bats and our logo placement was out of spec. I know Rawlings has also had to revamp their Black bats.

[brianborsch]

Nnunnari,

You may think it is sad and comical, but EVERY company should NEVER be a bitch to anyone. EVEN IF PEOPLE ARE NOT YOUR CUSTOMERS! That's my point. No, they are not obligated to do that. But then again, I am NOT OBLIGATED to be trustworthy (but I choose to be because I want people to view me in good light and its just the right thing to do.). So in the same way, they should be nice to people and their inquiries as opposed to being little whiny bitches giving wise-assed cracker remarks.
I will not take back my wishes for their misfortune. I believe they've earned it. Nothing happens on accident. This situation was created from their own failure to act like a normal company. If any other company would be dicks about inquiries from non-customers, they would go out of business. To have a philosophy of treating only your customers nice is bunk and any company with that philosophy will fall hard! Fo' sure! I am sure many others here would agree with me on that.....So Jacoby Ellsbury has to get different bats this year. Cry me a river! LOL!

[BMH]

Nnunnari,

So Jacoby Ellsbury has to get different bats this year. Cry me a river! LOL!


Actually, we signed him to a bat contract during the series :)

[camarokids]

Actually, we signed him to a bat contract during the series :)

Damn your good .....

Are ya'all hiring ????

The only problem is I don't like snow or anything below 50 degrees F and its snows in KY! :eek:

Sorry to change the subject . But do you collect bats ?

[BMH]

I have afew bats thrown up in the attic and some out in the shed. Like I said in another thread my wife was using a games used Pujols bat as a hammer. I should really put some of that stuff away...I don't really collect per se, but if a player gives me a bat I'll keep it or give it to one of my employees.

[gameused]

Actually, we signed him to a bat contract during the series :)

BMH,

Here's Ellsbury at spring training with his LVS M-9

Bobby

[BMH]

Nice photo!

In fact I just made him a new model this morning. I took the E55 and put a C271 style knob on it for him. I'm calling it the E55M. I'm getting lazy with model numbers here lately...

[kylehess10]

If X-Bats is suspended from MLB then why am I seeing so many players still using them in Spring Training this year??

[Birdbats]

If X-Bats is suspended from MLB then why am I seeing so many players still using them in Spring Training this year??

Could be bats left over from last season... or, could be new bats that are OK to use in exhibition games, but can't be used during the regular season. Will be interesting to see if anyone is swinging X-Bat on/after opening day.

[BMH]

I saw Xbat out when I was visiting I think Detroit, they are back in the good graces of MLB. I guess they paid they're fine. Also saw Abat (who used to turn Xbat's bats), Carolina club, and some of the smaller companies out and about. It was a fun experience meeting all the players, I must admit I'm glad to be back home...

[earlywynnfan]

I'm holding here a picture that was in the newspaper of Jhonny Peralta breaking his X-Bat during a game with the White Sox on Thursday, April 3, so I guess either they're being allowed or Jhonny is looking for a fine.

Ken

[platinum1]

Well it looks like Miguel Cabrera is using something else. In today's game he went up with 3 different bats the last one was a Sam's Bat