World Series Bats a Louisville Tradition

Someone will come up with a big hit that helps decide the World Series and that game-used bat will become an instant piece of baseball history. They'll be watching closely at the Louisville Slugger factory.

It's where many of the bats used by the Yankees and Phillies are made. Earlier this week, Slugger shipped the bats created for use by Yankee players under contract to the company. They make bats for both Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez. The Phillies lumber was sent out just after they eliminated the Dodgers in the National League Championship series.

Louisville Courier-Journal columnist Eric Crawford and a photographer visited the factory to get the scoop on how many bats are made--for game use and just for keeps. They also learned why Jeter's on-field consistency is matched by his bat selection, why ARod's bat model dates back 35 years and why the company has to stay on its toes these days.

Read the story, watch the video and check out the pictures