Mash Bats - About Us

So why purchase a bat from Mash Bats?

Well let me tell you a little bit about us. Mash Bats was basically started on the power of a dream and for the love of the game.

It all began one day back in 1999, Nolan Ryan was to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame that summer. My wife being a huge Ryan fan wanted to go, what was I to say. I'm sure all of you would have given the same answer, casually "sure". Man the Baseball Hall of Fame, this is going to be awesome. We had our national elimination tournament up in Northern Ontario and after it was over; our journey to Cooperstown was to begin. The tournament was not a success, actually our worst showing ever getting eliminated before we even got started. There were quite a few low spots but we did play in Jet Form Stadium which is used for AAA baseball. That was definitely a highlight as we were able to take the same field as future Big leaguers.

David Valentini, Owner of Mash Bats

The first day was driving to New York state, we crossed the border and into the Adirondack mountains we drove. We stayed in a small little camp ground in the heart of the mountains and had our first night in that little tent. The last thing the camp director mentioned to us was to be sure to keep all food in the car, there had been a few bear sightings. We heard some noises that night, I'm guessing they were probably raccoons; anyway we had a blast. I was up early preparing breakfast as I was eager to get travelling, our next stop would be that quaint little village called Cooperstown.

As we drove around the lake and eventually made it to the center of town I had only one thought on my mind, let's park and get to the Hall. We did just that, we passed by all the little shops and headed straight to heaven on earth. We spent all day there, well as much as we could with a three year old. We saw lockers that belong to Babe Ruth and Mickey Mantle, gloves that looked like oven mitts and bats that were actually tree limbs. There was so much to see it was never ending, I was in awe with every step I took and with everything I saw. We were truly in heaven, unbelievable and if you're a baseball fan and have never been, it's definitely worth the trip from where ever you might be coming from.

"As excited as I was to see these guys they seemed just as excited to see me, man what a feeling."

It was time to hit some shops, and there was nothing but baseball stores. Well that's not entirely true, if it wasn't a ball store it was a restaurant. We stopped in almost all of them and picked up a little something from a few of them. Then we stopped into the "Where it All Began Bat Company" ironic name. This little shop was great, baseball bats everywhere. We picked up a little bat for my daughter and had her name put on it, as we left I saw a little sign in the window stating that there manufacturing facility was only a block away. I wanted to see it so with some convincing we walked the three blocks up to the factory.

We walked through the doorway and into a long corridor, on one side there were the stages in producing a bat from a log and on the right side there was a huge window into there shop floor. We saw a portly fellow get up from his chair, walk over to the wood turning lathe and pick up a billet of wood, just a straight round piece of wood. He placed it into the lathe and tightened a few bolts. Then he spun it by hand to be sure it was centered and then he flipped the switch. The piece of wood spun around super fast and he stepped back a step to be sure everything was still good. It was; so then he flipped the next switch and right before my eyes he turned that round piece of wood into a baseball bat.

Right then and there I turned to my wife and said that's what I want to do. When I get too old to play at the level I was playing I wanted to make baseball bats. I was always a fairly good ball player, I thought as many did that I was destined for the big leagues but that didn't happen. I made it as far as playing for a college in Arizona and had three pro try-outs where I was told I simply wasn't good enough. The best I'd ever be, would be an average player, they always look for the potential of a superstar. My dream of making the big leagues was over but not for long. I'm still playing amateur ball in a very serious league in the Greater Toronto Area and I'm having a blast but my playing days are numbered.

So I started Mash Bats in 1999 and we haven't looked back since. In 2001 our bats were approved to be used by pro players at the highest level of professional baseball and I had finally made it to the big leagues. My dream had come true, not as a player but as a bat manufacturer. You couldn't image the feeling that I would get when I had chance to meet some players. 2001 was a tough year, learning the ins and outs and really not connecting with any players. 2002 was a different story, with the help of the local team we were able to talk to some of the players and finally make some bats for them. As excited as I was to see these guys they seemed just as excited to see me, man what a feeling. That let me know that they liked my bats. Seeing the bats that I made being used by pro players as I watched the game either on T.V. or down at the park is a feeling I will never tire of.

David Valentini still finding time to play a little ball. The team has their sites set for the nationals. The Newmarket Hawks have a great team this year and hope to be in Winnepeg in the fall.

So back to my original question; Why buy bats from us, well I'll tell you why. We will make bats for Pro Players and bats for amateur players from the very same wood with the very same grain patterns. Other companies might say they do that but we are for sure the only company that really does. Take some time to read our testimonials, you can read all you want but the proof is in the pudding. Get a Mash Bat for yourself and let us show you what a Pro bat really feels like.