Players swing for the fences with bats that begin in Bernie

BERNIE, Mo. -- It's a little known fact in the area that many baseball bats used by Major League Baseball players have their start in Bernie, a town of about 2,000 people in Stoddard County.

David Keathley, a Dexter resident and Bernie native, is responsible for that.

A lifelong baseball fan who comes from a woodworking family, Keathley was introduced to batmaking years ago. It was a hobby and a way to help the region's young athletes. When he was contacted by the Old Hickory Bat Co., it quickly became something more.

He already had downsized his personal business and was looking for work that would allow him to spend more time at home with his family.

"It was just the perfect fit and the perfect timing," Keathley said of his working for Old Hickory Bat Co.

David Keathley of Bernie unloads dowels from a kiln to make bats that may be used in a major league ballpark.

Established in 1999, the company has its headquarters just north of Nashville, Tenn. Current MLB players using Old Hickory bats include Matt Holliday of the St. Louis Cardinals, Mike Trout of the Los Angeles Angels and Yasiel Puig of the Los Angeles Dodgers -- to name a few.

Keathley said many players aren't as loyal to their bats as they once were.

"When they struggle, the first thing they do is switch bats," he said. "Usually that's how they find a new model or style they like."

The wood for the bats is cut throughout the northeastern United States and Canada before being shipped to a mill in Pennsylvania to undergo its initial processes.

"Our logs are never sawed," Keathley said. "They are cut to 40 inches and then split. That's what gives us the straightness of the grain."

After the green wood is processed in Pennsylvania, it is shipped by truck to Bernie, where Keathley begins his job. He allows the wood to dry naturally for as long as possible and then places it into a massive kiln to complete the drying process.

The computer-controlled vacuum kiln holds approximately 1,500 bat dowels. It takes about 10 days for the dowels to dry sufficiently.

When the dowels come out of the kiln, their shape has changed.

"Wood takes on kind of an egg shape when it comes out of the kiln," Keathley said. "Then I mill it down."

When he mills the wood to two and three-quarter inches, he also works to separate the wood based on quality.

The very best quality wood is used in the custom bats made for major league baseball players.

The real trick is knowing which dowels will be good for which bat. Taken into account are considerations such as handle width, barrel size and cup -- the concave surface at the barrel's end -- with the location of any imperfections within the wood, the tightness of the grain and other factors.

The completed dowels are then packed and shipped to Old Hickory' 6,500 square-foot-factory and showroom, where the wood is turned on a lathe into the exact specifications requested by the player.

"I'm so fortunate to be able to do something I love for a living," Keathley said, adding that his entire family has been in the woodworking business.

Two years ago, Keathley was handling approximately 95 percent of the wood for Old Hickory Bat Co. As the company has continued to grow, he's handling more wood than ever and it amounts to about 65 percent.

Wood comes in regularly, and he says they always need more in the summer.

"This is definitely our busy season," Keathley said. "Between major leaguers and teens baseball, it's a real struggle to keep up with the demand."

Keathley said he enjoys watching Major League Baseball games and seeing the different bats the players use.

"There are so many factors," he said.

Some players prefer a slim handle and larger barrel, while others like a larger handle or different knob.

"One of the common misconceptions is that a bigger barrel will make you hit the ball farther," Keathley said. "That's not true like it is with an aluminum bat."

He explained that aluminum bats have a sort of "trampoline effect" meaning that a bigger surface area can improve contact. With a wood bat, regardless of the barrel size, the sweet spot is small.

Another common belief is that heavier bats mean a player will hit the ball farther.

"It's all about bat speed and ball placement," he said. "All of the weight in the world won't matter if you can't get the bat on the ball fast enough."

He explained that Barry Bonds hit the majority of his home runs with a rather light bat. Regardless of Bonds' issues, it still illustrates the value of bat speed, of which Bonds had plenty.

Keathley takes great pride in the work he does and enjoys seeing his work used by some of the game's greatest players. He also has grown to appreciate the recognition of the company that employs him.

There are more than 200 bat manufacturers in the United States. Only 30 are approved for use by MLB. Old Hickory Bat Co. is among the fourth or fifth most used in the league.

For more information, check the company out online at oldhickorybats.com.