Legend has it that the Louisville Slugger was created after woodworker and baseball fan John Hillerich witnessed player Pete Browning become irritated when his bat broke. After the game was over Hillerich approached Browning offering to make a new bat for the player. Browning agreed and played with the new bat now known as the Louisville Slugger, the next day going three for three in a professional game. This public introduction of the Louisville Slugger generated a demand so strong that the Hillerich family was soon focusing much of their woodworking business on baseball bats.

The success of the Louisville Slugger baseball bats was further increased in 1905 when for the first time in sports a professional athlete agreed to endorse a product. Baseball player Honus Wagner of the Pittsburgh Pirates agreed to a paid endorsement of the Louisville Slugger that was branded with his autograph. Part of the appeal of Louisville Sluggers for baseball fans back then and today is that they could buy the same model of bat as the big-league players they admired.

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Somethingthat got started with the Louisville Slugger is the branding of players names on the bat. Before, to keep track of your bat, you simply had to carve your name into it. There were other players who used the Slugger around the turn of the century. Players like Willie Keeler and Hugh Duffy played with a Louisville slugger. The Legendary Ty Cobb also used a Louisville slugger in this era. The Hillerich and Bradsby Company became the company to go to for a great bat.