Joc Pederson, B45 leave mark on Fall Classic
Could the most powerful bat in the Fall Classic be made from a tree that grew in your backyard? It’s possible.
With a fourth home run during the World Series, he would have joined a select group including Babe Ruth, Barry Bonds and Lou Gehrig. If he had to deliver a night à la Reggie Jackson – with three long balls – he would have destroyed the record of Chase Utley and Jackson himself.
Since last season and during the playoffs, Pederson has been using the bats handcrafted by B45, a business located in Quebec City.
The bat company was the first to use yellow birch, which grows mostly north of Shawinigan to La Tuque in Mauricie, as well as in southern Estrie and Beauce.
“We were the first to use yellow birch and since then, many companies have done it. It’s rarely their main production and there are few companies that use only yellow birch like us. Since there is really no technology, we could not patent the use of this species and be the only ones. But we have developed the expertise very well, “says B45 Marketing Director Marc-Antoine Gariépy.
More than three hundred major and minor league players currently use the B45 bats and Pederson’s success should allow the company to continue its growth, which is expected to produce 20,000 bats this year.
In addition, one of the partners, former Big League pitcher Éric Gagné, still has excellent connections in the Show, especially among Los Angeles.
“Of course, this kind of advertising is good, although in the case of Pederson, our logo is not easy to see due to the look that the young player chooses (silver logo on a clear varnished barrel). So for the past three days, our job has been to let people know that he is using our bats, but it is difficult because we are limited and we do not have the rights on photos and videos. It’s a good challenge, “concludes Gariépy.
Translation from a report by Nicolas Ducharme, Le Nouvelliste, November 2, 2017