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Founded by Michael Ross Campbell in
1870, the M.R. Campbell Co. operated a
hub & spoke company in Tullahoma, Tenn.
Manufacturing automobile parts,
carriages and buggy shafts, M.R.
Campbell entered the baseball bat
market by the 1920's. They also
manufactured golf shafts and other
sporting goods of wood. Just as JF Hillerich Co. did,
they began to
manufacturer baseball bats from wagon
tongues that had been used for covered
wagons. The company remained in
operation until 1935.
Because of the lack of catalog information, it is difficult
to accurately date these bats. The M.R. Campbell
chain-link oval center brands without
"Inc." after M.R. Campbell most likely
predate the bats with center
brands that have "INC" after M.R.
Campbell.
The Ace model with the chain-link oval, and the Camel Logo center brands are
M.R. Campbell's top of the line
baseball bats. Some have been
attributed to use by Major League
players. The M.R. Campbell Inc. line of
baseball bats also include; Ace
Duplicated Model Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, No. 10
Diamond Ball Ash, Amateur,
No. 250 Major League Jimmie Foxx, No. 400
Professional Number Scholastic, League, No.
450 Big League Regulation, No. 30
Official Indoor, and Official Diamond
Ball Bat.
It has been noted that Hillerich
& Bradsby owned M.R. Campbell at
one time but there is no documentation
available or records that show this.
More information will be added to this
page when it becomes available.
Player endorsements on M.R. Campbell
baseball bats include: Kid Elberfeld,
Walter Butch Henline, Al Simmons, KiKi
Cuyler, Lyn Lary, Jimmie Reese, and Jimmie Fox
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