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MANUFACTURING PERIOD
Circa 1970-2007
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MANUFACTURER
Worth Lannom Manufacturing Co. Inc., Tennessee
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Founded by George Sharp Lannom
Jr. in 1912 as Lannom Manufacturing
Company. A producer of leather horse
collars and harnesses, Lannom developed
a sporting goods line in order to
utilize his tannery, after the coming
of the automobile. Expanding the
business in 1921 they added helmets,
basketballs, baseballs and later
softballs. Naming the line "Worth," Lannom created the slogan "Another Name
for Value."
After operating under the Lannom Manufacturing Co. Inc of Tullahoma for 75
years, the company name was changed to
Worth Inc. in 1987, to strengthen its
corporate identity in the sporting
equipment industry. The Worth Inc.
operating divisions are Worth Bat Co,
Worth Sports Co., Worth Ball Co., and
Worth Accessories Co., as well as
Lannom Tannery. In 2007, Worth was
acquired by Jarden Corporation and is
now a division of Rawlings and Jarden
Team Sports.
The Worth Sports Company, formally organized in 1975, entered the baseball bat
market in 1970. The bulk of the wooden
retail bats were sold in the 1970s, but
the company devoted most of it's time
producing aluminum bats moving forward
into the 1980s. In 1985, General
Electric and Worth produced the first
graphite and plastic bat. It had the
strength of aluminum with the sound of
wood. GE's Plastic Group Technology
Center worked on the bats development
for 2 years for Worth for free.
Professional quality Worth baseball bats made their way to the
1975 College World
Series. Worth supplied baseball bats
for the NCAA for many years to come.
When Kirk Gibson hit his famous pinch
hit, walk-off Home Run in game 1, of
the 1988 World Series, he was using a
Worth bat. Other Major League baseball
players that used Worth bats include;
Dwight Evans, Andre Dawson, Mike Greewell, George Bell, Steve Garvey,
and Tony Gwynn, just to name a few.
Jose Canseco also used a Worth bat, and endorsed the Worth Canseco retail
bat. Worth issued a baseball card
promoting the "Canseco Bat" in 1988.
(below left column)
1970-1985 Worth branded, last
name "Player
Style" retail models include;
Major League 200 Aaron Style, 200
Robinson Style, 200 Carty Style, 200 Kaline Style, 400 Robinson Style, 400
Mantle Style, MAPL Kaline Style,
Tennessee Thumper 500 Pinson Style, 500
Dick McAuliffe Pro-Line, 500T Tennessee
Thumper Rose Style, 500S Pro-Line
Special Mantle Style, Little League
models; 100LL Mantle Style, F100LL Alou Style, F100LL Carew Style, 300LL Carty
Style, and 100SB Softball Bat. The
higher grade, pro-quality bats have a
Registered trademark ® inside the oval.
1983-1988 Worth outline logo, Hand Crafted models include Full Name block
letter endorsements, Sal Bando, and Sixto Lezcano. 1988-1989
"W" trademark Worth logo
"Hand Crafted" models
include; Jose Canseco, Rod Carew, and Danny Tartabull.
1992-1995 "W" trademark Worth logo
models include; Don Mattingly, Frank Thomas, Andre Dawson, Benito Santiago,
and Hand Crafted 500T
Large WORTH barrel brand retail models include, Model 200 Baseball, Model
300, 310 Official Baseball, 500T
Tennessee Thumper, Model 300LL Little
League, Model 500LLT Little League
Tennessee Thumper, Tee-ball bat, 485SB Ball Buster
Softball Bat, 495SB Beer League
Softball bat, 495SB Big Hammer Softball
Bat, 100SB Official Softball, 500SB Smoker Softball Bat
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Wright & Ditson
Baseball Bats |
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Worth No. 100LL Mantle Style
Baseball Bat |
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1970-1985 Retail Branding |
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1975 College World Series Game
Used Worth Tennessee Thumper
Baseball Bat |
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1970-1985 Pro Quality
bat Label |
1983-1988 Pro
Quality bat Label |
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| 1988-1989 Pro Quality "TM" Bat Label |
1990-1991 Pro Quality bat Label |
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1992-1995 Pro Quality bat
Label |
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1986-2007 Retail Bats |
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KEYMAN COLLECTIBLES
RELATED RESOURCES |
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