The history of baseball can be traced into the 1300's, surprisingly to places such as Russia and some countries in Europe. Baseball can be traced back to the 1700's here in America to informal games that were played much more aggressively with few rules and even fewer rules specifying the equipment that could be used, especially the bats used for batting. There wasn't just one size or shape. Men used homemade baseball bats that were sometimes long, short, heavy, or even flat. This seemingly simple tool would not be perfected for a while. The earliest rules of the game set by an organization were implemented in 1845 by the amateur New York Knickerbockers. This was a team that was formed as a social club for the upper middle classes of New York City. Alexander Cartwright was the club leader and is the person credited with being the 'father' of baseball, which is commonly rumored to have been Abner Doubleday. The Knickerbockers were the first to play under the 'force out' rules of baseball and were no longer able to get a base runner out by hitting or 'plugging' him with the ball. In 1859, the rules finally set limitations on the size of the bat. Baseball bats were now being limited to 2.5 inches in diameter. A rule that has remained the same until today was implemented 10 years later stating that the length of a bat could not exceed 42 inches in length. Although, no ballplayers use a bat anywhere near that length when playing in a game. By 1890, the rules involving the size of a baseball bat became much more specific stating that a bat had to be round and could no longer be sawed off; this was shortly after the first American bat making company was in business. Pete Browning was a player on the hometown Louisville baseball team in 1884. Attending one of the local ballgames, then 17 year old John Hillerich, who was a wood worker for his father, witnessed Browning break his favorite bat in a ballgame. After the game, Hillerich went home to craft a replacement bat out of white ash lumber for Browning. The next day Browning went 3 for 3 making that bat to become known unofficially as' the Louisville Slugger baseball bat'. Word spread quickly of this new innovation and soon after people were paying the father and son wood workers to craft more. The Hillerich's started making baseball bats under that soon to be household name. Honus Wagner was the first player to endorse a Louisville baseball bat by allowing his name to be engraved into the bat which is still done today. The bats have always been top quality and have basically been the same baseball bat over time, but weigh less and have a thinner handle today. Louisville Slugger baseball bat reviews are usually very favorable by comparison to other baseball bat reviews. The 'Louisville Slugger' set the standard for baseball bat makers to follow.