VIEWFINDER: The Man Who Crafted 2 Million Baseball Bats

Photographer Melissa Lyttle got up close and personal with master craftsman Danny Luckett, who is retiring after making baseball bats for Louisville Slugger for nearly 46 years. Luckett has crafted more than two million bats, including some for more than 65 members of the Baseball Hall of Fame. He made bats for Hank Aaron's final seven seasons, a stretch during which Aaron hit 201 of his 755 home runs, including the bat used to hit number 715, breaking Babe Ruth's record. After meeting Luckett in 2009, Aaron told reporters, "I should've taken Danny into the Hall of Fame with me."

Author:
SI Staff
Publish date:
Oct 7, 2015