Going, going, gone: A Canadian baseball empire is up for sale on eBay

By
DAVID NAYLOR

Courtesy of globeandmail.com

OTTAWA -- The on-line auction site eBay is known for selling some unique items from the world of sport. But there's likely never been one quite like the one Sam Holman put up for sale over the weekend.

Holman, the Ottawa carpenter who turned a garage hobby into one of the most remarkable entrepreneurial stories in sport, is selling his nine-year-old bat-making company on-line.
For $3.5-million (U.S.), a buyer can own the Original Maple Bat Corp., the maker of Sam Bat and provider of tools to some of major-league baseball's greatest hitters, including Barry Bonds, Albert Pujols and Ryan Howard.

"There are two reasons I'm selling," Holman said. "One is that I'm underfunded and the corporation needs funding to reach capacity. It has a huge future in front of it. I'm sure of it.

"The other is that I'm 61 and I need an exit strategy that would dovetail with being 65. I'm willing to work for a few years to make this happen. I certainly have a vast knowledge of what I'm doing and some unbelievable contacts."

The advertisement on eBay.ca offers a 29,000-square-foot heated building in Gatineau, Que., kilns, machinery, trademark, patents, 888 telephone number, website and client list of the world's top hitters in baseball.

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