If you’ve ever seen Major League players hit, you most likely saw a lizard skin on the handle of their bat. These polymer-based grips have taken over baseball and can come in colorful sights like camo, blue, etc. I use one myself as I am an aspiring baseball player trying to make it to the show. However, these grips have got me wondering where they came from, so let’s dive in!
Mookie Betts, an MLB superstar, uses the Lizard Skin for his bat grip in-game, which is red, white, and blue. (Athlete: Mookie Betts. Photograph by Arturo Pardavila III Source: Wikipedia Commons Date: September 27, 2016).
I was researching where Lizard Skins came from, and I stumbled across this article from The Athletic and gave it a read. It was gripping and gave an intriguing story of how Lizard Skins went from being the handle grip for bikes to being the premier batting grip for baseball players.
The company, Lizard Skins, was founded by Brian Fruit, who used to be a young Brigham Young University student. In his senior year, he needed some cash and started going around town to see if local shops going out of business would give him cheap bike parts. Afterward, he would sell them, leading to him meeting Lance Larson, a bike parts maker. After this meeting, Lizard Skins was born. Their beginning was slow, but thanks to smart decisions and lucky events, they turned their side hustle into a company known throughout cycling. But it doesn’t stop there!
In 2001, Brian became the sole CEO after buying Larson out. Soon after, Brian and his general manager, Brad Barker, realized that the company’s most popular product was the polymer-based handlebar grips.
However, Lizard Skins’ path to being the go-to batting grip for baseball players starts at the 2011 Tour de France. During the race, a Dutch cycler named Johnny Hoogerland experienced a crash after a production crew car hit a rider, which caused a domino effect that resulted in Hoogerland flying into a barbed wire fence and having multiple serious injuries. Still, he finished the stage of the race and became adored for how he handled the situation.
Nonetheless, Hoogerland’s bike featured a lizard skin handlebar grip, and the crash exposed the company worldwide. Until then, the company’s growth was slow since the polymer used for the grip pushed its price point higher than that of competitors. As a result, Fruit and Barker began to see other purposes for the handlebar grip. Barker used the grip for his baseball bats, and the idea exploded.
So, the company started to modify the handlebar grip into the baseball bat grip we know today. In 2012, they took it to the American Baseball Coaches Association Trade Show and won best new product. Soon, they started selling the bat wraps to a few sporting goods stores and gained many repeat customers. But, Fruit and Barker felt that the product was incomplete and needed more adjustments. This is where John Buck enters the story; he was a journeyman catcher trying to be part of the 2013 ABCA trade show. Soon, he connected with Lizard Skins, and they agreed to meet. After seeing the product, Buck stated that they had a great product, but it could be thinner. Barker and Fruit agreed, talked to their manufacturer, and got to work. After more tinkering, Barker and Fruit eventually created the product they envisioned.
In 2013, Buck attended spring training with the Mets and had teammates like David Wright, whose nickname became Captain America. Wright eventually became the company’s first sponsored athlete, and they sent him a red, white, and blue grip to go with his nickname. Players wanted color, and Lizard Skins offered them a solution. By 2015, over 150 MLB players were using their product, including Mike Trout, Mookie Betts, and others. Eventually, teams were hooked and started ordering grips in bulk, and in 2016 Lizard Skins struck a deal with the MLB to become their official bat grip provider. The company continued to grow and venture into other sports like Pickleball, Lacrosse, and more.
Mike Trout, an MLB superstar, uses Lizard Skin for his bat grip during batting practice, which is neon yellow. (Athlete: Mike Trout Photogrpaher: Arturo Pardavila III Source: Wikipedia Commons Date: July 11, 2016).
Ultimately, Lizard Skins’ success can be linked back to their attention to detail. Founder Brian Fruit stated in the Athletic article, “Everything we ever tried to do was building blocks. Repeat customers, good, quality business.” I truly believe this is why lucky breaks happened for them, like the crash and MLB players getting hooked on their fantastic grip. Brian Fruit’s story of Lizard Skins is a perfect example of a company changing and innovating constantly. It also shows how perseverance, hard work, and respect for others are crucial if people want to succeed in business, sports, and other aspects of life.
