After founding a bat company with his father, Matthew Rollins is swinging for the fences
Long before the crack of the bat comes the whirr of the lathe, and both have provided the soundtrack of Matthew Rollins’ life. After playing baseball at Blue Ridge High School, he was a four-year starter at North Greenville University and played professionally, but he soon became intrigued by the business side of the game.
“I realized I still love baseball,” says the former centerfielder. “What is a way I can have a business that is woven into the game?”
He teamed up with his father, carpenter Eddie Rollins, and Anchor Bat Company was born in 2014.
Tucked in a sprawling garage and several outbuildings next to Matthew’s grandmother’s ranch-style home in Taylors, Anchor Bat’s headquarters has the cluttered look of a woodworker’s studio, with tables and racks brimming with clamps, glue, paintbrushes, and gusting fans.
A vivid row of bats—green, gold, shimmering bronze—lines the wall of the back room, emblazoned with logos for Shark Week, Star Wars, Ghostbusters, and “Fire Away,” a Chris Stapleton song. While Matthew estimates that 90 percent of the bats made by Anchor go to high-level players, about 10 percent go to companies looking for creative ways to decorate or to hand out unique gifts at promotional events.
“The artisan bats are fun to do,” Rollins says. “It’s different from what we usually do.”
What the Anchor team usually does is make bats and other merch that players and fans want. “We want to make a great product with a strong brand presence,” he says. “Everyone expects a good quality product, so when I am dealing with draft picks, high school kids—the differentiator is, they want to be part of the brand and part of the story. So we’re intentional around everything we do from a brand perspective.”
Anchor Bat Company’s Home Run Approach
That includes the Anchor name, which took months to select. A Christian, Rollins wanted that subtly reflected in the name, while also choosing a word and logo that would be recognizable around the world. The Anchor name hit the mark.
“It catches the attention of people,” he says. “They like the brand, the intentionality, and the look and feel of things.”
Eddie Rollins is a master craftsman with experience making guitars, furniture, and most anything made of wood. In the early days, he crafted each bat by hand. Now, he brings his exacting eye to ensuring each bat meets his high standards.
The quest for quality never ends, with maple provided by Amish woodworkers (the team has to purchase it in person, since the Amish don’t use phones or email), the latest computer-aided equipment, and resins and finishes researched alongside Clemson University engineers.
Though the big box stores have offered them space to sell their bats, Matthew Rollins says Anchor has been scaling up more slowly. He expects an expanded line—soon to include metal bats, gloves, and other products—to take its place in Dick’s, Academy Sports, and the like in the near future. The popular hats and T-shirts will be available as well, possibly in time for Christmas 2023.
The team also plans to move to a larger space, though details aren’t available just yet.
For now, Matthew and Eddie Rollins are content to get to work in their cluttered garage. Matthew’s wife, Delecta, pitches in with social media assistance, and their daughter, Marli Claire, 14, joins the team on trips. It’s still a family affair, but growing in scope every day.
Like the players he partners with, trying to make the big leagues, “We’re just always trying to get better,” he says.
Anchor Bat Company’s Celebrity Hits
These top players and other celebs have recently been seen wearing Anchor garb or swinging Anchor bats:
- Jose Ramirez (MLB’s Cleveland Guardians)
- Raphael Devers (MLB’s Boston Red Sox)
- Kenny Pickett (Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback)
- Bill Murray (actor)
- Chris Stapleton (singer)
- Jason and Brittany Aldean (singer/ influencer)
- John Smoltz (retired Atlanta Braves star)
Big League decor
Occasionally, Anchor’s bats are requested for design purposes. Here are two places you can see them locally:
- The Bellwether — The new restaurant next to Fluor Field features 50 Anchor bats incorporated into its design.
- Fluor Field — 20 bats will hang on an accent wall as part of the park’s latest renovations.
Photography courtesy of Anchor Bat Co.
