The Ball Hawg™ Beginnings

When Mike Compton was Minor League Catching Coordinator for the Philadelphia Phillies, he encountered a major problem:  he injured his back.  As a professional coach, he felt obligated to continue helping his young players, but the simple act of bending over and picking up a baseball, something he did hundreds of times daily, became an almost unbearable task. The recipient of the Phillies’ 2010 John Vukovich Coaching Award would not be deterred.  Instead of relenting to the pain and taking time off, he was determined to find a way to deal with it.

As with most inventions, the primary driving force for a new product is need.  ‘Compy,’ as Mike is often called, had a great need.  With the intent of developing a device that would be his “back saver,” Mike experimented with different designs and methods of retrieving balls and eventually developed a prototype he liked and began using. As other coaches and players saw how efficient Mike’s device was, they began requesting his “back saver.”  Soon, Mike’s invention could be seen throughout the Phillies organization.  As time went on, visiting teams noticed Mike’s invention and began asking him to make the device for their use.   Mike’s garage became his workshop and much of his spare time was spent making the popular device.  Mike had invented and perfected his “back saver,” the Ball Hawg™. With his new invention in hand, Mike had his eldest son (whom just so happens to be a Patent Attorney) apply for and receive two patents for Mike’s invention:  U.S. Patent Nos. 8,191,945 and D606,603.

In 2007, Robert Oates, of Oates Specialties LLC, saw his first Ball Hawg™ when attending the Phillies Spring Training in Clearwater. While visiting with renowned physical therapist Phil Donley, Robert noticed brightly colored tube-shaped devices in each of the batting cages.  At the time, the device was used almost exclusively in professional baseball.  Curious about the Ball Hawg™, Phil shared with Robert that the tool was created by their Catching Coordinator and introduced Mike to Robert.  That meeting began a personal friendship and led to a business relationship between Mike and Robert that has endured more than a decade, with Mike permitting Oates Specialties LLC to be the exclusive distributor of the Ball Hawg™.

Mike, a 2017 inductee into the Sul Ross University Hall of Fame, had created an invaluable tool for coaches and players at all levels. Certainly Mike should know the value of a good training aid, he has played and coached at virtually every level of baseball. Mike was drafted by the Phillies and climbed through their farm system to make the 1970 opening day Major League roster, playing three more seasons until he suffered a career ending knee injury in a home plate collision.

Following his playing career, Mike began coaching with the Phillies and subsequently coached in the Cincinnati Reds and Tampa Bay Rays organizations before rejoining the Phillies again in 2004 where he enjoyed five consecutive division championships, a National League Championship and a World Series Championship.  During his professional coaching career, Mike served as a minor league coach, manager, catching coordinator, and field coordinator.  Mike retired from professional baseball in 2015 as the Phillies Senior Advisor, Player Development.  His Ball Hawg™ invention continues as one of his legacies, saving time, making practices more efficient, and “saving backs”.