3" Wood Dugout

Stories vary. Some say it’s because the original devices were “dug out” of wood. Others say that it’s a baseball reference, since a dugout is where ball players stash their supplies. And since another name for a one hitter is a bat…the name made sense.

Either way, here’s a fun fact: the term “dugout” originated as a brand name for this invention, patented in 1978. Over time, “dugout” became the generic term, just like you might say “Kleenex” instead of tissue or “Chapstick” instead of lip balm. When a brand name becomes synonymous with the common name, that’s called genericide. Metal.