Articles Here is what the baseball community is saying about The Akadema Company:
	Sports Edge pick for 25 Leaders to Watch in the Sporting Goods for 2004. Cherly Barre-Russel; Michael Pallerino-Sports Authority; Xavier Anguiano-XSports, Hank Bernbaum-Hie Sierra; Dan Bower-Century Fitness, Faust Capobianco-Majestic, Alen Cohen-Finish Line; Killic Data-Global Brand; Jim Davis-New Balance; Dick Enrico-2nd Wind Fitness; Ike Franco-Franco Apparel; Joe Gilligan & Lawrence Gilligan-Akadema Inc, Richard Heckman-K2; Nissan Joseph-Hickory Brands; Kerry Kligerman- Vital Apparel, Steven Miller-Big 5; Rick Mina-Foot Locker; Lawrence Montgomery-Kohls; George Napier-Prince, Shawn Neville-Footstar; Jeff Patrick-Houis Fitness; Kevin Plank-Under Armour, Cathy Pryor-Hibbett, Roger Talermo- Amer Group; Matt Zale- US Athletics. Joe & Lawrence Gilligan (CEO and President) In a typically conservative team sports category, Joe and Lawrence Gilligan delivered a loud wake-up call when they unveiled a host of innovative and somewhat radical-products in 1997. And they haven't let up yet. With cool names such as "Reptilian" and "Praying Mantis" -among others- they are helping change the way players view equipment. So what's next? The company is investing into R&D for future innovations and promises not to disappoint.
	Lawrence Gilligan’s dream of reaching the major leagues has faded but he and brother Joe aim to transform the national pastime. Their Garfield company, Akadema, makes innovative gloves and bats that have begun to gain big-league favor. Noah Liberman(Glove Expert and historian) calls "Akadema the most creative of the 15 baseball glove makers in the market today. That includes giants like Rawlings, Wilson, Mizuno and Nike. Gloves are traditional and manufacturers have resisted innovation for years. There are forces of tradition that these guys are bucking." "We don't have Derek Jeter or Nomar Garciaparra," says Lawrence Gilligan (president of Akadema) "But we do have the next generation of stars." "People are getting to know Akadema now. In six years everyone will know Akadema," notes Joe Gilligan, CEO of Akadema
	Lawrence Gilligan’s path to the Major Leagues started in 1993 at the end of a bench in a decrepit minor-league ballpark in the middle of nowhere: Howard Johnson Stadium, in Johnson City, Tennessee. Stuck for the third year at the minors’ Single A level, Gilligan’s hopes of someday reaching the Major Leagues were slipping away. “Reality was about to slap me in the face,” says the Ringwood native and former Lakeland Regional High School star, now 34. “My chances of reaching the big leagues were slim and none, and slim had just jumped out of the window.” That fateful day, Gilligan, a poor fielder, stared at his glove as if it were the true culprit. Though his idea began to take shape, Gilligan didn’t actually sketch anything out until several days after that first brainstorm. One night, having passed up an opportunity to party with his teammates, he stayed in his motel room and made a rough drawing. Then he stuck it in his suitcase and pretty much forgot about it. Three years later that simple sketch would lead him to the Majors, though not the way he had envisioned. With his brother, Joe, Gilligan started Akadema as a baseball-glove company, translating a desperate ballplayer’s late-inning musings into state-of-the-art design. In a hidebound industry that welcomes innovation as one might a chin-high fastball from Roger Clemens, the company has made its mark. The brothers believe that their grassroots approach and their unwillingness to get caught up in competing with the big boys are reflected in their products. “We hope players say ‘I’m different from everyone else, and so are they,’” says Joe.
	10 Manufacturers to Watch for 2004: Akadema, GoLite, High Sierra, New Balance, Prince, Reebok,Vital Apparel, York, Under Armour, X-Sports
	Akadema, based in Garfield, NJ opened its doors in 1997 and has earned a reputation as the most radical innovators and equipment designers in the industry.
	Baseball has often been called a thinking man's game. When Lawrence Gilligan, president of Akadema, was in his playing days, he had lots of time to think. " I often sat on the bench in professional baseball, he recalls, "so I had a lot of time to think about the equipment we were using, especially the gloves." Gilligan, who played college ball at the University of Tennessee and in the minor league systems of the Chicago White Sox and St. Louis Cardinals confesses that while he was good at the plate and running the bases, his skills with leather lacked, well skill. "I think people tend to delve deeper into things that they're not so good at," he says. "That's why I spent so much time stewing about baseball gloves-my defensive play stunk."
	Akadema makes the 'Catch' One day in 1993 (during his 1990-94 stint as a minor league baseball player), Lawrence Gilligan sat in his hotel room and drew a picture of a new kind of baseball glove- one that he thought looked good and offered a very functional change. Some years later, in 1997, he and his brother, Joe founded Garfield-based Akadema, a baseball and softball company for professional, college, high school and serious youth players. When patenting a design, Lawrence says the reaction Akadema looks for from players is: " Why hasn't anyone done this yet?", That he says, shows it is a unique, idea that a player will accept.
	Fielding Innovative Baseball Gear: Lar Gilligan is a different kind of baseball fan. With Major League Baseball season under way, Gilligan follows the game with interest. But the former Minor League player doesn't spend much time rooting of a particular team, or worrying about which team wins the game. Instead, he focuses on the bats and gloves and other equipment being used by the players. That is because baseball equipment is his business. Gilligan, and his brother Joe launched Akadema in Garfield during 1997 because they were convinced there was a better way to make the gloves and bats. Our whole family, all we know is baseball, he says. "Growing up, all I did was play ball. I sat down with my older brother and tried to get his input, and we came up with this idea. Gilligan says after proball that he no longer plays. His last recreational game he played at his former sales job when was persuaded to take part in a company softball game. Gilligan hit four homeruns but he says he made two errors at shortstop. "We won 12-11.(9 of the RBI's coming from Gilligan) "The next day they called me e-6. Gilligan laughs.
	Baseball is academic for Gilligan brothers As standout Lakeland High School (Wanaque, NJ) baseball players they dreamed someday making it to the majors. Nearly two decades later they have made it, but not because of their athletic ability but rather their business insight and ingenuity. Instead of trying to build a better mouse trap or reinventing the wheel, Lawrence and his brother Joe, both lifelong Ringwood (NJ) residents, chose to combine their talents to create and manufacture innovative baseball equipment. (In 1997) "We felt baseball, being conservative , was not ready to accept our extremely drastic new gloves so we decided to get our feet wet in the industry by producing conventional gloves," Joe explained after the company name and products gained recognition, industry respect and consumer acceptance, the Revolutionary Akadema products were unleashed upon the baseball world starting in 2001. "When we go to a World Series game, or any baseball game, it's nice to see our products out there on the field. It is an extension of us and our family and gives us a feeling of being more a part of this game," added Lawrence.
	Family Is All In the Line Up. Few boys get a chance to live their baseball fantasies. For the Gilligan brothers, playing the game to an elite level was only part of the story. Now they have taken their collective baseball experience and entered into second careers - as baseball businessmen.
	There is a new player in the (glove business) game and is is giving the Big Two a run for their money. Since creating its first glove in 1998 Akadema has grown from a small operation to one ready to take its place at the big boys table. The recipe for success appears to be a mixture of marketing, creative patented ideas and plain old love of the game
	You may not be familiar with Akadema just yet... but you definitely will get to them soon. Akadema is a NJ based equipment manufacturer leading the evolution of the bat and glove. Where most baseball equipment companies churn out similar products year in and year out, Akadema keeps bringing baseball technology to new heights.

HERE IS WHAT THE BASEBALL AND FASTPITCH COMMUNITY IS SAYING ABOUT
THE REPTILIAN ™ SERIES:

Click Here for some more words from Ozzie Smith

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	"The Reptilian glove gives traditionalist reason to make a change."
	One of the Reptilian's key design elements was the result of conversations with Ozzie Smith, known as the Wizard of Oz because of the spectacularly acrobatic defensive plays he made. "The design makes scooping up routine ground balls easier," says Lawrence Gilligan,(president of Akadema)"Everyone knows that Ozzie was a human highlight real. But Ozzie and I talked about how making the routine plays time after time are what gets players to the big leagues.
	"In my twelve years of covering Major League Baseball nothing radical has happened to the baseball glove until the Reptilian." NY Yankees Scorecard on MSG Television Networks.
	"The baseball glove has come a long way in the last century, and Akadema takes it one step further with its new Reptilian line of gloves.
	"The Reptilian's near finger-less design sets it apart from the ordinary glove."
	"The Reptilian comes out of Extinction"
	"The Reptilian is designed to help players field the ball better."
	"In a generation the baseball glove had not changed until the Reptilian."
	"(With the Reptilian) The glove continues to evolve. The Reptilian glove closely resembles the claw of the creature from the Black Lagoon."
	"The (Reptilian) glove has less breaking points than a regular glove."
	"The (Reptilian) is an oddly designed glove and gets its name from its scaly texture."
	"While each finger has a slot of its own, only about two inches of finger tip is visible."
	"(Reptilian) is taking the Fastpitch world by storm."
	This glove is worth the money, There is a reason Ozzie Smith endorses this mitt. I give this glove high marks. Going against the norm, providing us with an innovative approach to glove design. The shovel feature of this glove is what sets it apart, it almost invites the ball into the pocket. Double play transitions (from glove to hand) seem to be easier. This glove is worth more than it is sold on various sites around the web. I recommend buying this glove for your high school / college athlete.
	ESPN The Magazine: (The Reptilian) fair catch indeed
	Innovative gloves (such as the Reptilian) have also caught their share of attention.
	Akadema's Reptilian line strays even further from tradition by removing fingers almost altogether. The entire palm side of the glove is closed, only hints of fingertips remain. The digit less mitts absorb impact better, scoop balls better and keep shape better than a standard glove. The leather on the palm side is tooled to form scales that help keep balls in the glove. Dallas Morning News
	Most Wanted: Screw your heart medication. Buy this stuff instead (then quietly wait to die!) Akadema's innovative new glove isn't the only thing that is almost fingerless. But we'd rather not get into the accident at the factory (ha ha! ) Stuff Magazine for Men

HERE IS WHAT - THE BASEBALL COMMUNITY IS SAYING ABOUT
THE REPTILIAN CLAW

	Not to be outdone (by 2001's Reptilian's infield glove) Akadema has come up with a outfielders glove in mind. With a double hinged pocket, it provides plenty of room for fly balls. Perhaps more importantly it provides an easier way for outfielders to position their hands with the glove.
	The Reptilian Claw is a unique 3 finger stall glove.

HERE IS WHAT THE BASEBALL COMMUNITY IS SAYING ABOUT
AKADEMA'S BTG 400 BATTING GLOVES

"After the loss of three pairs of (the competitors) batting gloves to wear in the last two seasons, the rubber - yet firm (leather) grip has been more than a welcome surprise."

HERE IS WHAT THE BASEBALL COMMUNITY IS SAYING ABOUT
AKADEMA'S AMISH WOOD BATS

	Equipment Maker Calls On Its FARM TEAM In a large old tobacco barn next to a cow pasture, a man wearing a straw hat and glasses uses a lathe to turn a 37 inch piece of wood into a baseball bat. The whole process, which is powered by hydraulics and air- no electricity- takes about three minutes. His name is Joe, "Amish Joe" This year, Amish Joe, along with his wife, son and a few other Amish, produced 30,000 bats on their rural Amish farm. Amish Joe works for Akadema, which is based in Garfield, NJ and owned by two Ringwood natives, Joe and Lawrence Gilligan.
	Swing for the cheap seats, ezekiel The Akadema line of wooden bats is made by Amish craftsmen. Perhaps it's un-rushed attention to detail that accounts for utterly exquisite feel and balance of each piece; this is like no bat you've swung before.
	"Need a bat fashioned by Amish Artisan's? Akadema builds quality bats built in the Pennsylvania Dutch tradition and without electricity."
	H&B's (Sluggers) dominance is under attack as never before. Starting in the mid-1990s, a long lineup of bat makers new to the game-from carpenters to Amish craftsmen (Akadema) --got approval from Major League Baseball, and began stealing away stars and the more lucrative minor-league and amateur markets. Forbes Magazine

HERE IS WHAT THE BASEBALL COMMUNITY IS SAYING ABOUT
THE PRAYING MANTIS

"Praying Mantis Mitt Devours The Competition:"

	Product Design and Development Magazine. "Realizing there was a problem with the design of traditional Catchers Mitts, (Lawrence) Gilligan (President of Akadema) set out to design one that would alleviate hand injuries. He came up with a very original glove called the Praying Mantis.
	The Praying Mantis is the name of Akadema's new Catcher's Mitt and it's a good choice. If we ever had to catch a Randy Johnson fastball, this would be the glove we'd wear while we were praying. This mitt's unique sting-reducing design makes it ideal for catching and for transferring the ball from glove to throwing hand. No wonder Gary Carter endorses it.
	"The unique design of the Praying Mantis positions it as both a great receiving glove for easier ball retention and and a great retrieving glove for quicker glove to hand transfer. The gurus at Akadema also incorporate a patent pending Stress Wedge technology in the Praying Mantis to reduce hand injury and sting. The result: baseball's field generals have a distinctive new weapon. "
	Innovative New Products Worth Closer Inspection" (The Praying Mantis Glove) offers shock absorbing protection

	Why is this state-of-the-art catcher's mitt called the Praying Mantis? Nobody knows. Is it because of the revolutionary shock pad absorption between the thumb and index finger? Because the glove snaps shut on contact with the ball? Perhaps it's because users of this killer glove often devour their mates after copulation.
	Fly Catcher: The Praying Mantis offers shock absorbing protection when a Randy Johnson fastball slams into the pocket. Its handy Double Flexhing causes the glove to snap shut on contact, and there are two finger hammocks for a more secure finger position to trap the ball. Translation: another easy out. Unlimited Action Adventure Good Times Magazine
	The baseball field generals have a new distinctive weapon on the diamond.
	This catchers mitt features finger hammocks and a padded "Stress wedge" between the index finger and thumb that help reduce sting and hand injuries.
	Shock absorbing protection. The mitt has double sided padding for increased pocket size and ball retention.
	Baseball gurus take note if your glove is in need of an update, consider manufacturer Akadema's innovative Praying Mantis design.
	But the most noticeable change from conventional catchers gloves, according to Pennington(a local NABA player) , is the Praying Mantis' offset shape. The pocket and web run parallel to the ground when the glove is positioned to receive a pitch. Standard catchers mitts open at more of an angle. "When you set up with a regular glove, the pocket is at the top," Pennington said. "You have to turn your wrist. "With this glove, instead of manipulating your wrist to get the proper catching angle, this one sets up as soon as you put your hand out there."

Super News at the Super Show
Great Catch at Akadema. What's the latest breakthrough from Akadema? The Praying Mantis, a catchers mitt with a unique design."

HERE IS WHAT - THE BASEBALL COMMUNITY IS SAYING ABOUT
THE PROFESSIONAL SERIES:

The ATK7 is a quick glove for turning two.

HERE IS WHAT - THE BASEBALL COMMUNITY IS SAYING ABOUT
THE XTENSION ALUMINUM BAT:

“Their design changes make all the sense in the world,” says former Los Angeles Dodger star Reggie Smith, whose respected California baseball academy now sells Akadema gloves. “The major companies are just copying each other. These guys listen to the players’ suggestions. Lawrence has that ability to make those ideas real.” Smith’s own suggestions led to a Reggie Smith–model glove and to bats with their weight shifted down from the barrel end to enable young players to improve their bat speed.

Akadema products are designed by former pro players. The staff designed the Xtension bat with better balance for more control and bat speed.

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