This Cranston Company Crafts MLB-Worthy Baseball Bats

Photography courtesy of Mia Rietzel/Rob Zorian.

Rob Zorian, fifty, had a good baseball career, playing and coaching in the NCAA and earning induction into the Hall of Fame of the Intercity Baseball League of Boston. He used wood bats when playing, and in 2003, created Zorian Sports, selling them to college teams and eventually Major League Baseball players. The Cranston-based company now also sells a variety of baseball gear. In 2020, he began the Zorian Foundation to promote mental health awareness among athletes, musicians and artists.

Rhode Island Monthly sat down with Zorian to discuss bats, baseball and starting a business from scratch. 

Photography courtesy of Rob Zorian.

Why wooden bats?

I used them in college and beyond and realized there was a need. They were hard to get so I decided to make my own. I moved to Florida in 2003 and started selling them out of my trunk. 

Was it tough going at first?

Yes, I racked up more frequent flyer miles and put more miles on my car than any other human on Earth, I swear. From 2003-2006, I knocked down doors — not just knocked on them — of major league equipment managers. I knew nobody, so that’s what I had to do. My DK1 was my first model and was used by guys like David Ortiz, Manny Ramirez and Trot Nixon of the Red Sox.

How are bat sales these days?

We sell around 2,500 bats a year and should be over 5,000 within two more years. We sell to college summer leagues, like the Cape Cod League, and to pros who get them through their teams.

Photography courtesy of Mia Rietzel/Rob Zorian.

Why did you start the Zorian Foundation?

I lost an uncle to suicide. He was my mentor, my role model, my everything. The stigma of mental illness is everywhere. I come from a family of musicians and know that right-brained people are more prone to it. People struggle and need
resources, which we hope to give them. For me, it’s a spiritual thing: When you feel like something’s tugging at your heart, you do something about it.

Got a favorite baseball movie?

Field of Dreams. Kevin Costner’s been in a lot of baseball movies — it’s like he’s born to be in them. 

Best day in baseball?

One time I was in the Yankees locker room at a spring training meeting with Derek Jeter. In the room was Yogi Berra. If you do the right thing, baseball rewards you. Like in life. Zorian Sports, 781-266-8188, zorianbats.com

Photography courtesy of Rob Zorian.