Mark Sofia was talking with Dan Mason, General Manager of the Rochester Red Wings, about classic baseball promotions. Dan mentioned he wanted a bullpen cart for his stadium. That simple conversation sparked a quest that would bring back one of baseball's most beloved traditions.
Mark searched everywhere for an authentic bullpen cart. He found a few in museums and some collecting dust at old ballparks, but nothing he could actually buy.
Then he saw what another team had built and knew he could do better. After a few long conversations and probably too many beers, SportsKartz was born.
Today we are the only company building authentic bullpen carts for professional baseball.
Professional athletes riding a motorized vehicle to travel 100 yards sounds absurd. Yet for nearly half a century, it was part of baseball's charm. The Cleveland Indians introduced the first bullpen cart in 1950, a little red auto as newspapers called it. The trend exploded in the 1970s with those unforgettable vehicles shaped like baseballs that became icons of the game. Then in 1996, rising insurance costs ended the tradition overnight. The carts vanished from ballparks, but they never left the hearts of fans who grew up watching them roll across the outfield grass.
Every time a cart rolls out, phones come out. Social media explodes. Local news shows up. National outlets pick up the story. The bullpen cart is content gold.
Sponsorship opportunities, corporate event rentals, merchandise tie ins. Teams tell us their cart pays for itself within the first year of operation.
We use Wilson gloves and Louisville Slugger bats on every cart. Real equipment from the brands players trust. Nothing fake, nothing cheap.