Joseph Gilligan, IV will speak at the final Guest Professional Dinner of the academic year, hosted by the center for Vocational Opportunities and Career Advising (VOCA). Gilligan is the father of Joseph Gilligan, V ‘17, an accounting and business administration double major.
Gilligan and his brother, Lawrence, co founded Akadema in 1997, hoping to sell “innovative” baseball gloves. Lawrence Gilligan, an All-American shortstop at the University of Tennessee and later a shortstop for both the Chicago White Sox and St. Louis Cardinals minor league teams, found that there had been “little to no innovation” in baseball gloves in decades, according to the company website. This lead him to enlist his brother to roll out a new series of gloves for infield, outfield, and catcher’s mitts.
In a review of the company’s products, The Baseball Diamond said the brothers “know the value of getting the input of professionals in creating the gear that the best players really want.” Further, the company is “revolutionizing the game” with its “use of technology that’s within the rules.”
The small company has taken hold of 20% the U.S. production of professional baseball gloves- a market which is largely based overseas, according to New Jersey news source, nj.com. Akadema has contracts with 30 major leaguers, including Tim Redding of the New York Metz and Manny Ramirez of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
While a large part of the glove production is mechanized, the products still carry a handmade touch. Company craftsman, Mike Rattacasa, told nj.com he uses his mother’s wooden soup ladle to smooth out the gloves’ fingers toward the end of production.
Akadema’s most successful products include the “near fingerless” Reptilian, which is designed to absorb shock and allow for easier ball transfer, according to the company’s product description. “The Funnel,” another one of Akadema’s infield gloves, is described by the company as a glove which “naturally stays open” because of specially constructed thumb and pinky fingers.
“For Akadema, it’s simple,” say the brothers. “If you want to make the best sports equipment, consult the best athletes.”
Gilligan will address and network with students from 5 p.m. till 6:30 p.m. in the South End Dining Room. Students who wish to attend should register via Handshake.