📍 Louisville, Kentucky
⚾ Home of the Louisville Bats

Louisville, Kentucky owes its worldwide fame to Hillerich & Bradsby, the manufacturer who has emblazoned the city’s name on bats across the sport of baseball. The Louisville Slugger, arguably the most well-known piece of equipment in all of sports, is produced downtown by H&B for Wilson Sporting Goods. Its legacy extends far beyond the factory – including to the stately Triple-A ballpark just down Main Street that also bears the Slugger name. The facility, which opened in 2000, is home to the appropriately named Louisville Bats and is one of the largest in Minor League Baseball with a capacity of over 13,000.

The Bats – named not only for the game’s most important instrument, but also for the little nocturnal mammal that’s common in Kentucky’s extensive cave network – arrived in the River City in 1982, coming from Springfield, Illinois as the top-level affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals. Their story began at Cardinal Stadium, a multi-purpose venue at the Expo Center that was used for both football and baseball. Known then as the Redbirds, the team briefly became the RiverBats after rebranding in 1999, but the name was shortened to just “Bats” three years later. Despite a brief stint with the Brewers, the Bats have been the Reds’ Triple-A club since the opening of Louisville Slugger Field. During their time in Louisville, the franchise has claimed International League titles in 1984, ’85, ’95 and 2001.

Louisville Slugger Field is characterized by the repurposed railroad shed that makes up most of the structure behind home plate, used for decades as a warehouse for a lawn care company. The stadium’s main gates are located in the building’s interior atrium, a feature that’s unique in the minor leagues.

The ballpark is also acclaimed for its sweeping views of the Louisville skyline on the first base side and of the Ohio River bridges beyond the fences. Inside the gates, the concourse features a massive outfield bar, in addition to a huge terraced group area, both of which ensure that the power alley porches are always packed.

Fans can enjoy a wide variety of food & beverages at the ballpark, with outposts like Gustavo’s Mexican Grill and Murcielago’s Pizzeria, and items such as fried bologna sandwiches up for grabs. Many fans choose to top it all off with Graeter’s Ice Cream, a regional staple. Although the concession lines can be a bit messy, it’s often worth the hassle.

As Bats fans look to the future and ramp up their hopes for their hometown team, they can call upon the ghosts of Louisville’s former minor league and Negro League clubs in the main atrium, where there’s a history-filled walk through the timeline of baseball in the city. Banners celebrating former Bats players also line the concourse, which offers an open view to the field and the young men who may one day find their names honored forever in the halls of Louisville Slugger Field.