Went A Little Batty After The National

Trying to crank this one out before halftime of the Packers/Bears game is over.

Let's break up the loot posts with the one stop on the trip that wasn't about cardboard.  After leaving Chicago, we journeyed south to Louisville, Kentucky and stayed right downtown.  The next morning, we got up and went a few blocks to the Louisville Slugger bat factory and museum.

Louisville Slugger is not actually the name of the company that makes the bats, it's just the product line.  Hillerich & Bradsby was founded in 1884 and is still family owned and operated.

In the lobby outside the museum, there is a large wall display of all the nameplates of all the players that have used or are using LS bats throughout the history of the game.

There is a nice multi-area display in the museum that shows the different kinds of bats, a lot of the great players that used them, and other features of the manufacturing process and history of the product.

The factory tour is quite interesting and walks you through each step of the process.  Photographs aren't allowed on the tour, so these pics are some I found online. 

You walk right through the place while they're working, so you have to stay in certain areas for safety.

It's neat to see each step in the manufacturing, including the diverse finishes they use.  Some bats are flame treated, some are dipped in varnishes or coatings, some get decals or paint.

And you get a small souvenir bat at the end of the tour. 

Well worth the visit if you're ever in the area.

Now, back to football.  Next time, another quick stop in Music City.