Louisville

Day 5

Slugger Field, 2007

Question: How do you make a bologna sandwich better?
Answer: Deep Frying
Date: Tuesday, July 3, 2007, 7:05 PM
Indianapolis Indians (Pittsburgh Pirates) vs.
Louisville Bats (Cincinnati Reds)
Slugger Field
Louisville, KY
International League (AAA)
Promotion: Fireworks Night


Stadium & Fans:
From the outside, Slugger Field looks like a mini-mall. However, inside it a quite nice Triple AAA park. One the local specialties is a deep-fried bologna sandwich, which is a fried bologna sandwich with cheese and onions, fried again. Awesome.

It was a packed house on the very affable night before July 4th, with an energetic group very into the game. However, there was one vendor who was selling cotton candy. His call sounded nothing like what he was selling, and to our ears, it sounded as though he was a purveyor of "Derek Jeter." Too bad I didn't have my other wallet with me.


The Game:
If this game is any indication, the Pirates have cause to doubt they'll have young pitching talent worth mentioning any time soon. The Bats jumped out to an early lead, and beside a brief three-inning period, they kept adding on. The Indians looked as though they were going to leave one of their pitchers out there to dry for the last two innings, but after seven straight runners reached base and the fans getting restless that the post-game fireworks were ever going to start, the Indians manager sent another pitcher in to get the last out. The Bats ran away with it, 13-4.


Scorecard:

Indians vs. Bats, 07/03/07. Bats win, 13-4.

$1 for a landscape, fold-out cardstock scorecard and program. It had a comfortable amount of space, and it was definitely necessary, as each of the managers were double- and triple-switching as though it was going out of style, not to mention the constant stream of pitchers. It was easily one of the most complicated games I've ever had to score in my life, and it wasn't helped by the fact that the card had areas for assists and put-outs.


Miscellanea:
From the Department of Dubious Honors: Brian Shackelford became the all-time leader in appearances for the Bats with his stint in the eighth inning.


The Stadium Race:
There were two races. The first was the "K-Games" (the Kentucky Lottery), and it was won by Cash Ball. The second was the Chugs Race (a regional brand of drinks), and it was won by Chocolate.


Travel & Other Non-Game Activities:
When most baseball fans hear "Louisville," it is inevitably and no doubt subconsciously linked to "slugger." And to the bat factory we did a-go. There was a small museum and a factory tour to be had. The museum was quite interesting, letting you examine bats through the ages, from the Cro-Magnon clubs used by players past, through the svelte rapiers used by today's players. There was also a very nice temporary exhibit on Peanuts and baseball where I was able to watch a good half of Charlie Brown's All Stars.

Never touch another man's bat.

When you think of the place that is providing all the major league players and most of America with their bats, you'd imagine a larger operation. But in fact, it is a rather modest factory area of maybe fifty people.

They, of course, give you the opportunity to buy custom bats, with your name or special messages on them. And, for the big suckers, you can get a bat with your signature on it. Mine will be shipping in a couple of weeks.


The Hotel:

Holiday Inn Lakeview, Clarksville, IN

After our non-sleep experience the night before, we decided to give ourselves a break and spend the night just across the river in Indiana instead of driving after the game. We stayed at a very nice Holiday Inn Express right on a lake, and we checked in early in the afternoon right after we went to the bat factory and caught a nap before heading over to the game.

Click here to see all pictures for this trip.

2007 The Midwest