Louisville, KY

From BR Bullpen

Louisville is the largest city in Kentucky, located on the south bank of the Ohio River, across which lies New Albany, Indiana; it is the seat of Jefferson County, KY.

Although Louisville is better known in sports circles for hosting the annual Kentucky Derby thoroughbred race, its connection with baseball is just as strong, as the city was one of the original members of the National League in 1876 and is home to Hillerich & Bradsby, the company that makes the famous "Louisville Slugger" bat, and to the Louisville Slugger Museum. Prominent major leaguers born in Louisville include Jay Buhner, Mike Greenwell, Pete Browning and Gus Weyhing. Hall of Famer Pee Wee Reese was born in a Kentucky town about 50 miles outside of Louisville, but lived most of his childhood in Louisville.

Louisville is one of two original National League cities that does not have big-league baseball today (the other is Hartford, CT). There was a near miss; four seasons before Charlie Finley moved the Kansas City Athletics to Oakland, CA, in 1968, American League owners voted 9-1 against his moving them to Louisville.

Given the current success and that history, the city's spotty professional baseball track record since the NL's Louisville Colonels folded after the 1899 season is perhaps surprising. The city went entirely without affiliated baseball in 1900, 1902-1967, and 1973-1981.

Teams that have played here[edit]

Persons who were born here[edit]

Persons who died here[edit]

Educational institutions located here[edit]

Further Reading[edit]

  • Anthony Castrovince: "6 cities that nearly landed an MLB team", mlb.com, January 9, 2022. [1]
  • Anne Jewell: Baseball in Louisville, Arcadia Publishing, Mount Pleasant, SC, 2006.
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