Louisville Bats

From BR Bullpen

LouisvilleBats2016.jpg

Team History[edit]

Bats logo 2002-2015

The Louisville Bats, of the Triple-A International League and briefly in Triple-A East, play a Kentucky Derby Week game each year as the "Derby City Mint Juleps". The Cincinnati Reds farmhands play their home games at Louisville Slugger Field in Louisville, KY

Minor League Baseball's 1982 return to Louisville saw the team then known as the Louisville Redbirds play in the University of Louisville's cavernous football stadium and draw 868,418 - a 30% jump on the Minors' 36-year-old record one-season attendance. The next season, the Redbirds became the first minors club ever to draw 1 million.

By 1998, they had lost the St. Louis Cardinals' affiliation, joined the Milwaukee Brewers and rebranded as the Louisville RiverBats. In 2002, they moved into "The Slug" - a new but much smaller ballpark that makes million-fan seasons virtually impossible - dropped "River" for just "Bats" and switched from the Brewers to the Reds.

They play Copa de la Diversión Hispanic engagement campaign games as Murciélagos de Louisville - a literal translation of Louisville Bats (the flying mammal, not the wooden tool used to hurt baseballs).

Year-by-Year Record[edit]

Year Record Finish Manager Playoffs Hitting coach Pitching Coach
2002 79-65 2nd Dave Miley Brook Jacoby Mack Jenkins
2003 79-64 1st Dave Miley (62-47); Mack Jenkins (1-0); Rick Burleson (16-17) Lost in semifinals Adrian Garrett Mack Jenkins
2004 67-77 2nd Rick Burleson Adrian Garrett Mack Jenkins
2005 66-78 4th Rick Sweet Adrian Garrett Mack Jenkins
2006 75-68 3rd Rick Sweet Adrian Garrett Ted Power
2007 74-70 7th Rick Sweet Adrian Garrett Ted Power
2008 88-56 1st (t) Rick Sweet Lost in 1st round Adrian Garrett Ted Power
2009 84-58 1st Rick Sweet Lost in 1st round Adrian Garrett Ted Power
2010 79-64 3rd Rick Sweet Lost in 1st round Adrian Garrett Ted Power
2011 73-71 8th Rick Sweet Adrian Garrett Ted Power
2012 51-93 14th David Bell Ryan Jackson Ted Power
2013 69-75 9th Jim Riggleman Tony Jaramillo Ted Power
2014 68-75 9th Jim Riggleman Tony Jaramillo Ted Power
2015 64-80 11th Delino DeShields Tony Jaramillo Ted Power
2016 71-73 6th Delino DeShields Jody Davis Ted Power / Jeff Fassero
2017 56-86 13th Delino DeShields Jody Davis Jeff Fassero Darryl Brinkley
2018 61-76 13th Pat Kelly (4-6) / Dick Schofield (57-70) Leon Durham Jeff Fassero Dick Schofield/Darren Bragg
2019 59-81 13th (t) Jody Davis Leon Durham Jeff Fassero Dick Schofield
2020 Season cancelled
2021 51-68 15th Pat Kelly 4-5 Alex Pelaez Seth Etherton Kevin Mahar
2022 60-90 19th Pat Kelly Alex Pelaez Seth Etherton, Casey Weathers Dick Schofield, Mike Jacobs
2023 75-73 9th Pat Kelly Alex Pelaez Virgil Vasquez Vince Harrison, Mike Jacobs
2024 Pat Kelly Alex Pelaez Virgil Vasquez Bryan LaHair, Mike Jacobs

External Links[edit]