History of Louisville, Kentucky charter member. While the Grays were a relatively short-lived team, playing for only two years, they began a much longer lasting relationship between the city and baseball. In 1883, John "Bud" Hillerich made his first baseball bat from white ash in his father's wood shop. The first bat was produced for Pete "The Gladiator" Browning of the Louisville Eclipse (minor league team). The bats eventually become known by the popular name, "Louisville Slugger", and the local company Hillerich & Bradsby rapidly became one of the largest manufacturers of baseball bats and other sporting equipment in the world. Today, Hillerich &
Music Theatre Louisville Music Theatre Louisville Music Theatre Louisville was a non-profit organization in Louisville, Kentucky, dedicated to producing, presenting, and developing diverse and affordable entertainment. Up through 2008, the company staged several shows during the summer at Iroquois Amphitheater in Iroquois Park. In 2009, the company moved to the Bomhard Theater at The Kentucky Center. In 2008, the company officially changed its name to Broadway at Iroquois, banking on the name recognition of its Iroquois Park location. However, after its move to the Kentucky Center, they reverted to the "Music Theatre Louisville" moniker. After the 2011 season, Music Theatre Louisville merged with