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 &
Louisville Gas & Electric lighting which had been mandated in order to help prevent crime. In 1890 LG&E (Louisville Gas at this point) amended its charter to buy stock in electric companies and acquired Louisville Electric light. In 1913, Louisville Gas, Louisville Lighting, and Kentucky Heating merged to form Louisville Gas & Electric (LG&E). In 1990, LG&E reorganized itself as a holding company LG&E Energy Corporation. In 1998, LG&E Energy merged with the other major electric utility in Kentucky, Kentucky Utilities. In 2000, LG&E Energy was bought by British utility company Powergen. In 2002, Powergen was bought by the German company E.ON. In 2003,