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 &
Slugger Ann works written by her grandson Joe Preston. Slugger Ann Ann Uglialoro, known by her nickname Slugger Ann (April 30, 1906 – July 1, 1980) was famous as the owner of Slugger Ann's, a popular bar in the East Village area in New York City, which she operated from the 1950s until her death in 1980. She was also known as the grandmother of Jackie Curtis. Her daughters were Josephine and Jenevieve Uglialoro and she was of Italian descent. Jenevieve was the mother of performance artist Jackie Curtis. Jackie was mostly raised by Slugger Ann and was often seen visiting her