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 Stoneware Cincinnati, Ohio. There has been plans to open stores in Chicago, Illinois, Cincinnati, Ohio, and Indianapolis, Indiana. Factory tours are available weekdays by appointment, with group discounts available. It is anticipated that, eventually, tours could make the factory as big a center for Louisville tourism as the Louisville Slugger Museum. Clay used by the company comes from western Indiana, and may be up to 250 million years old. Dishes made at the factory have been proven to be safe for use in ovens, microwave ovens, and dishwashers, and can retain heat for keeping food warm. Items from Louisville Stoneware are