Louisville Bats mascot consist of the winged mammal, the bat is also synonymous with the Louisville Slugger baseball bat. Traditionally one of the top-drawing minor league teams, the Bats' attendance in 2011 was second of all minor league teams with an average of 8,716 per game. In 2016, "Forbes" listed the Bats as the 11th-most valuable Minor League Baseball team with a value of $36 million. The Bats have once won the Governors' Cup—the championship of the IL—and twice played in the championship series. "Note: The Bats were ahead 1-0 in the championship series when the September 11, 2001, attacks occurred. The
Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory is the fourth location where Louisville Slugger bats have been made. The original shop was on South First Street in Louisville between Main and Market Streets. It was there that family legend suggests J. A. "Bud" Hillerich made a bat for Louisville Eclipse star Pete Browning after Browning broke his bat during a game in which Hillerich attended in July 1884. The next day, Browning got three hits with the bat and the legend was born. In 1901, the factory moved to the corner of South Preston and Finzer Streets, where they would stay until 1974. This site was vacant