Hillerich & Bradsby Hillerich woodworking shop. J. F. Hillerich was uninterested in making bats; he saw the company future in stair railings, porch columns and swinging butter churns. In fact, for a brief time in the 1880s, he even turned away ball players. Bud, however, saw the potential in producing baseball bats, and the elder Hillerich eventually relented to his son. The bats were sold under the name "Falls City Slugger" until Bud Hillerich took over his father's company in , and the name "Louisville Slugger" was registered with the U.S. Patent Office. In , Honus Wagner signed a deal with the company,
Louisville Bulls Comets, a semi-pro football team out of Cincinnati, Ohio. Louisville Bulls The Louisville Bulls were an American football team located in Louisville, Kentucky. The Bulls were founded in 1988, under Louisville Bulls INC, by Don Hillerich. By 1994, the Louisville Bulls were incorporated as a non-profit organization. The team played as an independent in 1988 and 1989. In 1990, the Bulls joined the Hearts of Ohio Football League (HOFL). The following year, the Bulls won the HOFL championship. In 1992, the Bulls joined the Mid Continental Football League (MCFL). In 2004, the Bulls were nationally ranked as the 8th best