Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory
The story of the Louisville Slugger baseball bat started with a game of hooky in 1884. John Andrew "Bud" Hillerich was the son of a German immigrant who started a woodworking shop upon his arrival to Louisville in 1856. As Bud grew up, he learned the family trade while also playing amateur baseball. In an effort to help out his team, he began to make custom bats and slowly began to refine the process. His craftsmanship was put to the test after he offered to make a new bat for major leaguer Pete Browning of the Louisville Eclipse. According to legend, Browning, a.k.a "The Louisville Slugger", got three hits in his first game with the bat. To this day, Hillerich & Bradsby Co. make the most trusted bat in baseball.