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Louisville Slugger Field / Louisville Bats

 

Year Opened	2000
Capacity	13,131
Architect	HNTB / K. Norman Berry and Associates
Dimensions	325L, 405C, 340R
Last Visit	2004
Web Site	www.batsbaseball.com
Online Broadcasts	Yes
Online Ticket Sales	Yes
Phone	502/361-3100 (tickets), 502/212-BATS
Ticket Prices (2005)	Upper Deck Reserved, $9; Field Reserved, $7; Outfield Reserved, $6; Right-Field Bleachers, $6; Outfield Lawn, $5
League	International League
Affiliation	Cincinnati Reds
Parking	Louisville Slugger Field is at the east side of downtown Louisville. There is a large parking lot to the east of the ballpark as well as other street and lot parking in the general vicinity.
Directions	401 E. Main St., Louisville. The ballpark is right next to I-65, but it can be a little complicated making it to the ballpark from the freeway. We recommend you check out the directions page put up by the Bats for complete details.
Written by:	Kevin Reichard
Rating

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Today it seems commonplace to incorporate older buildings into the design of new ballparks -- look at San Diego's Petco Park, Montgomery's Riverwalk Stadium or Houston's Minute Maid Park for examples -- but when Louisville officials and HNTB incorporated the Brinly-Hardy warehouse into the design of Louisville Slugger Field, it represented a sea change in the way ballparks were designed.

The nicest thing about Louisville Slugger Field, perhaps, is the seamless integration of the old warehouse and train shed building as the building's concourse. It doesn't feel gimmicky or phony; instead, the combination of ballpark and concourse feels like they were built together at the same time. Plus, the ballpark gave new life to the rail structure, originally built in the late 1800s: there's a good chance it would have torn down for other development the ballpark development had not given city officials economic reason for a renovation. Today, the rail structure provides an entrance to the ballpark as well as a covered group seating area, with exhibits portraying the rich history of baseball in the area. It is a truly unique entrance that sets the tone for the entire Louisville Slugger Field experience.

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Which is a great one, especially if you enjoy bringing your family to the ballpark. Louisville Slugger Field is an urban ballpark and feels like one, with the Louisville skyline in view and several local warehouses and office buildings up right against parts of the park. The ballpark seats 13,000 -- which is a large ballpark, even by Class AAA standards -- but you never feel too far away from the action, even when sitting in seats down either line.

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Structurally, Louisville Slugger Field has a fairly standard grandstand configuration: the bottom level contains box seats, with 32 luxury boxes and additional seating on the second level. A concourse wraps the ballpark, with additional box seats in left field and a picnic area in right. The concourses are fairly wide and jammed with concessions.

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So far so good, but where Louisville Slugger Field shines is in the attention to detail.

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For starters, the ballpark is a true brickyard. The brickwork is much more than just a simple facade design elements; instead, it runs throughout the ballpark, including part of the outfield wall. It makes the ballpark feel much older than it really is.

We're guessing one reason why the Bats draw so well (the team is one of the top draws in the minors) is because almost every fan can feel comfortable at the ballpark. It's easy to make the first 5,000 fans comfortable in any almost ballpark, but not as easy to make the last 3,000 fans comfortable when you're left with marginal seats or berm seating. In Louisville, those final 3,000 seats occupy some pretty prime pieces of real estate at the ballpark. Take a look at the picture below: those bleachers and berm areas are set up with primo views of the entire field, with a concourse and concessions behind both.

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It's a slightly different setup in right field, where a picnic area replaces the outfield berm, with two levels of bleachers in front of the Budweiser scoreboard. We're guessing the upper level of bleachers is the last section of the ballpark to be inhabited when there's a large crowd at hand, but those really aren't bad seats at all. When the worst seats in the ballpark are this good, you know the architects did something right.

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Concessions
The concession offerings are abundant, as you're never too far away from a concession booth. We tried and can recommend the center-field BBQ if it's back this season.

Parking
If there's a really large crowd it can be troublesome finding a parking spot close to the ballpark. Still, there are several ramps and lots within a short walk of the ballpark (the Bats Website lists them all).

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For the Kids
Any kid would be happy in the play area located down the right-field line, as there's a wealth of diversions. Most fans will notice the carousel, as it's within sight of almost every seat in the park. Other attractions include a booth where the Bats mascot sells souvenirs and dispenses autographs.

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What to Do Before the Game
Louisville is renowned for three things: horse racing, baseball bats and Bourbon. We would recommend spending time on each.

Louisville is home to Hillerich & Bradsby, makers of the world-famous Louisville Slugger bats. There more to the company (it also makes metal bats, softball equipment, etc.), but the big attraction for a baseball fan will be the Louisville Slugger Museum, showing the history of baseball. The main gallery includes bats used by Ted Williams, Henry Aaron and Ty Cobb, as well as a look at the factory where bats are actually produced. (Louisville Slugger Museum, 8th & Main, downtown Louisville; 877-7-SLUGGER. Admission fees: $8 Adults [13-59], $7 Seniors [60+], $4 Kids [6-12], Kids 5 and under free.)

Churchill Downs is the home of the Kentucky Derby and one of the psychic centers of American horse racing. The Churchill Downs season runs from (roughly) the last weekend of April through the first weekend of July. While the Derby is the most important race at the Downs, there are other stakes worth attending, including the Kentucky Oaks (a mile-and-an-eighth race for 3-year-old fillies). Races are run Wednesdays through Sundays, with general-admission tickets running $2. If you get bored between races, you can always check out the Kentucky Derby Museum. (Churchill Downs, 700 Central Av., Louisville, KY 40208; 502/636-4400)

One of the main drinks sold at Churchill Downs is the traditional mint julep, a sweetened mixture of Bourbon, mint leaves, ice and powdered sugar. If you're drinking a cheap Bourbon -- like Early Times, the official Bourbon of Churchill Downs -- you'll need to dress it up with sugar and mint.

But there's no reason to drink cheap Bourbon in Louisville. You're at the edge of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, where seven distilleries -- Heaven Hill in Bardstown, Jim Beam in Cleremont, Makers Mark Distillery in Loretto, Four Roses Distillery in Lawrenceburg, Wild Turkey Distiller in Lawrenceburg, and the Buffalo Trace Distillery in Frankfort -- offer tours. These distilleries offer the same basic tour -- you learn how Kentucky Bourbon is distilled, how it ages (including, if you're lucky, a walk through a storage building, and a look at the bottling (workers hand-dipping bottles into hot was is shown below). Because there's a certain amount of evaporation associated with the aging process -- barrels aren't airtight and the storage buildings are built to allow air to circulate -- you'll find yourself intoxicated by the smell just walking around the distillery. The great Bourbons of Kentucky are distilled in these facilities (Evan Williams and Elijah Craig by Heaven Hill; Jim Beam Black, Basil Hayden, Booker's and Baker's by Jim Beam; Maker's Mark; Wild Turkey; Elmer T. Lee, Blanton's, Weller, Eagle Rare and Pappy Van Winkle by Buffalo Trace). None of these distilleries are too far from Louisville; we can recommend the Buffalo Trace distillery tour, as they provide samples (not every tour ends up with a sample) and you can see some of the great Bourbons of the world being produced. You can find more information about the Bourbon trail tour here.

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Where to Stay
Really, there's only one place to stay in Louisville: The Seelbach. Yes, there are some other historic hotels in downtown -- like The Brown, which we'll discuss below -- but the Seelbach is one of the nation's classic hotels, dating back to 1905 and looking much the same way it did in its early days. In The Great Gatsby F. Scott Fitzgerald placed the wedding of Tom and Daily Buchanan in the Seelbach's Grand Ballroom.

The Seelbach has one huge advantage: The Old Seelbach Bar is known for a wide selection of Kentucky Bourbons and bartenders with the proper expertise. Thus you have the advantage of sampling Bourbons in the Old Seelbach Bar until all hours of the morning (thanks, Russell!) and then stumbling up to bed; trust us, it's a good plan. You could also walk to the ballpark, as it's less than a mile from the hotel. Even if you're not staying there, the front lobby and the public areas are worth a look. (Seelbach Hilton Louisville, 500 Fourth Av., Louisville, KY 40202-2518; 502/585-3200.)

Now, having praised the Seelbach, we should note other historic and interesting hotels in the area. There are many hotels within a mile of the ballpark, with the Clarion Hotel Louisville, In at Jewish Hospital, Courtyard by Marriott and Comfort Inn all within a half-mile of the ballpark. In addition, there are several hotels near the convention center (Marriott, Hyatt) within walking distance as well.

Those liking historic hotels will want to check out The Brown, which is perhaps even fancier than the Seelbach. Some know it as the home of the Hot Brown sandwich -- an open-face turkey sandwich with bacon, pimento, and mornay sauce -- but it's known today as a historic upscale hotel. Even if you're not staying there, the front lobby is worth a look. (The Brown, 335 West Broadway, Louisville, KY 40202; 502/583-1234.)

More Photos

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