(This article first appeared in the June print edition of the Hendersonian.)
This is the season of the year when the boys of summer at all levels are in their element.
Even young baseball players in 42420 (and visitors from out of town) recently cut the ribbon at The Plex, the city of Henderson’s new sports complex on Airline Road.
This summer, if you want to mix a little of the joy of baseball into your vacation and recreation time, there’s plenty you can do without stepping foot into a Major League venue (though those are fun, too).
Here are some ideas:
Louisville Bats
Just up the road in Louisville, the Triple-A Affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds plays their home games at Louisville Slugger Field (seating capacity 13,100) in downtown Louisville at 401 E. Main St.
It’s a relaxed, family-friendly experience, with fan interaction between innings and a wide variety of food options in the concourse concessions stands, including such down-home fare as fried bologna sandwiches and watermelon chunks.
Just for fun and as a nod to the city’s bourbon heritage, The Bats sometimes rebrand themselves as The Louisville Mashers and wear different uniforms.
The Norton Children’s Hospital playground is located in the right field area of the stadium in case kids need a little break from the action.
Bigger kids can take a break at The Miller Time Taphouse behind the right center field wall with its full-service bar, corn hole boards and concessions.
The Hall of Fame on the outer concourse has pictures and memorabilia from Louisville Baseball history, championship banners and the Against the Grain restaurant.
Ticket information is available at MiLB.com.
Louisville Slugger Museum
Just down the street on West Main Street in Louisville you’ll find one of the region’s most popular attractions.
You can’t miss this world-famous facility. Just look for The Big Bat, the world’s largest baseball bat.
The Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory, 800 W. Main St., showcases the role that Louisville Slugger baseball bats have played in the sport’s history.
As they like to say at the museum, “the heart of the game is the crack of the bat.”
One of the many experiences for visitors is a trip to the Bat Vault, which contains more than 3,000 original bat models created by some of the game’s greatest and most legendary players covering the past century, including Babe Ruth, Johnny Bench, David Ortiz, Derek Jeter and many more.
Visitors will also follow the path of a baseball bat from the forest to the (baseball) field with hand-turning and wood burning demonstrations, see lifelike sculptures of some of the game’s heroes and come away with a Louisville Slugger miniature bat.
For more information, including tickets options, visit www.sluggermuseum.com.
Vintage baseball
A different type of baseball experience takes place from March through October at the Waveland State Historic Site in Lexington where the Bluegrass Barons, the state’s only vintage baseball team, take on opponents from Indiana and Ohio such as the Indianapolis Blues, Moscow (Ohio) Monarchs and Cincinnati Red Stockings.
They also play on Father’s Day weekend at Shaker Village at Pleasant Hill in a special event for dads.
Vintage baseball clubs play by the rules as they stood in 1869 after the game evolved from cricket and rounders. There are no fastballs, no helmets or shin guards and no gloves.
If a batted ball hits a building or tree it remains in play.
The field set-up is simple and the uniforms are, well, vintage. Even the umpire wears a bowler hat and a bow tie.
You can learn more about Bluegrass Barons on their Facebook page.
Waveland is located at 225 Waveland Museum Lane.
Closer to home
Of course, a good old baseball game is available much closer to home all through the summer.
Evansville Otters, a professional team in the Frontier League, play at the historic Bosse Field against opponents with such colorful names as the Joliet Slammers, the Mississippi Mud Monsters and the Florence Y’alls.
Find all the details at www.EvansvilleOtters.com.
Finally, our own Henderson Flash, a collegiate wooden bat summer league team, plays at Park Field against teams from Fulton, Hopkinsville, Madisonville, Paducah and Hendersonville, Tenn.
Learn more at www.HendersonFlash.com.
