Last week we had our official stop in Louisville to see the Bats play. Before the game, Chris and I had a chance to stop by the offices of Louisville Slugger, who happen to be our presenting sponsor. We are thrilled to be working side by side with a company so entrenched in the baseball world such as Louisville Slugger and were looking forward to finally meeting the people who have made this year’s trip possible.

Let me start off by saying the Louisville Slugger Factory Tour is probably one of the coolest tours you will probably ever see, especially if you are even remotely interested in baseball. We don’t have any photos or video due to the fact they don’t allow you to take any on the tour (take heed, industry spies!)—so you will have to use your imagination while I describe it. As you walk through the factory, you can actually see bats being made. It starts from a giant log, and a machine extracts six or so bat-sized selections of wood and by the time its done the log looks like an empty chamber of a revolver. Those wood extracts are then put into another machine that then shape the bat perfectly, shaving off the bulk of the wood. Now at this point, you would think there would be a ton of sawdust everywhere—and you would be right. A huge vacuum system helps suck up all the sawdust in the air and on the floor. The bat is then branded and customized and then dipped in paint or given a particular finish. And just like that, you have a brand new Louisville Slugger bat. There are a ton of details that I am leaving out, but feel free to see everything available by taking a virtual tour.

Did you know the first person to have their own professional endorsement was Honus Wagner? Honus signed a deal in 1905 with Louisville Slugger and thus paved the way for the Michael Jordans and LeBron James of the world to get millions and millions from endorsement deals. Honus also happens to have the most expensive baseball card ever produced.

As for the museum, its filled with a giant wall of every player who has had a Louisville Slugger bat deal with their own personal signatures. They include the more famous names like Babe Ruth and Ted Williams, along with some random obscure names that no one will ever remember. This place is bursting at the seams (baseball pun, zing!) with baseball history, and with the exception of Cooperstown, I can’t think of a better place that has such a deep connection the world of baseball. We were able to get one video of what it would be like to face Roger Clemens and a 90 MPH fastball. Check out the video below, and watch as they simulate a pitch from the Rocket himself.