{"id":10365,"date":"2019-06-13T10:05:22","date_gmt":"2019-06-13T15:05:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.baseballroundtable.com\/?p=10365"},"modified":"2019-06-19T10:41:26","modified_gmt":"2019-06-19T15:41:26","slug":"ballpark-tours-kentucky-bourbon-tour-days-five-and-six","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/baseballroundtable.com\/ballpark-tours-kentucky-bourbon-tour-days-five-and-six\/","title":{"rendered":"Ballpark Tours’ Kentucky Bourbon Tour – Days Five and Six"},"content":{"rendered":"

Welcome to Louisville – Bats Baseball and Whiskey Wednesday.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s time to look at Days Five and Six of Ballpark Tours’ Kentucky Bourbon Tour \u2013 as well as give you a look at our group\u2019s Lexington, Kentucky hotel.\u00a0 For a look at\/read about Days One and Two, click here<\/a>.\u00a0 Days Three and Four, click here<\/a>. Day Seven, click here<\/a>.\u00a0 Day Eight, click here<\/a>. Days Nine and Ten, click here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

DAYS FOUR AND FIVE<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Now that\u2019s some hotel!<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Our two nights in Lexington, Kentucky were memorable \u2013 and not just because a good portion of them were spent in a ball park.\u00a0 The hotel was also \u2013and as usual<\/em> \u2013 a Ballpark Tours plus.\u00a0 Our esteemed (at least by some) tour operator works to put us in a position to comfortably enjoy the culture, cuisine and nightlife of the communities in which we also enjoy the \u201cblessings of baseball.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"21c<\/a>

21c Museum Hotel … the fine art of Ballpark Touring.<\/p><\/div>\n

In selecting Lexington\u2019s historic 21c Museum Hotel, our leader outdid himself.\u00a0 The 21c is in an historic building in downtown Lexington, has a great restaurant and lounge\/bar and a contemporary (and free) art gallery right in the hotel.\u00a0 What are we talking about here? The kind of hotel with plush robes in the bathroom, peppermint soaps and shampoos, an urban chic lounge (that makes you feel like you are at a party at Frank Sinatra\u2019s house) and interesting art at every turn.<\/p>\n

\"Bed\"<\/a>You know, the kind of place where they deliver chocolates and ice to your room each evening. Also, the kind of hotel that is just a block away from a below-street level bar \u2013 with a country flair \u2013 called The Stagger Inn.\u00a0 Now, how do you top that?\u00a0 Note: Remember in my last report, I noted the embarrassment of finding a fairly notable contingent of Ballpark Tour trekkers, including the tour operator, in the Whitaker Bank Ball Park Tap Room \u00a0\u2013 watching basketball<\/strong> (on television) during the baseball game<\/strong>. Well, on Day Five, the embarrassment was one of our group ordering a drink called \u201cThe Tutti-Frutti\u201d at The Stagger Inn<\/strong> \u2013 a basement bar that features benches made the tailgate section of old pick-up trucks and prides itself on being \u201ccountry.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\"Breakfast<\/a>

Breakfast at the 21c Museum Hotel. Chorizo, eggs, avocado, cheese and spicy jalapeno sauce – with sourdough toast.<\/p><\/div>\n

DAY FIVE BOURBON, BEER AND BASEBALL \u2013 ON THE CHEAP<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

We started Day Five at about 9:30 a.m., hopping into our trusty coach for a ride to the Buffalo Trace Distillery in nearby Franklin \u2013 reportedly the oldest continuously operating distillery in the nation.\u00a0 They teased us with a tour of the facility and its well-landscaped grounds before getting on to the real business of the day bourbon (as well as bourbon cream and vodka) tasting.\u00a0 Needless to say, a good time was had by all.\u00a0 It\u2019s the Ballpark Tours way.<\/p>\n

\"Buffalo<\/a><\/p>\n

That evening it was back to the ballpark for a second Augusta Greenjackets\/Lexington Legends mashup.\u00a0 Let me say first, as in many minor league parks, there were bargains to be had.\u00a0 It was 25-cent hot dog night \u2013 and they were tasty all-beef offerings.\u00a0 Then in the sixth inning, the West Sixth craft brewery pours 12-ounce beers for a dollar.\u00a0 Hot dogs and cold beers at a bargain price.\u00a0 Our group was all smiles. I should add that one of our group offered up a very complimentary review of the Hot Brown Egg Rolls (egg rolls stuffed with bacon, turkey, tomatoes and a special sauce \u2013 with real cheese for dipping \u2013 and $8.50 ball park treat). The pretzel-crusted cheese curds were not as well received, with the most common comment being they were more like pretzel-dusted than pretzel crusted.<\/p>\n

BAD CHOICE OF WALK UP MUSIC<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Legends\u2019 first baseman Reed Rohlman could, perhaps, have chosen better walk-up music than Garth Brooks\u2019 \u201cI ain\u2019t as good as I once was.\u201d\u00a0 Then again, he was hitting in the .240\u2019s after .286 a year ago.<\/strong><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The Lexington squad suffered another loss, 6-3 this time, but it was a better game. First the pitchers had a little more zip, touching the low- to mid-90s, which we didn\u2019t see much of yesterday (lots of 88 m.p.h. fastballs).\u00a0 Also, we saw only four walks, compared to 14 in yesterday\u2019s game. We did see two errors, a wild pitch, a balk and a hit batsman \u2013 but, in the minors, that comes with the territory.<\/p>\n

\"Bonus<\/a>

Bonus Photo: Lexington Legends at sunset. Photo: K. Dixon.<\/p><\/div>\n

All in all, a much crisper game, played in slightly warmer weather, with even less expensive hot dogs and beer.\u00a0 (Place your smiley face here.)<\/p>\n

Both BBRT players of the game came from the victorious Greenjackets of Augusta.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

RHP Keaton Winn<\/strong> (21-years-old\/Fifth round of 2018 draft) was appropriately the WINN-ing pitcher. He went six solid innings, giving up just three hits and no runs, while walking one and fanning six. The 6\u20194\u201d, 205-pounder improved his 2019 record to 3-4, 3.90. This season, he\u2019s walked just nine, while striking out 44 in 60 innings.<\/p>\n

Ismael Munguia<\/strong>, lead off hitter and CF for Augusta. Munguia went two-for-four, with two doubles, a run scored and two RBI. The 24-year-old is hitting.340+ for the season.<\/p>\n

\"stagger\"<\/a>After the game, trekkers skipped, marched, swayed or meandered off to their chosen night spots. I joined a group headed for The Stagger Inn, a basement bar with a good juke box and reasonably priced beverages, which was quite lively for being the day before payday (you had to be there to get that reference.)<\/p>\n

DAY SIX \u2013 ON TO LOUISVILLE<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

We left on the morning of June 12 for Louisville, where we slated to take in a Pawtucket\/Louisville clash.\u00a0 Notably, the Louisville team is called the \u201cBats\u201d and we drove by Lexington\u2019s Transylvania University on the way out of town.\u00a0 Surprisingly, there was plenty of daylight foot traffic on the campus.<\/p>\n

On the (Bourbon) Road Again<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

On the way to Louisville, our tour operator opened a Manhattan Bar mid-bus; sharing some of his Buffalo Trace Distillery purchases.\u00a0 So, we\u2019ve now had an on-the-bus Bloody Mary Bar; Craft Cocktail Bar; and Manhattan Bar.\u00a0 Seeing a theme here?<\/strong><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"peewee\"<\/a>We arrived at Louisville Slugger Field at about 11 a.m., parking right in front of the Pee Wee Reese statue.\u00a0 It proved be a great ball park \u2013 good sight lines, a walk-around the stadium open concourse, games and even a carousel for the kids and LOTS of good food and drink options.\u00a0 For the bigger kids, it was also \u201cWhiskey Wednesday\u201d \u2013 shots of Coopers\u2019 Craft Bourbon for just three dollars.\u00a0 It would be inappropriate to rate a Bloody Mary on Whiskey Wednesday, so let me say here the Coopers\u2019 Craft 100-proof was smooth (and popular).\u00a0 Not as much \u201cbite\u201d as some of the bourbons we tasted yesterday, but enough quality to make \u201cWhiskey Wednesday\u201d a Ballpark Tours hit.\"Whiskey\"<\/a><\/p>\n

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\"Great<\/a>

Great seats – $11. Is this heaven? No it’s Louisville Slugger Stadium.<\/p><\/div>\n

The Pawtucket Red Sox Louisville Bats game was a Triple A match up \u2013 so we were expecting a much cleaner contest than we saw an A-Level Lexington.\u00a0 Oops! There were 13 walks, four wild pitches and two hit batsmen in this tilt \u2013 won by the Bats 10-8.\u00a0 A few notes:<\/p>\n