The Louisville Slugger Family Experience
Hi, I’m Bayleigh Masterson. I was born and bred in the city most popularly known for horse racing, bourbon barrels, and Louisville Slugger. I grew up in Louisville, Kentucky surrounded by a large family who loved baseball!
As soon as I was old enough, I began playing softball. The game of softball has completely captivated me and plays a part in everything I do to this day. I am now going into my senior year of college and I currently hold down the “hot corner” of third base for the Berry College Vikings. Growing up in Louisville made it a no brainer when it came time to select my bat. I have swung a Louisville Slugger for as long as I can remember. Stepping up to the plate with my Louisville Slugger bat gives me a piece of home everywhere I play, and I believe that bit of home is something special.
Growing up, summers in Louisville meant summer camps, long days at my grandparents’ house, and hot days at the ballfield. But it also delivered the few days my parents took off work to take us on “field trips.” These were the days my sister and I most looked forward to. We would go to a myriad of different playgrounds and amusement parks, but most prominent in our memories is Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory.
Field trips to Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory were so exciting! I remember walking up to the “Big Bat” in front and just trying to take it all in as a tiny four-year-old girl. I can still hear my mom telling us my uncle helped build that giant bat and thinking that was absolutely amazing! That alone made my young self feel like a celebrity. Below is a picture of the Big Bat being installed.
Days spent at Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory always ended with mini-bats that inspired a fun and friendly sword fight with my sister – memories that I still revisit with a smile. I loved walking into the museum and getting in my batting stance next to a ballplayer sculpture or climbing on the “Big Glove.” A picture of my sister and me sitting on the Big Glove is below! This was my favorite spot for a field trip with my family. We would spend hours here and my dad would light-up giving us background history on the players. We learned a lot and these stories were what I enjoyed the most.
I know to this day, as I am now in college and living on my own, that baseball has always been part of my family’s home and there is no greater home for baseball than Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory. Whenever I host a friend from college, I take them to Louisville Slugger.
Over the years, the museum staff always provided an authentic experience that can only be had in Louisville. Which is why, when I saw an opportunity to work here, I stepped up to the plate.
Working in baseball/softball has been my dream career. I love working at Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory. Our team of employees welcomes everyone in, and we give our guests the baseball experience they have longed for, filled with authentic artifacts and time-honored traditions. I could not be more thankful for my position with Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory.
I have learned so much, but my greatest joy is seeing the young girls that come in with their parents, like I did. With bright eyes and big smiles they pick out their own bats. This warms my heart and makes my love and passion for the game only grow stronger. I feel like I am paying it forward for the next generation of softball players and that’s a feeling I never want to lose.
I have loved my countless experiences with Louisville Slugger not just because of my job, my passion for the game, and my family field trips. That same feeling of home I get when I grip my Louisville Slugger bat or talk baseball with my Dad, I also get when I walk in the doors of Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory. That feeling of confidence and joy that I am growing the game so many of us have fallen in love with throughout history. Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory brings baseball, softball, and sports lovers together from all over the world. I take great pride in being a part of that team.
My team at Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory may never cross the chalk lines with me like my Berry Vikings do, but this is a team worth coming to see in action!