Kentucky Bourbons
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Kentucky Bourbons were a team that played in professional softball leagues in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
In 1977 the Bourbons won the American Professional Slow Pitch League (APSPL) Central Division, finishing eight games ahead of the Cleveland Jaybirds. The Bourbons' 40-16 (.714) record was the second best in the league, behind only the 42-14 (.750) tally of the Midwest Division champion Detroit Caesars. Kentucky lost in the playoff semifinals to the East Division champion Baltimore Monuments, 2 games to 1.
In 1978 the Bourbons finished with 30 wins and 34 losses (.469), ten games behind the Central Division champion Cincinnati Suds.
In 1979 the Bourbons reached the North American Softball League World Series, losing 5 games to 4 to the Milwaukee Schlitz. Kentucky had the APSPL's best regular season record at 48-15 (.762) and defeated the Trenton Champales and the Rochester Zeniths in the playoffs.
The 1980 Bourbons were the APSPL champions with a record of 49-13 (.790), but they lost in the first round of the playoffs to the Pittsburgh Hardhats, 3 games to 2.
1981 saw the APSPL teams playing in the United Professional Softball League (UPSL). The Bourbons won the UPSL World Series, defeating the Boston Pilgrims 5 games to 3. The World Series victory came despite finishing third in the Western Division for the regular season with a record of 36-24 (.600), eight games behind the Cincinnati Suds and two games behind the Milwaukee Schlitz. In the playoffs the Bourbons beat the Schlitz 3 games to none, then beat the Suds 3 games to 2. Kentucky's Bill Gatti was the MVP of the 1981 World Series; Gatti was also the league MVP for 1981, winning the home run (38) and RBI (99) crowns. Gatti also won the 1981 batting crown with a .622 average.
In 1982 the Bourbons won the Western Division with a 38-23 (.623) record. Kentucky lost in the playoff semifinals to the Milwaukee Schlitz, 3 games to 2. The Schlitz went on to win the World Series. The UPSL folded after the conclusion of the 1982 season and neither Louisville nor any other city in the United States has fielded a professional softball team since. The demise of the Bourbons coincided with the arrival of AAA minor league baseball with the Louisville Redbirds who went on to set records for minor league baseball attendance.
