One last chance to see pro baseball in Kentucky in 2020. See what’s on tap this week.
Fans have just a few more chances to watch professional baseball in person in Kentucky this year.
The Lexington Legends and Florence Y’alls will conclude the Battle of the Bourbon Trail this week with a home run derby and a championship series.
“This is a perfect way to wrap up this once-in-a-lifetime venture. This summer has been incredible for this community, players, staff, and the game of baseball,” Lexington Legends President and CEO Andy Shea said in a press release from the team. “We’re very proud of this significant accomplishment.”
For the last six weeks, the teams have been staging the Battle of the Bourbon Trail as a way of filling the void left when the minor league baseball season was canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Each franchise put together two teams — Lexington fields the Legends and Leyendas while the Y’alls and Freedom represent Florence — filled with former college, minor league and major league players. The squads have been rotating games against one another in both Lexington and Florence five days per week since the beginning of August.
The final week of competition in the series gets underway at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Whitaker Bank Ballpark when eight players from Lexington’s teams will compete in a home run derby. Fans can purchase hot dogs at the stadium for 25 cents on Wednesday.
On Thursday, the Legends and Leyendas will face off with first pitch scheduled for 6:50 p.m.
Then, a best-of-three championship series between All-Star teams from Lexington and Florence will kick off in Florence on Friday at 6:50 p.m. Game 2 will be played in Lexington on Saturday with first pitch also scheduled for 6:50 p.m. If a third game is necessary, it will be played at Whitaker Bank Ballpark on Sunday at 2:15 p.m.
Several big names litter the rosters of Lexington’s teams. In August, the Legends added former Cincinnati Reds All-Star Brandon Phillips along with former Red Ivan De Jesus Jr.
Phillips, 39, hit three home runs in his first three games with the Legends, including a 10th-inning walk-off to give the Legends a 4-2 win. The three-time MLB All-Star batted .275 and hit 211 home runs during a 16-year career.
Seven former MLB players have suited up for Lexington during the Battle of the Bourbon Trail. The others are: Ben Revere, Robbie Ross, Henry Owens, Jordan Pacheco and Mike Hauschild.
Several former University of Kentucky players are also on the roster for both Lexington teams, including Zach Logue, Chris Machamer, Kole Cottam, Luke Becker and Luke Heyer.
Tickets for all remaining events in the Battle of the Bourbon Trail are on sale and can be purchased at Lexingtonlegends.com.
To minimize the risk posed by COVID-19, fan capacity at Whitaker Bank Ballpark has been reduced to 50% and social distancing policies are in effect. Fans must be wearing masks and have their temperature read with a thermal device to enter the stadium. Updated safety protocols can also be viewed at Lexingtonlegends.com.
Battle of the Bourbon Trail
7 p.m. Wednesday: Home Run Derby at Whitaker Bank Ballpark
6:50 p.m. Thursday: Legends vs. Leyendas at Whitaker Bank Ballpark
6:50 p.m. Friday: Lexington All-Stars at Florence All-Stars, Game 1 at UC Health Stadium
6:50 p.m. Saturday: Lexington All-Stars vs. Florence All-Stars, Game 2 at Whitaker Bank Ballpark
2:15 p.m. Sunday: Lexington All-Stars vs. Florence All-Stars, Game 3 at Whitaker Bank Ballpark (if necessary)
