After a magical 2008 season that included winning the International League’s West Division Championship, the Louisville Bats and Manager Rick Sweet are looking forward to an exciting 2009 campaign.

Sweet returns to the helm for his fifth season in charge of the club. Last year’s 88-56 record eclipsed the previous franchise high for wins in a season of 84 set in 2001 by former Bats Manager Dave Miley, the current skipper of the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees.

“I am very excited to come back,” Sweet said during the annual preseason news conference held at the Jack Daniel’s Lounge at Louisville Slugger Field on Feb. 10. “Very seldom are you able to stay in one place in baseball for a long period of time. This community and the lifestyle here have made this a place I would enjoy living after my career is over.”

Sweet also became the winningest manager in Louisville history in 2008, setting the mark in a 9-8 home victory over the Durham Bulls on Aug. 19. The win was the culmination of an incredible tear in which the Bats won 14 of 16 games.

A group of familiar faces will join Sweet on the 2009 staff, led by Hitting Coach Adrian “Smokey” Garrett, returning for his seventh season in Louisville. Pitching Coach Ted Power, a former Louisville Redbird, also returns to the staff. The 2009 season will be his fourth with the Bats after spending 2002 in Dayton.

“We are really pleased to have everyone back this season,” Terry Reynolds, Senior Director of Player Development for the Cincinnati Reds, said. “This staff has many years of experience, and they have a history of developing our organization’s recent rising prospects.”

With Spring Training in sight, Sweet informed the media that he was not going to be focused on any particular players or positions until the Reds selected their 25-man roster.

“I will be happy to take the next 24 guys after (Reds manager) Dusty Baker makes his selections. I’m not going to be looking for anything specific. A good thing is that I know most of the players I will be working with, but I want to get a chance and meet the Double-A prospects that may be headed through Louisville this season.”

This year’s Louisville Bats look to be composed of a mix of experienced veterans and young players that will complement each other. Chemistry was a monumental factor in last season’s run to the playoffs, and will be necessary for returning to the postseason.

“That’s my job,” Sweet said. “There will be young guys excited about making our squad, but there will likely be some players who will be disappointed they did not make the big league club. You have to give those players their time and space. But you always have that mixture, and it’s such a quick turnaround (from spring training to the regular season).”

Sweet also pointed out that the confidence and momentum the team had during the 2008 season was not fully on display until later in the year.

“We treaded water a bit last year until our young guys got on a roll. We want to establish that momentum early this year and achieve the goals we look to have for the season.”

Those goals may include eclipsing the win total from last year and achieving the 90-win mark. In his 20 years as a manager, Sweet’s teams have reached 80 wins five times, but have not broken through the barrier.

Elsewhere in the West Division, Larry Parrish returns for his fifth season as the manager of the Toledo Mud Hens. With two Governors’ Cup Series victories to his credit, Parrish looks to build on the Hens’ 75-69 record in 2008.

In Columbus, the Clippers are set to open the brand new Huntington Park. First-year manager Torey Lovullo, a 13-year Major League veteran, leads the top affiliate of the Cleveland Indians, coming off a 69-73 record in the 2008 campaign.

After four years with the Nashville Sounds, manager Frank Kremblas is set to lead the Indianapolis Indians in 2009. From 2005-07, he managed the Sounds to a Pacific Coast League American North Division Championship each season, winning the PCL Championship in his first season. Kremblas inherits the Pittsburgh Pirates affiliate coming off a 68-76 season.

The 2009 Bats season kicks off with a seven-game homestand starting on April 9 at 7:05 p.m. with a matchup against the Clippers. Nine of Louisville’s first 11 games will be played at Louisville Slugger Field, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary season.

The Bats are 375-274 (.578 win percentage) since moving to Louisville Slugger Field from Old Cardinal Stadium in 2000. In the last decade, the stadium has played host to numerous concerts, community races and Kentucky Derby Festival events. Last season, the facility hosted the 2008 Meijer Triple-A All-Star Game and an outdoor concert by the Dave Matthews Band.

“The main emphasis this year is to provide affordable family entertainment at a great value,” Assistant General Manager and Director of Marketing Greg Galiette said.

For the first time since the stadium opened, the Bats will be playing on a new field surface in 2009. A new Kentucky Bluegrass field out of Patoka, Ind. was installed in late October after the drainage and irrigation systems were redesigned.

Head Groundskeeper Tom Nielsen will be in charge of maintaining the new surface. The previous field was recycled to Louisville Metro Parks for compost and future projects. Louisville Slugger Field was also recognized by the Sports Turf Managers Association as the Professional Baseball Field of the Year in 2002 and 2004.

This offseason, the Bats and Reds extended their agreement for an additional two years, keeping Louisville as the Triple-A home for Reds baseball through the 2012 season. The Reds have been the parent club of the Louisville baseball franchise since 2000.

Opening Day is Thursday, April 9th.  Full Season Tickets, Mini-Plans, Group Outings and Thunder Over Louisville tickets are on Sale Now! 

For information contact the Louisville Bats office at (502) 614-4524 or (502) 614-4532.   Also, check out the Bats at www.batsbaseball.com.