By Heather Chapman
LEXINGTON, Ky. – The Lexington Legends announced Thursday that they've signed a 10-year contract with Whitaker Bank for the naming rights to the baseball field.
Whitaker Bank CEO Tom Hinkebein says he couldn't be happier about the deal.
"It was a great opportunity for us, that they came to us and asked us to be a partner with them. And it didn't take long at all for us to work out a deal. We're just very pleased with it."
Hinkebein--a lifelong baseball fanatic--says that he likes to invest in the communities in which his banks operate, and that the family-friendly baseball franchise was a natural fit for them.
Lexington Legends owner Alan Stein says he's glad he was able to find a locally-based company to work with.
"Eleven years ago when we first named the ballpark, one of the edicts that I put out to our folks was, I'm not going outside of Central Kentucky," says Stein. "This is a local community operation. We want the club to be part of our community, and the name on the building ought to be local."
Naming rights for the stadium previously belonged to local Applebee's franchisee Thomas & King. When that contract ended last fall, the Legends quickly approached Whitaker Bank and the final papers were signed in December. The price Whitaker paid for the naming rights has not been disclosed.