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Knoxville Smokies

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Tennessee Smokies
File:TennesseeSmokies.PNG File:TennesseeSmokiesCap.png
Team logo Cap insignia
Minor league affiliations
ClassDouble-A (1963–present)
Previous classes
  • A (1956–1962)
  • B (1954)
  • D (1953)
  • B (1946–1952)
  • A1 (1936–1944)
  • A (1931–1935)
  • B (1925–1929)
  • D (1910–1924)
  • C (1909)
LeagueSouthern League
DivisionNorth
Previous leagues
Major league affiliations
TeamChicago Cubs (2007–present)
Previous teams
Minor league titles
League titles (3)
  • 1974
  • 1978
  • 2004
Division titles (4)
  • 2004
  • 2009
  • 2010
  • 2011
Team data
NameTennessee Smokies (2000–present)
Previous names
  • Knoxville Smokies (1993–1999)
  • Knoxville Blue Jays (1980–1992)
  • Knoxville Sox (1972–1979)
  • Knoxville Smokies (1925–1967)
  • Knoxville Pioneers (1921–1924)
  • Knoxville Reds (1912–1914)
  • Knoxville Appalachians (1909–1911)
  • Knoxville Baseball Club (1904)
  • Knoxville Indians (1897)
BallparkSmokies Stadium (2000–present)
Previous parks
  • Bill Meyer Stadium (1957–1967, 1972-1999)
  • Municipal Stadium (1954, 1956-1957)
  • Chapman Hwy. Park (1953)
  • Smithson Stadium (1931–1943, 1946-1952)
  • Caswell Park (1921–1929)
  • Chilhowee Park (1909–1914)
  • Baldwin Park (1896–1897)
Owner(s)/
Operator(s)
SPBC, LLC, Randy Boyd
General managerBrian Cox
ManagerMark Johnson
MediaMiLB.TV (television) WNML (radio)

The Tennessee Smokies are a Minor League Baseball team based in the Knoxville, Tennessee, metropolitan area. The team, which plays in the Southern League, are the Double-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs. Smokies Stadium, the team's ballpark, is located in the suburb of Kodak, and seats up to 8,000 fans.

The team's nickname, "Smokies", refers to the Great Smoky Mountains mountain range which permeates the region; mountains in the chain are often clouded in a hazy mist that often appears as smoke rising from the forest.

Prior to 2005, the Smokies were the Double-A affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals and before that the Toronto Blue Jays. However, when the Cardinals purchased the El Paso Diablos, which had been the Arizona Diamondbacks' Double-A affiliate, the Diamondbacks retained the Smokies as their new Double-A affiliate. On September 21, 2006, the Chicago Cubs, who had previously had a Double-A affiliation with division rival West Tenn Diamond Jaxx, reached a two-year player development contract with the Smokies through the 2008 season. On July 11, 2014, The Chicago Cubs and Tennessee Smokies announced an extension to their Player Development Contract (PDC) for the maximum possible term of four years. The agreement means the Smokies will be the Cubs' Double-A affiliate through the 2018 season.[1]

The team was based in Knoxville and called the Knoxville Smokies for many years before moving to Kodak, Tennessee and changing its name prior to the 2000 season.

History

Knoxville's first organized baseball franchise, the Appalachians, played in the original South Atlantic League (Class C) in 1909. The club dropped out of the "Sally League" that season, but – after Knoxville fielded teams in the Class D Southeastern and Appalachian leagues – returned to the South Atlantic loop, now Class B, as the Smokies from 1925–29. On July 22, 1931, the Mobile Bears franchise of the A1 Southern Association moved to Knoxville and played as the Smokies through July 5, 1944 when the club returned to Mobile. The transfer marked the end of Knoxville's membership in the Southern Association.

In 1946, the Smokies joined the Class B Tri-State League and played in it until the loop folded in 1955. But in July 1956, when the Montgomery Rebels of the Class A South Atlantic League needed a new home, they transferred to Knoxville. The Smokies' manager that season: eventual Hall of Famer Earl Weaver.

The Smokies were reclassified as Class AA with the rest of the Sally League in 1963, and were charter members of the Sally's successor, the Southern League, in 1964. Apart from a four-year (1968–71) hiatus, they have continued in the Southern loop ever since.

Knoxville returned in 1972 as the Knoxville White Sox or Knox Sox, the Chicago White Sox's AA club. They transferred their affiliation to the Toronto Blue Jays in 1980, a link that lasted until 1999. For the first 13 of those years, the team was officially known as the Knoxville Blue Jays, or locally referred to as simply the K-Jays. The historic Smokies moniker was reintroduced beginning in the 1993 season.

From 1954 to 1999, Knoxville baseball teams played in Bill Meyer Stadium, formerly known as Knoxville Municipal Stadium, on Don Ridley Field. The stadium was named for Knoxville native son and former Pittsburgh Pirates manager Billy Meyer.

In December 2008 Ryne Sandberg, Baseball Hall Of Fame former Chicago Cubs All-Star second baseman, was named the manager for the 2009 season. Sandberg led the Smokies to a second half Southern League North Division crown and a 3–1 divisional playoff series win over the Huntsville Stars. The Smokies would eventually fall 3-games-to-1 to the Jacksonville Suns for the 2009 Southern League Championship.

In June 2013, the then-Smokies' ownership group, led by Cleveland Browns owner Jimmy Haslam, sold the team to Randy Boyd, a local Knoxville businessman. Though a devoted baseball fan, Boyd is not involved in the day-to-day management of the team, delegating those responsibilities to CEO Doug Kirchhofer and General Manager Brian Cox.[2] In 2016, speculation began that Boyd was wanting to move the Smokies back to Knoxville after he had purchased several parcels in downtown Knoxville. Boyd said he has envisioned a baseball stadium on that site, but has no plans to bring the baseball team back to Knoxville until 2025, when the current stadium contract expires, at the earliest.[3][4]

On October 22, 2014 the Smokies revealed new logos, colors, and uniforms that reflected their ongoing relationship with the Chicago Cubs organization.[5]

Smokies Stadium experienced its largest crowd ever of 7,958 on May 13, 2017, against the Montgomery Biscuits. The Smokies lost the game 3–1, which was also Star Wars Night.[6] The previous attendance record was the 7,866 on July 24, 2015, against the Chattanooga Lookouts. The Smokies won the game 8–4, which was also Toy Story Night and Daddy-Daughter Date Night.[7]

Television and radio

All Tennessee Smokies games are televised live on MiLB.TV. The current voice of the Smokies is Mick Gillispie. The pre and postgame shows are hosted by Keith Brake and Greg Young. All games are also broadcast on Sports Radio WNML 99.1 FM and 990 AM. Bear Trax is a weekly television show hosted by Mick Gillispie and Charlie Walter about the Smokies and airs at 11pm ET on WTNZ Fox43.

Notable alumni

Sam Fuld
Shawn Green

Year-by-year record

Year Record Finish Manager Playoffs
2000 71–69 4th Rocket Wheeler
2001 80–60 2nd Rocket Wheeler
2002 69–71 6th Rocket Wheeler
2003 72–67 4th Mark DeJohn Lost in 1st round
2004 69–71 6th Mark DeJohn Co-Champs*
2005 64–76 7th Tony Perezchica
2006 70–69 5th Bill Plummer
2007 73–65 2nd Pat Listach Lost in Semi-Finals
2008 62–77 5th Buddy Bailey
2009 71–69 2nd Ryne Sandberg Lost in Finals
2010 86–53 1st Bill Dancy Lost in Finals
2011 83-57 1st Brian Harper Lost in Finals
2012 72-68 3rd Buddy Bailey
2013 76-62 T-1st Buddy Bailey Lost in Semi-Finals
2014 66-73 2nd Buddy Bailey
2015 76-63 3rd Buddy Bailey
2016 58-81 9th Mark Johnson

* Due to Hurricane Ivan the finals series was cancelled. Tennessee and Mobile were declared co-champions.

Playoffs

Roster

Knoxville Smokies roster
Players Coaches/Other

Pitchers

Catchers

  •  1 Pablo Aliendo
  • 15 Casey Opitz

Infielders

Outfielders


Manager

  • 28 Lance Rymel

Coaches

  •  3 Derron Davis (bench)
  • 18 Rachel Folden (hitting)
  •    Henry Haack (assistant pitching)
  • 40 Marco Romero (assistant)
  •    Jamie Vermilyea (pitching)

60-day injured list

  • 00 Burl Carraway (full season)
  • 36 Manuel Espinoza (full season)
  • 44 Richard Gallardo
  • 29 Brody McCullough
  • 22 Aaron Perry

7-day injured list
* On Chicago Cubs 40-man roster
~ Development list
# Rehab assignment
∞ Reserve list
‡ Restricted list
§ Suspended list
† Temporarily inactive list
Roster updated September 17, 2024
 Transactions
→ More rosters: MiLB • Southern League
 → Chicago Cubs minor league players

References

  1. ^ Tennessee Smokies Press Release - June 11, 2014
  2. ^ Knoxville News-Sentinel archives - June 28, 2013
  3. ^ "Randy Boyd pays $6M for Knox Rail Salvage property". WBIR.com. 2016-09-06. Retrieved 2017-07-07.
  4. ^ "Boyd: Smokies baseball to stay in Kodak until at least 2025". WBIR.com. 2016-10-14. Retrieved 2017-07-07.
  5. ^ Tennessee Smokies Press Release - October 15, 2014
  6. ^ "The Largest Crowd in Smokies Stadium History Shows Up for Star Wars Night". Minor League Baseball. May 13, 2017. Retrieved July 6, 2017.
  7. ^ Tennessee Smokies Press Release - July 24, 2015
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