Baseball Returns
Baseball
Professional baseball returned to Nashville in 1978. Vanderbilt University baseball coach, Larry Schmittou, along with country music artists Conway Twitty, Jerry Reed, Cal Smith, and several addnional investors, purchased a Double-A minor league franchise from the Southern Association. Farrell Owens was hired as general manager. The new team was named the Nashville Sounds and initially served as a farm chub for the Cincinnati Reds. In 1980, they swiched to the New York Yankees.
Sounds games were played at Herschel Greer Stadium just south of downtown Named in honor of former Vols Inc. president Herschel Lynn Greer, the facility was originally part of Ft. Negley Park, an historical and recreational complex built in the mid-1930s by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) on the site of a Federal military fortification used during the Civil War. The park grounds contained youth league baseball diamonds, a playground, boxing arena, and a stacked stone replica of the Union fort. By the 1960s, the baseball fields were being used for softball.
In 1977, the site was converted at a cost of $1 million to a minor league stadium with the addition of grandstands that seated over 8,000 spectators. That number grew to 10,000 by the early 1980s. The team led the Southern League in attendance the first seven years (1978-84)
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For two seasons in 1993 and 1994, when Schmittou helped out a displaced Southern League franchise, Greer Stadum played host to two professional teams - the Sounds (Chicago White Sox Triple A affiliate) and the Nashville Xpres (Minneota Twins Double A affiliate) providing baseball fans with a game to watch almost every single evening during the summer.
In all, the storied Sounds franchise earned 13 playoff berths and won three league championships
while calling Greer Stadium home Between 1993 and 2014, they served as the farm team for the
Chicago White Sox (1993-1997), the Pittsburgh Pirates (1998-2004 and the
Milwaukee Bewers (2005-2014). Future Major League stars Wille MeGee, Don Matingly, Jack Armstrong, Chris Sabo, Otis Nixon, Steve Balboni, Magglio Ordóñez,Armani’s Ramírez, Nelson Cruz, Ryan Braun, and Prince Fielder all played for the Sounds.
Erected 2021.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Sports. A significant historical year for this entry is 1978.
Location. 36° 10.293′ N, 86° 47.08′ W. Marker is in Nashville, Tennessee, in Davidson County. It is in North Capitol. Marker can be
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. End of an Era (here, next to this marker); The Nashville Vols (here, next to this marker); The Negro Leagues (here, next to this marker); The Grandstands (a few steps from this marker); The Sportswriters (a few steps from this marker); Sulphur Dell (a few steps from this marker); Athletic Park (a few steps from this marker); Origins of Baseball in Nashville (a few steps from this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Nashville.
Credits. This page was last revised on February 7, 2023. It was originally submitted on June 14, 2021, by Darren Jefferson Clay of Duluth, Georgia. This page has been viewed 137 times since then and 4 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on June 14, 2021, by Darren Jefferson Clay of Duluth, Georgia. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.
