![]() The sod, which arrived late, was laid the day before the scheduled opening game with the help of an estimated group of 50 fans who heard an announcement from general manager Farrell Owenson on local radio stations inviting them to a "sod party". Tractors and grading machines were still preparing the field on game day, and the electricity was turned on only five minutes before the gates opened. The team requested to open the season on the road and had to swap a series with the Chattanooga Lookouts in order to have enough time to complete the stadium. The home opener was scheduled to take place the previous evening, but was rained out. The Sounds played their first home game, a 12–4 victory, on Apagainst the Savannah Braves in front of a sellout crowd of 8,156 fans. Further illustrating the city’s musical ties is the typeface, with letters resembling music notes, used to display the team name. It depicts a mustachioed baseball player swinging at a baseball with a guitar, a staple of country music, in place of a bat. The team’s logo, which was used from 1978 to 1997, reflects the city's association with the country music industry. The color blue was added to Memphis' red and white palate. When the ABA merged with the National Basketball Association in 1976, some of the copyrights were allowed to lapse, and Nashville's baseball team adopted the abandoned schemes. The team's name, logo, and color scheme originated with the Memphis Sounds of the American Basketball Association (ABA), who used them for one season in 1974 before the team relocated and became the Baltimore Claws. In 1980, it set the all-time league attendance record (575,676). Fans responded well to the return of baseball to the city, evidenced by Nashville leading the Southern League in attendance in each of their seven seasons as a member of the league. The club played their home games at a new facility, Herschel Greer Stadium, located south of downtown Nashville at the foot of St. With the help of country music star Conway Twitty, who heard about the proposed team in local newspapers, Schmittou brought in other recording artists such as Larry Gatlin and Jerry Reed, as well as other Nashvillians, as Sounds shareholders. This philosophy also involved promoting entertainment value, or fun, instead of promoting the baseball game. Schmittou's business philosophy revolved around earning profits not from ticket sales, but from the sale of souvenirs and concessions. President and part owner Larry Schmittou, head coach of the Vanderbilt University baseball team, was instrumental in bringing professional baseball back to Nashville. ![]() In 1978, the Nashville Sounds were added as an expansion franchise team in the Double-A Southern League and were affiliated with the Cincinnati Reds. The city was without a professional baseball team for 14 years after the Double-A Vols ceased operations after their 1963 season. They were followed by the Blues, Tigers, Seraphs, and Vols. Nashville's professional baseball history dates back to 1885, beginning with the Nashville Americans. ![]() ![]() Going into 2008, they were the three-time defending PCL American North Division champions. Previous league titles won by the team are the Southern League title in 1979, as the Double-A affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds, and again in 1982 as the Double-A affiliate of the New York Yankees. The Sounds won the PCL Championship in 2005, sweeping the Tacoma Rainiers in three games in the final series. Of the three nine-inning perfect games in the history of the PCL, two have been pitched by members of the Sounds. The 2006 team tied the record for the longest game in PCL history. The team fielded in 1980 was recognized as one of the 100 greatest minor league teams of all time. As of the completion of the 2008 season, the team had played in 4,437 regular season games and compiled a win–loss record of 2,304–2,133. A total of 21 managers have helmed the club and its nearly 900 players. The team has served as a farm club for six major league franchises. The team plays its home games at Herschel Greer Stadium, which opened in 1978 and holds 10,052 fans.Įstablished as a Double-A team in 1978, the Sounds moved up to the Triple-A level in 1985. They are located in Nashville, Tennessee, and are named for the city's association with the music industry. The Nashville Sounds are a minor league baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL), and the Triple-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. ![]() Owner(s)/Operated by: MFP Baseball / Nashville Sounds Baseball Club ![]()
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