Letter Of Support: Nashville Old Timers Baseball Association

In a letter of support from Nashville Old Timers Baseball Association, President Nick Hiter outlines the organizations long-standing and extraordinary support of our Nashville community. Additionally, the letter provides endorsements of not only Music City Baseball but also their board members Farrell Ownes and Steve Smith serving as Music City Baseball Advisors.
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“This partnership with Music City Baseball literally brings the history of the Nashville Stars of the Negro Leagues back to life,” said Bob Kendrick, President of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum. “This is one of the most important partnerships in the Museum’s history.

We have always wanted a strategic alliance with a Major League Baseball partner. This allows the history of the Negro Leagues to be seen on a much broader scale,” added Kendrick.

BOB KENDRICK
President, Negro Leagues Baseball Museum
Music City Baseball Board
Alberto Gonzales, Chairman
Lee Barfield
Stacey Garrett Koju
John Loar
Nancy Schultz
Steve Smith
Dave Stewart
Baseball Advisors
Tony LaRussa
Dave Stewart
Tim Corbin
Farrell Owens
R. A. Dickey
Community Advisors
Bob Kendrick , Negro Leagues Baseball Museum
Eddie Hamilton
Rosetta Miller-Perry
Dianne Neal
Ray Waters
Gail Williams
Music Industry Advisors
Kix Brooks
Kane Brown
Eric Church
Luke Combs
Mike Dungan
Larry Gatlin
Lon Helton
Steve Hodges
Strategic Advisors
Bill Freeman
Darrell Freeman
Aubrey Harwell
Joel Katz
Brad Margolis
Ron Samuels
Walter Schultz
William Thomas
Malcolm Turner

OVER 150 YEARS OF NASHVILLE BASEBALL

Nashville Baseball Timeline © 2018 by Skip Nipper. All Rights Reserved.

April 20, 1866

Organized Baseball Arrives

Cumberland Base Ball Club of Nashville is organized. John Dickins is elected president.
April 20, 1866

May 5, 1866

Big Win

Rock City Base Ball Club loses to the Cumberlands, 66-15.
May 5, 1866

October 10, 1884

Paid Players

Nashville first game using paid players, the Nashville Americans host Cincinnati’s Union League club, losing 3-1.
October 10, 1884

November 7, 1884

Land Lease

Nashville’s American Base Ball Association signs a five-year lease for use of land owned by Sulphur Spring Company.
November 7, 1884

October 20, 1900

Southern Association

Southern Association is organized with Nashville as one of eight teams.
October 20, 1900

February 19, 1907

Standard Giants

A meeting is held at the residence of J. W. White to organize the Standard Giants Base Ball club
February 19, 1907

January 14, 1908

Sulphur Dell

Sportswriter Grantland Rice calls Athletic Park “Sulphur Spring Dell”, soon shortens it to “Sulphur Dell”
January 14, 1908

July 20, 1910

Wigs & Baseball

Nashville Standard Giants, local Negro club, wins an exhibition game at Sulphur Dell over the Broncho Bloomer Girls, a negro team of St. Louis, 8-3. Bloomer Girls teams often including male players dressed with wigs; only four women took part in the game.
July 20, 1910

May 12, 1913

Manhattan Stars

Local negro club, Manhattan Stars, loses to Louisville Cubs at Sulphur Dell, 11-6.
May 12, 1913

September 1, 1916

Fourth Southern Pennant

Nashville wins fourth Southern Association pennant by beating Little Rock at Sulphur Dell, 2-1.
September 1, 1916

April 7, 1927

Babe Ruth and Yankees

65th General Assembly of Tennessee adjourns early to see Babe Ruth and New York Yankees play the St. Louis Cardinals at Sulphur Dell. Cardinals beat the Yankees, 10-8.
April 7, 1927

June 20, 1931

Nashville Volunteers

Fay L. Murray, part-owner of the American Association Minneapolis Millers, and Jimmy Hamilton purchase the Nashville Volunteers.
June 20, 1931

April 12, 1932

Attendance Record

Attendance for opening day is 14,502. Seating capacity is 8,000 in the grandstands, and the outfield is lined off with rope to accommodate the crowd. It is the largest crowd to see a game at Sulphur Dell.
April 12, 1932

April 7, 1934

Ruth and Gehrig

Charles Dressen’s Vols wins against the New York Yankees, 5-4, at Sulphur Dell. Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig are both 2 for 4
April 7, 1934

September 25, 1941

Dixie Playoff Champions

Nashville wins the Dixie Playoffs championship for the second consecutive season by beating the Dallas Rebels, 6-2. In winning four games to none, the Vols’ pitching staff has three complete games, with only one reliever used the entire series.
September 25, 1941

September 20, 1944

Southern Pennant

Nashville captures the Southern Association pennant with their 11-10 victory over the Chicks in Memphis.
September 20, 1944

March 8, 1945

Negro Southern League

An owners meeting of Negro Southern League teams is held in Nashville to adopt a schedule and constitution.
March 8, 1945

October 5, 1947

Nashville Cubs

Nashville Cubs take a double header win over the New York Black Yankees at Sulphur Dell, 6-4 and 3-2
October 5, 1947

September 7, 1949

Pennant #9

Pete Mallory wins a 2-1 decision at Mobile to secure Nashville’s ninth Southern Association pennant and fifth in the past ten years.
September 7, 1949

May 11, 1952

Hank Aaron

Indianapolis Clowns sensation, 18-year-old rookie shortstop Hank Aaron, plays in his first regular season game as a professional at Sulphur Dell. The Clowns win both games of the double header over the Philadelphia Stars, 5-2 and 2-1. Aaron’s Negro League experience would last only 14 games before he signs with the Boston Braves and is sent to Eau Claire, Wisconsin to begin his career in organized baseball.
May 11, 1952

April 4, 1954

Spring 1954

Before 12,006 fans at Sulphur Dell, Milwaukee Braves defeat Brooklyn Dodgers, 18-14. Dodgers catcher Roy Campanella pinch-hits and works the last inning behind the plate as Junior Gilliam anchors third and Jackie Robinson plays first base.
April 4, 1954

September 8, 1963

End Of An Era

In the last Nashville Vols game played at Sulphur Dell, Vols outfielder Charlie Teuscher belts three home runs as the Vols win over Lynchburg, 6-3 and 2-1.
September 8, 1963

September 20, 1977

Larry Schmittou

Larry Schmittou, president of the Nashville Baseball Club, and Cincinnati’s Sheldon “Chief” Bender, sign a working agreement for the local baseball team to become the AA affiliate of the Reds.
September 20, 1977

April 26, 1978

Nashville Sounds

Nashville Sounds play their first home game, a 12–4 victory, against the Savannah Braves in front of a Greer Stadium sellout crowd of 8,156 fans.
April 26, 1978

September 11, 1982

Southern League Champions

Sounds win a second Southern League championship by beating Jacksonville 5-3 in 13 innings. Brian Dayett slams a home run with Buck Showalter on base to gain the win for Nashville.
September 11, 1982

April 7, 2003

Perfect Game

Right-hander John Wasdin pitches the first perfect game in Nashville Sounds history in his first start of the season against the Albuquerque Isotopes. The 4–0 Sounds win was only the second nine-inning perfect game in Pacific Coast League history.
April 7, 2003

September 7, 2005

PCL Crown

Nashville captures the PCL crown with a 5-2 win over Tacoma, winning the series three games to none.
September 7, 2005

June 25, 2007

Perfection Repeat

Manny Parra tosses the second perfect game in Nashville Sounds history, only the third nine-inning perfect game in PCL history, against the Round Rock Express.
June 25, 2007

August 27, 2014

Farewell To Greer

Nashville plays the last game at Greer Stadium against Sacramento before a sell-out crowd of 11,067 fans, losing 13-8.
August 27, 2014

April 17, 2015

First Tennessee Park Opener

Opening night at Nashville’s new First Tennessee Park, as the Sounds win over Colorado Springs, 3-2. 10,459 fans are on hand.
April 17, 2015
SKIP NIPPER
Nashville Baseball Historian & Author

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