Nashville Sounds facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Nashville SoundsFounded in 1978 Nashville, Tennessee |
|||||
|
|||||
| Class-level | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Current | Triple-A (1985–present) | ||||
| Previous | Double-A (1978–1984) | ||||
| Minor league affiliations | |||||
| League | International League (2021–present) | ||||
| Division | West Division | ||||
|
Previous leagues
|
|
||||
| Major league affiliations | |||||
| Current | Milwaukee Brewers (2021–present) | ||||
| Previous |
|
||||
| Minor league titles | |||||
| League titles (3) |
|
||||
| Conference titles (2) |
|
||||
| Division titles (11) |
|
||||
| Second half titles (6) |
|
||||
| Team data | |||||
| Nickname | Nashville Sounds (1978–present) | ||||
| Colors | Navy, red, white |
||||
| Mascot | Booster | ||||
| Ballpark | First Horizon Park (2015–present) | ||||
|
Previous parks
|
Herschel Greer Stadium (1978–2014) | ||||
|
Owner(s)/
Operator(s) |
MFP Baseball / Nashville Sounds Baseball Club | ||||
| Manager | Rick Sweet | ||||
| General Manager | Adam English | ||||
| Media | MiLB.TV and 94.9 FM The Fan | ||||
The Nashville Sounds are a professional Minor League Baseball team. They play in the International League and are the top team for the Milwaukee Brewers. The Sounds are based in Nashville, Tennessee. Their name comes from Nashville's famous music industry, especially the "Nashville sound" style of country music.
The team plays its home games at First Horizon Park. This stadium opened in 2015 on the site of the old Sulphur Dell ballpark. Before that, the Sounds played at Herschel Greer Stadium from 1978 to 2014. The Nashville Sounds are the oldest active professional sports team in Nashville.
The Sounds started in 1978 as a new team in the Double-A Southern League. In their first year, they had the highest attendance in all of Minor League Baseball! They kept drawing the biggest crowds in the Southern League for seven years. The team won the Southern League championship twice: in 1979 (with the Cincinnati Reds) and again in 1982 (with the New York Yankees).
In 1985, the Sounds became a Triple-A team in the American Association. They continued the history of the Double-A team. After the American Association ended in 1997, Nashville joined the Pacific Coast League in 1998. They won their only Pacific Coast League championship in 2005, while working with the Milwaukee Brewers. In 2021, the Sounds moved to the Triple-A East, which became the International League in 2022.
Nashville has been a farm club (a team that helps train players for a bigger league team) for eight different Major League Baseball teams. Many managers and over 1,500 players have been part of the Sounds. As of the end of the 2024 season, the Sounds have played 6,577 regular-season games. Their overall record is 3,405 wins, 3,170 losses, and 2 ties.
Contents
Team History
Baseball in Nashville's Past
Nashville has had professional baseball teams since the late 1800s. The city's baseball story began in 1884 with the Nashville Americans. They played at Sulphur Spring Park, which was later called Athletic Park and Sulphur Dell. This park was home to Nashville's minor league teams until 1963. Other early teams included the Nashville Blues and the Nashville Tigers. In 1895, the Nashville Seraphs won the city's first championship.
The Nashville Vols were the city's longest-running team. They played from 1901 to 1961, winning many championships. After the Vols left, Nashville didn't have a professional baseball team for 14 years.
Bringing Baseball Back to Nashville
Larry Schmittou, a college baseball coach, was key to bringing baseball back. He teamed up with country music stars like Conway Twitty and other investors. They raised money to build a new stadium and start a minor league team. The new stadium, Herschel Greer Stadium, was built on the site of an old Civil War fort.
Schmittou and his team found a partner in the Cincinnati Reds. The new team joined the Southern League as a Double-A team. They were named the Sounds because of Nashville's "Nashville sound" music style. The team's first logo showed a baseball player swinging an acoustic guitar instead of a bat!
Playing in the Southern League
Cincinnati Reds (1978–1979)
The Nashville Sounds played their first game on April 15, 1978. They lost to the Memphis Chicks. Their first home game was on April 26, 1978, at Greer Stadium. They won 12–4 against the Savannah Braves in front of a huge crowd.
The Sounds were very popular. They led all of Minor League Baseball in attendance in their first year. They continued to lead the Southern League in attendance every year they were in it. The team focused on family fun and promotions, not just baseball. They won awards for their great promotions in 1978, 1980, and 1981.
In 1979, the Sounds won their first Southern League championship. They beat the Columbus Astros in the finals. After two seasons, the Sounds looked for a new partner because of rules about using a designated hitter (DH) in games.
New York Yankees (1980–1984)
In 1980, the Sounds became the Double-A team for the New York Yankees. This was a very successful time for the team. They had five winning seasons in a row.
In 1980, the Sounds had their best record ever: 97 wins and 46 losses. They also set a Southern League attendance record with over 575,000 fans visiting Greer Stadium. In 1982, the Sounds won their second Southern League championship. They beat the Jacksonville Suns. In 1984, Jim Deshaies pitched the team's first no-hitter game. The Sounds had a great record of 431 wins and 320 losses during their time with the Yankees.
Moving to Triple-A Baseball
Detroit Tigers (1985–1986)
To make the team more exciting, the Sounds' president, Larry Schmittou, wanted to move up to Triple-A baseball. In 1984, he bought the Triple-A Evansville Triplets team and moved them to Nashville.
The Sounds started playing in the Triple-A American Association in 1985. They partnered with the Detroit Tigers. Their first Triple-A game was a 3–1 win at Greer Stadium. After two years, the Sounds ended their partnership with the Tigers.
Cincinnati Reds (1987–1992)
The Sounds rejoined the Cincinnati Reds in 1987 as their Triple-A team. In 1990, Nashville set its all-time attendance record with over 605,000 fans. That year, the team had a great season, winning 86 games. They reached the American Association championship series but lost to the Omaha Royals.
During this time, Skeeter Barnes set several team records for games played, at bats, and hits. The Reds later ended their partnership with the Sounds.
Chicago White Sox (1993–1997)
The Sounds then partnered with the Chicago White Sox in 1993. Greer Stadium needed updates to meet Triple-A standards. One big change was adding the famous guitar-shaped scoreboard before the 1993 season.
The Sounds made the American Association playoffs in 1993 and 1994. In 1993, they won their division but lost in the championship series. In 1994, they reached the finals again but were defeated. The White Sox partnership ended after the 1997 season.
In 1996, Larry Schmittou sold his part of the team. He felt that a new football team, the Tennessee Titans, would take away fans and money from the Sounds.
Joining the Pacific Coast League
Pittsburgh Pirates (1998–2004)
The American Association league ended in 1997. The Sounds then joined the Pacific Coast League (PCL) in 1998. They also changed their team colors and logos. The new logo featured an eighth note with a baseball.
Nashville became the top team for the Pittsburgh Pirates. In 2003, the Sounds won their division and made it to the PCL playoffs for the first time. They reached the league finals but lost. Earlier that year, John Wasdin pitched the first perfect game in Sounds history! This means no opposing player reached base.
Players like Chad Hermansen and Tike Redman set team records during this time. The Pirates ended their partnership with the Sounds after 2004.
Milwaukee Brewers (2005–2014)
The Sounds partnered with the Milwaukee Brewers in 2005. The team also got a new logo with a baseball player hitting a ball towards the Nashville skyline. This partnership started well! In 2005, the Sounds won the Pacific Coast League championship. This was their first Triple-A championship.
In 2006, the Sounds played a super long 24-inning game that lasted over eight hours! In 2007, Manny Parra pitched the team's second perfect game. The Sounds won their division for the third year in a row.
The Sounds had planned to build a new stadium for a long time. After many delays, a plan for a new downtown ballpark was approved in 2013. On August 27, 2014, the Sounds played their last game at Greer Stadium. It was a sellout crowd of over 11,000 fans. The Sounds ended their long partnership with the Brewers after 2014.
Oakland Athletics (2015–2018)
In 2015, Nashville partnered with the Oakland Athletics. The team also introduced new logos that included guitars, guitar picks, and neon signs, showing off Nashville's "Music City" nickname.
The 2015 season was the first time the Sounds played at the new First Horizon Park. This stadium cost $91 million and is located where the old Sulphur Dell ballpark used to be. The Sounds won their first game at the new park on April 17, 2015, in front of a huge crowd.
In 2016, the Sounds reached the playoffs for the first time since 2007. They had the best record in their league that year. Player Joey Wendle set a team record for doubles. The Sounds decided not to renew their contract with the Athletics after the 2018 season.
Texas Rangers (2019–2020)
Nashville became the Triple-A team for the Texas Rangers in 2019. The Sounds also got new colors and logos again. The new colors were navy blue, red, and white, like their original 1978 colors. The main logo featured an "N" shaped like a guitar's F-hole.
Pitcher Tim Dillard returned to the team in 2019. He set new team records for games pitched, strikeouts, wins, and innings pitched. The 2019 season was the only year the Sounds played with the Rangers. The 2020 season was cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. After 2020, Major League Baseball changed how Minor League Baseball worked. The Rangers moved their Triple-A team to a different city.
Back to the International League
Milwaukee Brewers (2021–present)
The Sounds partnered with the Milwaukee Brewers again in 2021. The Brewers liked First Horizon Park's facilities and Nashville's easy travel options. The Pacific Coast League ended, and the Sounds were placed in the Triple-A East, which became the International League (IL) in 2022.
The 2021 season started later due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2022, the Sounds won the Western Division title with a great record of 91 wins and 58 losses. Their manager, Rick Sweet, won the International League Manager of the Year Award. The team also won the Minor League Baseball Organization of the Year Award. In 2023, Robert Gasser won the International League Pitcher of the Year Award. In 2024, Chad Patrick also won the IL Pitcher of the Year Award.
Team Rivals
The Nashville Sounds' main rivals are the teams from Memphis, Tennessee. Memphis is about 200 miles southwest of Nashville. Teams from both cities have played in the same leagues since the late 1800s.
The rivalry became strong when the Sounds and the Memphis Chicks joined the Southern League in 1978. They often played each other in important playoff games. The rivalry continued when Nashville and the Memphis Redbirds joined the Pacific Coast League in 1998. They have been division rivals ever since. As of the end of the 2024 season, the Sounds have a better record against the Redbirds, with 231 wins and 197 losses in 428 games.
Home Ballparks
Herschel Greer Stadium (1978–2014)
The Sounds played at Herschel Greer Stadium from 1978 to 2014. The stadium was located near Fort Negley, a Civil War site. Greer Stadium grew over the years and could hold up to 18,000 fans at its biggest. The largest crowd ever at Greer was over 22,000 people in 1982.
Greer's most famous part was its giant guitar-shaped scoreboard. It was 115.6 feet tall and was added in 1993. Over time, Greer Stadium became older compared to newer minor league parks. The team tried for years to get a new stadium built. Finally, a deal for a new ballpark was made in 2013. The Sounds played their last game at Greer on August 27, 2014. The stadium was torn down in 2019.
First Horizon Park (2015–present)
The Sounds' current home is First Horizon Park. It opened in 2015 and was called First Tennessee Park until 2019. The park is in downtown Nashville, where the old Sulphur Dell ballpark used to be. It has seats for 8,500 people and can hold up to 10,000 with extra standing areas. The attendance record was set on July 16, 2022, with 12,409 fans.
The stadium's design mixes baseball and music themes. For example, the light poles look like those from Sulphur Dell. Like Greer Stadium, First Horizon Park has a huge guitar-shaped scoreboard. This new scoreboard is 142 feet tall and can show colorful graphics, videos, and player stats.
Other cool features include The Band Box, an outdoor restaurant, and The Country Club at The Band Box, a 9-hole miniature golf course. Since 2016, the park also has the Country Legends Race. During the fifth inning, people dressed as country music stars like Johnny Cash and Dolly Parton race around the field!
Team Uniforms
The Sounds have used different colors and logos since 1978. Their first colors were red, white, and blue, showing Nashville's country music roots. Later, they switched to red, black, and white to look more modern. In 2015, they brought back music-themed elements. In 2019, they updated their look again, combining baseball and music history.
Uniforms from 1978–2018
From 1978 to 1986, the team wore pullover jerseys in white, gray, and red or blue. They had red, white, and blue stripes around the neck and sleeves. "Sounds" was written across the chest in a music note-like style. The cap was blue with a red brim and a white "N" shaped like a music note.
From 1987 to 1998, they wore white or gray button-up jerseys. The home jerseys still had "Sounds" in music note script. They also added a blue mesh jersey. A new all-blue cap with the "Slugger" logo was introduced around 1993.
From 1998 to 1999, the team changed to red and black colors. They wore pinstriped jerseys with a new music note logo. The caps were black with the circular music note logo.
From 2003 to 2005, the Sounds wore solid-colored jerseys. "Sounds" was written in red script across the chest. They also had a sleeveless red jersey. The main caps were black with a red and white music note logo.
From 2006 to 2012, the jerseys were similar but sleeveless, worn over black T-shirts. A Milwaukee Brewers logo was added to the shoulder in 2007. They also had red alternate jerseys.
From 2013 to 2014, jerseys were made of mesh material. They still had the "Sounds" script on home jerseys and "Nashville" on road jerseys. The black cap with the red and white music note logo was still used.
From 2015 to 2018, home white jerseys had "Sounds" in red letters that looked like guitar sound holes. They had a swinging guitar logo on the sleeve. The home cap was black with an "N" guitar pick logo. Road gray uniforms had "Nashville" on the chest. They also had black and red alternate jerseys.
Uniforms from 2019–Present
Since 2019, home jerseys are white with "NASH" in navy blue across the chest. The sleeves have thin navy and red stripes that look like guitar strings. The home cap is navy with a red "N" shaped like a guitar's F-hole.
Road gray jerseys have red piping and a red and white "N" icon. The sleeves have a red stripe and a secondary logo with the Sounds' name on a baseball. The road cap has a red bill.
The navy blue alternate jersey has "Nashville" in a red F-hole style font. The red alternate is a v-neck pullover with "Sounds" on the chest. It has white guitar strings on the sleeves.
For Thursday home games, the team wears Throwback uniforms. These blue pullover jerseys look like the early Sounds uniforms. They have "Sounds" in music note script and the "Slugger" logo.
For Saturday games, they wear white v-neck pullovers that say "Hit City" across the chest. These jerseys show the Nashville skyline and the guitar scoreboard.
Team Mascots
The Nashville Sounds' mascot is a red rooster named Booster. He has yellow legs, beak, and tail feathers that look like flames. He wears the team's jersey with the number zero. Booster first appeared on April 17, 2015, at First Horizon Park. His name means "boosting" team spirit, and his look is a fun nod to Nashville hot chicken.
The first Sounds mascot was Homer Horsehide, introduced in 1978. He looked like a human with a giant baseball for a head. From 1995 to 1996, the mascot was a green dinosaur named Champ.
From 1997 to 2014, the mascot was a cougar named Ozzie. He was first brown, then became a muscular yellow. Ozzie wore the team's uniform without a hat. He retired when the Sounds left Greer Stadium in 2014.
Team Achievements
Awards for Players and Managers
Many Sounds players have won league awards. Three players have won Most Valuable Player (MVP) awards: Steve Balboni (1980), Brian Dayett (1982), and Magglio Ordóñez (1997). Eleven players have won Pitcher of the Year awards, including John Wasdin (2003), Jimmy Nelson (2014), Robert Gasser (2023), and Chad Patrick (2024).
Five managers have been named Manager of the Year. These include Stump Merrill (1980), Rick Renick (1993 and 1996), Frank Kremblas (2007), Steve Scarsone (2016), and Rick Sweet (2022).
Many Sounds players have also been chosen for All-Star teams.
Retired Numbers
The Sounds have honored three players by retiring their uniform numbers. This means no other player on the team will wear that number. The number 42 was also retired across all professional baseball in 1997 to honor Jackie Robinson, who broke barriers in baseball. The Sounds display their retired numbers at First Horizon Park.
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Skeeter Barnes | Tim Dillard | Don Mattingly | Jackie Robinson |
| OF / 3B / 1B 1979, 1988–1990 Retired 1991 |
P 2007–2014, 2019 Retired July 29, 2022 |
1B / OF 1981 Retired August 12, 1999 |
Retired throughout professional baseball on April 15, 1997 |
- Number 00 was retired in 1991 for Skeeter Barnes. He holds team records for games played, at bats, and hits.
- Number 18 was retired in 1999 for Don Mattingly. He played for the Sounds in 1981 and was a great player.
- Number 17 was retired in 2022 for Tim Dillard. He was a pitcher for nine seasons and holds many team records for pitching.
Hall of Fame Players
Four former Sounds players have been elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
- Trevor Hoffman, a famous closer, played for Nashville in 1992.
- Barry Larkin, a shortstop, played two games in 1989.
- Tim Raines, an outfielder, played three games in 1993.
- Hoyt Wilhelm, a pitching coach for the Sounds, was inducted in 1985.
Larry Schmittou, who helped start the Sounds, was inducted into the Southern League Hall of Fame in 2016.
Team Managers
The Nashville Sounds have had 29 different managers over 46 seasons. Three managers have led the team to win a league championship: George Scherger (1979), Johnny Oates (1982), and Frank Kremblas (2005).
Rick Sweet is the Sounds' current manager, starting in 2021. He also managed the team in 2014. He has managed the team for the most games in its history.
