The Nashville Vols were a Minor League Baseball team that played in Nashville, Tennessee, from 1901 to 1963. They were established as charter members of the Southern Association in 1901. Known as the Nashville Baseball Club during their first seven seasons, they became the Nashville Volunteers (regularly shortened to Vols) in 1908. Nashville remained in the Southern Association until it disbanded after the 1961 season. The team sat out the 1962 campaign but returned for a final season in the South Atlantic League in 1963 before ceasing operations altogether. The first game of the new baseball season for a team is played on Opening Day, and being named the Opening Day starting pitcher is an honor which is given to the player who is expected to lead the pitching staff that season, though there are various strategic reasons why a team's best pitcher might not start on Opening Day. The Vols used 55 different Opening Day starters in their 62 seasons.
Nashville's first Opening Day game was played against the Chattanooga Lookouts at Stanton Field in Chattanooga, Tennessee, on May 2, 1901. Ted Corbett was their starting pitcher that day; he took a no decision in the 15–14 loss, which lasted 10 innings. Their first Opening Day game held at home was against the Birmingham Barons at Athletic Park on April 10, 1907. Starter John Duggan pitched a complete game for the 3–0 victory. Nashville's Athletic Park became known as Sulphur Dell in 1908. The Vols' final Opening Day at the Dell occurred on April 8, 1961, against Chattanooga. Albert Johnston started the game, a 5–3 defeat, and was charged with the loss. On April 19, 1963, the Vols opened their final season versus the Knoxville Smokies at Bill Meyer Stadium in Knoxville, Tennessee. Starting pitcher Aubrey Gatewood did not figure in the decision in the 8–4 win.
Nashville's Opening Day starting pitchers had a combined Opening Day record of 28 wins, 23 losses, and 11 no decisions, including 1 tie, in 62 seasons. At Sulphur Dell, they had a record of 11 wins, 10 losses, and 6 no decisions, including 1 tie, in 27 Opening Day starts. Vols pitchers had a record of 17 wins, 13 losses, and 5 no decisions in 35 Opening Day starts on the road.
Seven Vols made two Opening Day starts: Art Herman (1903 and 1905), Frank Bair (1911 and 1912), George Milstead (1929 and 1932), George Jeffcoat (1940 and 1941), Leo Twardy (1946 and 1947), Pete Mallory (1948 and 1949), and Jerry Davis (1957 and 1959). Six Nashville Opening Day starters also started Opening Day games in Major League Baseball: Wiley Piatt for the Philadelphia Phillies (1899); George McQuillan for Philadelphia (1908 and 1910) and the Pittsburgh Pirates (1915); Waite Hoyt for the New York Yankees (1927), Brooklyn Dodgers (1932), and Pittsburgh (1935); Red Lucas for the Cincinnati Reds (1929 and 1930); Russ Meyer for the Chicago Cubs (1948); and Jack Harshman for the Baltimore Orioles (1959).
Pitchers
Pitcher (#) | Number indicates multiple appearances as a Vols Opening Day starter |
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Score (#) | Game score with Vols runs listed first; number of innings in a game that was shorter or longer than 9 innings in parentheses |
Location | Stadium in italics denotes a Vols home game |
W | Win earned by starting pitcher; Vols won game |
L | Loss earned by starting pitcher; Vols lost game |
ND (W) | No decision by starting pitcher; Vols won game |
ND (L) | No decision by starting pitcher; Vols lost game |
ND (T) | No decision by starting pitcher; game resulted in a tie |
Notes
- The April 26, 1902, Opening Day game was called after seven innings due to darkness.
- The April 14, 1910, Opening Day game was postponed due to a thunderstorm. Hub Perdue was scheduled to be the starting pitcher, but Charlie Case was given the start for the next day's game.
- The April 14, 1939, Opening Day game was called after 12 innings due to darkness.
- The April 27, 1945, Opening Day game was called after six innings due to rain.
References
- Horn, Blinkey (July 12, 1916). "Tom Rogers Hurls Perfect Game No Hits, Runs, or Batter to First". The Nashville Tennessean. Nashville. p. 10 – via Newspapers.com.
- "Waite Hoyt Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Rookie Status & More". Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. Retrieved July 22, 2020.
- "Harshman Voted SA's Most Valuable Player". The Nashville Tennessean. Nashville. January 12, 1954. p. 18 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Nashville, Tennessee Encyclopedia". Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. Retrieved December 2, 2023.
- ^ Weiss, Bill; Wright, Marshall (2001). "47. 1940 Nashville Vols". Minor League Baseball. Archived from the original on October 12, 2020. Retrieved September 21, 2015.
- "'Volunteers' is the New Name for Nashville's Baseball Club". The Nashville American. Nashville. February 29, 1908. p. 6 – via Newspapers.com.
- Bastian, Jordan (March 22, 2010). "Marcum Tapped for Jays' Opening Day". Major League Baseball. Archived from the original on November 5, 2012. Retrieved November 14, 2018.
- Dilbeck, Steve (February 24, 2014). "Dodgers May Not Start Clayton Kershaw in Sydney". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on November 15, 2018. Retrieved November 14, 2018.
- ^ "Ragged". The Nashville Banner. Nashville. May 3, 1901. p. 10 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Boosters Open Season by Beating Champions". The Nashville American. Nashville. April 11, 1907. p. 11 – via Newspapers.com.
- "Volunteers Will Meet the Barons". The Nashville American. Nashville. May 4, 1908. p. 6 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Williams, F. M. (April 9, 1961). "Lookouts Clip". The Nashville Tennessean. Nashville. p. 50 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Williams, F. M. (April 20, 1963). "Vol Bats Choke Smokies, 8-4". The Nashville Tennessee. Nashville. p. 13 – via Newspapers.com.
- "The 1899 Philadelphia Phillies Regular Season Game Log". Retrosheet. Retrieved December 31, 2023.
- "New York Giants vs Philadelphia Phillies Box Score: April 14, 1908". Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. Retrieved December 31, 2023.
- "Brooklyn Superbas vs Philadelphia Phillies Box Score: April 14, 1910". Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. Retrieved December 31, 2023.
- "Pittsburgh Pirates vs Cincinnati Reds Box Score: April 14, 1915". Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. Retrieved December 31, 2023.
- "Boston Braves vs Brooklyn Dodgers Box Score: April 12, 1932". Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. Retrieved December 31, 2023.
- "Philadelphia Athletics vs New York Yankees Box Score: April 12, 1927". Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. Retrieved December 31, 2023.
- "Pittsburgh Pirates vs Cincinnati Reds Box Score: April 16, 1935". Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. Retrieved December 31, 2023.
- "St. Louis Cardinals vs Cincinnati Reds Box Score: April 16, 1929". Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. Retrieved December 31, 2023.
- "Pittsburgh Pirates vs Cincinnati Reds Box Score: April 15, 1930". Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. Retrieved December 31, 2023.
- "Chicago Cubs vs Pittsburgh Pirates Box Score: April 20, 1948". Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. Retrieved December 31, 2023.
- "Baltimore Orioles vs Washington Senators Box Score: April 9, 1959". Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. Retrieved December 31, 2023.
- "Battles on Diamond". The Nashville American. Nashville. May 3, 1901. p. 6 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Fisher's Team Takes the First". The Nashville American. Nashville. April 27, 1902. p. 6 – via Newspapers.com.
- "First for Fisher". The Nashville American. Nashville. April 28, 1903. p. 7 – via Newspapers.com.
- "Nashville Shut Out". The Nashville American. Nashville. April 22, 1904. p. 7 – via Newspapers.com.
- "Atlanta Wins First". The Nashville American. Nashville. April 20, 1905. p. 7 – via Newspapers.com.
- "Southern League Season Opens". The Nashville American. Nashville. April 12, 1906. p. 7 – via Newspapers.com.
- "Opening Game for Nashville". The Nashville American. Nashville. April 11, 1907. p. 7 – via Newspapers.com.
- Moran, Robert (April 17, 1908). "Champs Take Opening Game". The Nashville American. Nashville. p. 8 – via Newspapers.com.
- "Flag Flies Down in the Dell". The Nashville American. Nashville. April 16, 1909. p. 6 – via Newspapers.com.
- "Memphis Fans Disappointed". The Nashville American. Nashville. April 15, 1910. p. 8 – via Newspapers.com.
- "First Down for Nashville". The Nashville American. Nashville. April 16, 1910. p. 6 – via Newspapers.com.
- "Memphians Put One Away". The Nashville Tennessean. Nashville. April 16, 1911. p. 16 – via Newspapers.com.
- "Bair Wins the Opening Game for Nashville—Dozen Rounds". The Nashville Tennessean. Nashville. April 10, 1912. p. 12 – via Newspapers.com.
- "Home Runs are Vols' Undoing". The Nashville Banner. Nashville. April 12, 1913. p. 7 – via Newspapers.com.
- Brown, Innis (April 16, 1914). "Vols Lose Opener to Crackers by Close Score". The Nashville Tennessean. Nashville. p. 8 – via Newspapers.com.
- Horn, Blinkey (April 14, 1915). "Hitting of Dodge, Paulette and Baker Gives Vols Opener". The Nashville Tennessean. Nashville. p. 12 – via Newspapers.com.
- Horn, Blinkey (April 15, 1916). "Martina Invincible and Vols Blanked in Opener, 3-0". The Nashville Tennessean. Nashville. p. 10 – via Newspapers.com.
- Horn, Blinkey (April 13, 1917). "Crippled Vols Stage Onslaught On Barons in Opening Fray". The Nashville Tennessean. Nashville. p. 17 – via Newspapers.com.
- Ray, J. L. (April 19, 1918). "Vols Win the Opening Fray". The Nashville Banner. Nashville. p. 10 – via Newspapers.com.
- "Crowd of 10,500 See Vols Beat Barons in Opening Fray, 7 to 5". The Nashville Tennessean. Nashville. April 25, 1919. p. 18 – via Newspapers.com.
- "Jinx Battle Won by Vols from Barons in Opener". The Nashville Tennessean. Nashville. April 15, 1920. p. 11 – via Newspapers.com.
- Newman, Zipp (April 14, 1921). "Ten Thousand See Vols Lose Thrilling Contest". The Nashville Tennessean. Nashville. p. 10 – via Newspapers.com.
- Newman, Zipp (April 13, 1922). "Statham Weakens and Vols Win in Ninth 6-5". The Nashville Tennessean. Nashville. p. 2 – via Newspapers.com.
- Horn, Blinkey (April 18, 1923). "McQuillan, in Rare Form, Allows 2 Hits; Cuyler's Bat and Glove Big Factors". The Nashville Tennessean. Nashville. p. 10 – via Newspapers.com.
- Horn, Blinkey (April 17, 1924). "Vols Break Into Win Column as They Oust Niehaus Jinx and Win". The Nashville Tennessean. Nashville. p. 10 – via Newspapers.com.
- Horn, Blinkey (April 15, 1925). "Baron Castoffs Figure Prominently as Vols Take Opening Game of Season". The Nashville Tennessean. Nashville. p. 10 – via Newspapers.com.
- McGill, Ralph (April 14, 1926). "Axel Lindstrom and Young Idea Star in Cracker Defeat". The Nashville Banner. Nashville. p. 14 – via Newspapers.com.
- Horn, Blinkey (April 13, 1927). "Civic Clubs Fill Vols' New Park with 7,535 Cash Customers but Crackers Fill it With Woe for Hamilton". The Nashville Tennessean. Nashville. p. 9 – via Newspapers.com.
- Horn, Blinkey (April 11, 1928). "Close to 7,000 Frigid Fans Watch Vols Get Hot in Box, in Field and at Bat". The Nashville Tennessean. Nashville. p. 10 – via Newspapers.com.
- Horn, Blinkey (April 17, 1929). "Jiggy Black and Jack Farmer, Former Vols, Help Give Hasty Big Sendoff". The Nashville Tennessean. Nashville. p. 11 – via Newspapers.com.
- Russell, Freddie (April 16, 1930). "Vols Lose Opener to Barons, 9 to 7". The Nashville Banner. Nashville. p. 10 – via Newspapers.com.
- Horn, Blinkey (April 15, 1931). "Clay Touchstone is Too Much for Klugman's Clan". The Nashville Tennessean. Nashville. p. 6 – via Newspapers.com.
- Horn, Blinkey (April 13, 1932). "Gilchrist's Bat is Big Factor in 6 to 3 Triumph". The Nashville Tennessean. Nashville. p. 10 – via Newspapers.com.
- Anderson, Tom (April 12, 1933). "Weather Causes Curtailment of Opening Day Festivities". The Nashville Banner. Nashville. p. 10 – via Newspapers.com.
- Russell, Freddie (April 18, 1934). "Vols' Victory a Demonstration of Mound Strength". The Nashville Banner. Nashville. p. 15 – via Newspapers.com.
- Russell, Freddie (April 17, 1935). "Holsclaw Hurls for Shirleymen in Chattanooga". The Nashville Banner. Nashville. p. 14 – via Newspapers.com.
- Russell, Freddie (April 12, 1936). "Smokies Unable to Score Until Spree in Sixth". The Nashville Banner. Nashville. p. 8 – via Newspapers.com.
- Horn, Blinkey (April 17, 1937). "Emil Leonard Knuckleball Proves Deadly". The Nashville Tennessean. Nashville. p. 6 – via Newspapers.com.
- Russell, Fred (April 15, 1938). "Dressen Orders Three-Hour Drill for Vols Today". The Nashville Banner. Nashville. p. 22 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Johnson, Raymond (April 15, 1939). "Clubs Battle 12 Frames, Four Hits Clear Fence". The Nashville Tennessean. Nashville. p. 6 – via Newspapers.com.
- Johnson, Raymond (April 13, 1940). "Hockett, Rocco Smack Homers in Cold Opener". The Nashville Tennessean. Nashville. p. 6 – via Newspapers.com.
- Johnson, Raymond (April 11, 1941). "'Noogans Tally Deciding Runs on One Bingle". The Nashville Tennessean. Nashville. p. 35 – via Newspapers.com.
- Johnson, Raymond (April 11, 1942). "Tamulis Cops Opener Although Hit for 16". The Nashville Tennessean. Nashville. p. 6 – via Newspapers.com.
- Johnson, Raymond (April 25, 1943). "Hamrick's Double Big Blow in 4th Uprising". The Nashville Tennessean. Nashville. p. 41 – via Newspapers.com.
- Russell, Fred (April 29, 1944). "Clearly Shuts Out Dellers on 7 Blows". The Nashville Banner. Nashville. p. 5 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Russell, Fred (April 28, 1945). "Ernier Balser Hurls Final Game Sunday". The Nashville Banner. Nashville. p. 5 – via Newspapers.com.
- Johnson, Raymond (April 16, 1946). "Local Gang Connects for 16 Hits in Opener". The Nashville Tennessean. Nashville. p. 6 – via Newspapers.com.
- Johnson, Raymond (April 14, 1947). "'Nooga Cops Nightcap 5 to 4 Before 13,896". The Nashville Tennessean. Nashville. p. 10 – via Newspapers.com.
- Johnson, Raymond (April 17, 1948). "Gilbert, Grantham Pop HRs; Boguskie Stars". The Nashville Tennessean. Nashville. p. 7 – via Newspapers.com.
- Leonard, George K. (April 16, 1949). "Vet Pitchers Drop Opener While Rookies Sparkle Afield, At Bat". The Nashville Banner. Nashville. p. 16 – via Newspapers.com.
- Leonard, George K. (April 15, 1950). "Lookouts Remain for Pair Sunday—Forecast Warmer". The Nashville Banner. Nashville. p. 8 – via Newspapers.com.
- Witt, Bob (April 14, 1951). "Pete Mallory Faces Ex-Vol Dutch McCall". The Nashville Banner. Nashville. p. 8 – via Newspapers.com.
- Williams, F. M. (April 13, 1952). "Waiting Dell Tense". The Nashville Tennessean. Nashville. p. 21 – via Newspapers.com.
- Williams, F. M. (April 11, 1953). "Harshman, Lennon, Golich Spark Poland's Club to 1st Triumph". The Nashville Tennessean. Nashville. p. 13.
- Williams, F. M. (April 10, 1954). "5,705 Watch Trav Triumph". The Nashville Tennessean. Nashville. p. 12 – via Newspapers.com.
- Williams, F. M. (April 8, 1955). "Error Scores Winning Run in 5 to 4 Opener". The Nashville Tennessean. Nashville. p. 51 – via Newspapers.com.
- Williams, F. M. (April 11, 1956). "Vols Smack". The Nashville Tennessean. Nashville. p. 23 – via Newspapers.com.
- Williams, F. M. (April 13, 1957). "Nashvols Win Opener, 5 to 2". The Nashville Tennessean. Nashville. p. 9 – via Newspapers.com.
- Williams, F. M. (April 12, 1958). "Night Uprising Gives Nashvols Split". The Nashville Tennessean. Nashville. p. 9 – via Newspapers.com.
- Given, Ed (April 11, 1959). "Mobile's Meeks Hits Safely in Opener 1st Time in 14 Seasons". The Nashville Banner. Nashville. p. 10 – via Newspapers.com.
- Williams, F. M. (April 17, 1960). "Vol Power Sinks". The Nashville Tennessean. Nashville. p. 30 – via Newspapers.com.
- Leonard, George (April 20, 1963). "Vols Show Encouraging Hitting in Opener". The Nashville Banner. Nashville. p. 11 – via Newspapers.com.
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Southern Association pennants in bold |