Stadium funding takes big step forward

The particulars of the funding for a new stadium has made a move towards home plate – in baseball parlance – after the City of Knoxville, Knox County and Smokies Baseball team owner Randy Boyd reached an agreement in principle. Scott Barker of The Compass does an excellent job of outlining the particulars in a story that can be read … Read More

Stadium renderings come into shape

New renderings have been released, and while the final design remains in progress, the images offer a sneak peek of the vision for the multi-use stadium and its periphery, including a state of Tennessee-shaped scoreboard. The unpredictability of the construction industry amid soaring prices has adjusted the timeline as far as approving the final cost, but the plan remains for … Read More

Double play baseball in Knoxville makes sense

While SEC Media Days for football are right around the corner in July, our thoughts are always with baseball – and specifically the national pastime in Knoxville. Tony Vitello, the energetic and dynamic coach of the Vols, has elevated Tennessee baseball to a national spotlight. Sellouts were common at Lindsey Nelson Stadium throughout 2022, and an overhaul of the full … Read More

Two Boyd Sports parks in ‘best’ summer finals

It’s an all Boyd Sports matchup for best summer leagues’ ballpark with Johnson City and Greeneville squaring off in the finals. The Doughboys, which play at TVA Credit Union Ballpark in Johnson City and the Flyboys, which play at Pioneer Park in Greeneville, are the last two ballparks left in the 2022 MLB Summer Leagues Best of the Ballparks fan … Read More

Boyd Family Foundation seeds new SEEED home

With major funds donated by the Boyd Family Foundation, an East Knoxville organization broke ground June 16 on a new energy-efficient house as part of an effort to both improve housing and steer young adults out of poverty through career readiness training, environmental education and community engagement. Socially Equal Energy Efficient Development (SEEED) is located in the Morningside Community Center, … Read More

Knoxville Giants’ history to be featured at new baseball stadium

The history of baseball weaves through the city starting in 1896 and includes the Knoxville Giants, a team that will be honored and remembered as part of the development of a new stadium on the edge of the Old City. WBIR Channel 10 aired a video and story package about the Knoxville Giants of the Negro Southern League and the … Read More

Play ball! Claude Walker Ball Park reopens

The kids sat patiently in uniform while the adults talked about the reopening of Claude Walker Ball Park and then took the field after a brief ceremony to play baseball. That is exactly what GEM Community Development Group, Emerald Youth Foundation and the City of Knoxville had envisioned a year ago after forming a partnership to renovate the park. A … Read More

First residential structure at new stadium to be named ‘The Beauford Delaney Building’

The first residential structure at the new Knoxville stadium will be named “The Beauford Delaney Building” in honor of the internationally acclaimed artist whose original childhood home stood one block from the site of the transformational project on the edge of the Old City. Downtown Knoxville-based Partners Development will serve as the developer for the $45 million project, and the … Read More

Knoxville Smokies? We love it!

The Tennessee Smokies will take on a new name when the team moves back home to Knoxville. The Smokies part will remain – its association with the team spans decades. The new part will be Knoxville, which returns the name used for the team from 1925 to 1967 and then again from 1993 to 1999 when it was called the … Read More

Batter up: Baseball is coming back to town

The News Sentinel started its stadium story with this sentence: The Tennessee Smokies are coming home to Knoxville. This longtime baseball fan will add: It’s about time. Minor League Baseball left Knoxville in 1999 because city and county leadership and the ownership at the time couldn’t reach an agreement on a location. The Smokies departed for Sevier County and have … Read More