Postseason baseball is all about which team catches fire in a good way. The Tennessee Smokies did just that and swept two series to bring the first Southern League championship trophy to the franchise since 1978. The Double-A Smokies blended seasoned players with new faces from Single-A Myrtle Beach and High-A South Bend – all three clubs are Minor League … Read More
According to Baseball America, the 120 teams affiliated with Minor League Baseball drew 30,916,465 fans during the 2022 season. The Tennessee Smokies, the Double-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs, welcomed 294,334 people through the gates that year. Minor League Baseball (MiLB) is on the rebound after the pandemic wiped out the 2000 season and then shortened the 2021 one with … Read More
Elected officials and business and community leaders turned shovels of dirt June 13, 2023, in the long-awaited official groundbreaking for a new stadium in East Knoxville that will transform a dilapidated warehouse district into a thriving center of sports, concerts, special events, restaurants, retail stores, residential units and hotels. As Knoxville Mayor Indya Kincannon said to the 300-plus people gathered … Read More
On Aug. 11, 2020, Boyd Sports owner Randy Boyd announced on Instagram that he had entered exploratory discussions to build a multi-use stadium in Knoxville. “In a time when we are physically separated and not hearing a lot of good news, I want to share something I hope will rally folks together and get people excited,” Boyd wrote on the … Read More
The Knoxville-Knox County Sports Authority officially has issued bonds to pay for construction of Knoxville’s new multi-use stadium, a move the City of Knoxville and Knox County said in a joint news release was “a major milestone.” Also of importance? The release said the project “is moving forward – on schedule and within budget.” Finalizing the total cost was a … Read More
Now that the funding for a new multi-use stadium has been finalized, the heavy equipment can really get moving, and an official groundbreaking ceremony can be held within a few weeks. The Sports Authority Board, a joint board of the City of Knoxville and Knox County, approved the issuance of $65 million in bonds, and Ryan Wilusz of the News … Read More
Third Base Residential will develop a 233-unit complex named after William Francis Yardley, a civil rights leader, politician and Knoxville’s first Black attorney, at the new multi-use stadium on the edge of the Old City. Yardley Flats will consist of two high-rise buildings connected by a sky bridge, and many of the studio, one, and two-bedroom apartments will feature views … Read More
The year 2023 means Knoxville will begin to see what baseball and stadium fans all want – the beginning of construction. Randy Boyd, the founder of Boyd Sports and operator of the Smokies baseball team, appeared on WBIR’s Inside Tennessee with an update on the overall project in a story that can be read HERE. WBIR also posted the eight-minute … Read More
The title of this blog is “The Hot Stove,” and this is why: Winter trades heat up the sport of baseball. Cubs fans got an early Christmas present when All-Star and World Series champion shortstop Dansby Swanson signed with Chicago as a free agent. For Swanson, it’s his third organization after the Georgia native was traded to Atlanta while still … Read More
