Looking Back: Nashville Sounds Championships

Since the Nashville Sounds came into existence in 1978, the team has only managed to win three championships. In just their second year, manager George Scherger led the Sounds to their first Southern League championship in 1979.

The Double-A Sounds (Cincinnati Reds affiliate) finished in second place with an 83-61 record behind Memphis in the Western Division. The Sounds leaped into the championship series by beating Memphis (10-2, 3-4, 5-2) in two-out-of-three games in the first round of the playoffs.

The Sounds were to face the Eastern Division champions Columbus (Ga.) Astros in the best-of-five Southern League championship series. The first game was held at Herschel Greer Stadium before a crowd of 7, 100 fans. Nashville pitcher Bill Dawley was working on a perfect game when Columbus' Reggie Baldwin led off the fifth inning with a double.

Reggie Waller singled Baldwin home for the first score of the game. In the seventh inning, Columbus added to their narrow lead when Phil Klimas slugged a two-run home run making the Columbus advantage, 3-0. Columbus pitcher Jim McDonald had the Sounds baffled until the home half of the eighth inning. The Sounds used a walk, a double by Tommy Sohns, a Gene Menees single and two Columbus errors to tie the score at 3-3.

In the ninth inning, Kilmas stroked an RBI single to put the visitors ahead, 4-3. The Sounds had a leadoff triple by Rafael Santo Domingo wasted as he was thrown out at the plate on an infield ground ball. Jeff Lahti picked up the loss for the Sounds while McDonald was credited with the victory. Columbus led the series, 1-0.

Game Two was also at Greer Stadium with Scott Brown pitching for the Sounds and Columbus countering with Ron Meredith. In the third inning, the Astros collected five consecutive hits, but managed only one run. Sounds right fielder Paul Householder nailed a Columbus runner at the plate with his shotgun arm to kill a potential rally.

In the Sounds third inning, Duane Walker notched a one-out double scoring Skeeter Barnes and Rick Duncan. Menees followed with a single, scoring Walker and giving the Sounds a 3-1 lead. Geoff Combe relieved Brown in the eighth inning and earned a save in the Sounds 3-1 win. The series was even at 1-1.

The third game of the series moved to Golden Park in Columbus before only 1, 704 fans. Nashville sent pitcher Bill Kelly to the mound and was opposed by Astros' Billy Smith. The Sounds jumped on Smith and Columbus early scoring seven runs and 10 hits by the third inning.

Sohns hit a three-run home run in the second inning to start the run barrage. Columbus could not rebound as Nashville won the contest, 14-7. Householder walked three times, Walker, Eddie Milner and Barnes recorded three hits apiece. The 17 total hits helped give Nashville a 2-1 edge in the series. Kelly picked up the win.

Game Four of the series remained in Columbus. The Sounds began the scoring in the second inning when Astros' pitcher Del Leatherwood walked Barnes. Sohns and Walker followed with successive singles producing the first run. Milner added an RBI single later in the inning putting the Sounds in the lead, 2-0.

Sounds starting pitcher, Randy Town gave up a run in the fourth inning while the Sounds still led, 2-1. Town ran into trouble in the sixth inning and was relieved by Combe. Combe was the league's most outstanding pitcher that year with a record 30 saves. He did give up a solo home run in the eighth that tied the score at 2-2.

In the ninth inning, the Sounds loaded the bases when catcher Dave Van Gorder slugged a triple to score three runs. The Sounds added one more run in the inning and led 6-2. Combe held on and recorded the win while Fred Morris took the loss for Columbus. The Nashville Sounds had won their first championship three games to one.

In 1982, Sounds' skipper Johnny Oates led his ball club to a second-place finish (77-67) behind Memphis. In the first round of the Southern League playoffs, the Sounds (Yankees affiliate) defeated Memphis three games to one to advance to the championship series. Their opponent was Jacksonville winners of the Eastern Division.

The best-of-five championship series opened in Jacksonville's Wolfson Park with Sounds pitcher Sheldon Andrews opposing Suns' pitcher Danny Jackson. In the fourth inning, the Sounds Erik Peterson doubled home Otis Nixon and Buck Showalter for a 2-0 lead. In the Suns fourth inning, the home team knotted the score at 2-2 with the aid of three Sounds errors.

In the Suns eighth inning, Jim Atkinson hammered a tie-breaking home run off Sounds reliever Chris Lein. Jacksonville took the opening game 3-2 with Jackson going the distance for the win. Lein took the loss.

In Game Two, the Sounds evened the series at one game each behind the pitching of Ray Fontenot. Fontenot pitched a three-hit complete game while allowing one run in a 4-1 victory.

Brian Dayett drilled a two-run double in the third inning after an RBI single by Nate Chapman. In the Sounds seventh inning, Peterson doubled home Showalter with the Sounds final run. Walt Vanderbush took the loss for the Suns.

The third game of the series was played in Greer Stadium before a crowd of 7, 316 fans. Sounds ace and Southern League Pitcher-of-the-Year, Stefan Wever, started for the home team. Jacksonville countered with Glenn Ray.

In the first inning, Dayett was robbed of a home run when Suns outfielder Dave Leeper leaped over the wall to snatch the ball, which fell out of his glove to the ground for a double. Showalter, who earlier reached base on an error, scored from second base on the play. Dayett had hit a club record-tying 34 home runs that year and was the league's Most Valuable Player. The Sounds led 1-0 after the first inning.

In the Sounds third inning, Garry Smith hit a double and Ed Rodgriguez followed with another two-base hit. The 2-0 lead held as the Sounds won the game to take a 2-1 advantage in the series. Wever's only trouble came in the sixth when the first two Suns reached base. Wever then struck out the next three batters to end the threat.

The Sounds were in a position to win the title before their home fans. Clay Christiansen started for the Sounds. Tim Knight began the scoring in the Sounds second inning with a solo home run. Nashville scored again in the third inning when Nixon walked and stole second. Chapman singled home Nixon for the 2-0 lead.

Dayett scored the Sounds third run as he dashed home from second base on an errant double-play attempt. Christiansen worked seven and one-third innings while Nashville took a 3-1 lead into the ninth. Facing the championship loss, Jacksonville tied the game in the ninth with an RBI single by Russ Stephens and a sacrifice fly by Jim Scranton. The Sounds failed to score in their half of the ninth to send the game into extra innings.

The game remained tied 3-3 when the Sounds came to bat in the 13th inning. Dan St. Clair was in relief for Jacksonville. With Showalter on base and two outs, Dayett was the Sounds batter. In front of 4, 106 fans, Dayett smashed a pitch over the double-wall in left center field. The heroic blast gave the Sounds a 5-3 win and their second championship. Guy Elston recorded the win in three innings of relief.

It would be 23 more years until the Sounds would win a league crown. In 2005, Nashville was the Milwaukee Brewers major league affiliate and members of the Triple-A Pacific Coast League. Manager Frank Kremblas led to a 75-69 overall record in making the first round of the playoffs against Oklahoma. Nashville advanced to the PCL title series defeating Oklahoma in five games.

Game One of the championship series against Tacoma was played at Greer Stadium. The Sounds had an early power surge hitting five of the game's eight home runs. In the Sounds fourth inning, back-to-back-to-back dingers by Tony Zuniga, Nelson Cruz and Mike Rivera gave the home team a 6-5 lead.

Earlier in the game Cruz and Zuniga clubbed home runs for a two-homer night. In the sixth Nashville's Steve Scarborough's RBI double highlighted a two-run inning to eventually give the Sounds an 8-6 victory. Ben Hendrickson started for the Sounds on the mound.

In the second game also played at Greer, an offensive outburst by the Sounds resulted in an 11-5 win. The Sounds scored their first nine runs without a home run until Scarborough led off the eighth inning placing the ball over the fence. Nashville was aided by four Rainiers' errors. Sounds starter Tommy Phelps worked six innings to pick up the win while relievers Jeff Housman and Mike Meyers finished the game.

Game Three would witness a Sounds championship sweep with a 5-2 win in Tacoma's Cheney Stadium. The Sounds jumped out to a 2-0 lead with a third inning solo home run by Scarborough and a sixth inning RBI single by Rivera. The Rainiers picked up two runs in the seventh to tie the game. The contest would go into extra innings with an exciting 13th frame for Nashville.

With two outs, Sounds second baseman Cory Hart reached base on a throwing error by Tacoma's shortstop. With two Sounds on base, Cruz was given the opportunity to become a hero. Cruz slammed a 1-0 pitch deep into left field for the 5-2 lead. Cruz collected three home runs and 11 RBIs in the series and was named the postseason MVP.

Sounds starter Gary Glover worked six and two-thirds innings. Nashville's bullpen tossed six and one-third scoreless innings. Pitching outstanding baseball in relief were Alec Zumwalt (2.1 innings), Mike Adams (1 inning) and Brett Evert (3 innings). Evert struck out the final Rainers' batter on a check swing to secure the victory.

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