Tennessee Smokies Return to The Sports Animal

SEVIERVILLE, TN - The Tennessee Smokies, Double-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs, have announced that The Sports Animal, WNML FM 99.1, AM 990 is back as the flagship station of the Smokies Radio Network. Fans will be able to listen to the “Voice of the Smokies,” Mick Gillispie all season long.

“When people think about sports in the community, The Sports Animal is what people point to,” stated Chris Allen, Boyd Sports President and COO. “We are happy to be back, and are looking forward to a great relationship now and moving forward.”

The Sports Animal had previously been the Smokies flagship station for about two decades up until 2018. It is also the home to the Tennessee Volunteers’ “Vol Network.” The Sports Animal hosts shows such as The Starting Lineup with Tyler & Will, The Erik Ainge Show, Sports 180 with John & Heather, and Sports Talk with John & Jimmy.

“The Smokies and Minor League Baseball are an institution in East Tennessee,” stated Jeff Jarnigan, Program Director of The Sports Animal. “I think it is a great marriage of a station that is all about sports in East Tennessee, and East Tennessee’s baseball team. It’s a great fit between two East Tennessee entities.

Mick Gillispie returns as “The Voice of the Smokies.” Gillispie has been the Smokies lead radio voice since 2007. He was named the 2017 Minor League Broadcaster of the Year by Ballpark Digest and was featured on Marquee Sports Network during Spring Training.

“When I think of Smokies baseball on the radio, I think of games on The Sports Animal, in the middle of the summer, in East Tennessee,” stated Gillispie. “First off, we’ve got to thank John Adams with Talk Radio 92.3 / AM 760 for being a great partner and an incredible friend. We’re also really excited to go back home to The Sports Animal. Jeff Jarnigan and The Sports Animal crew have been a part of our broadcast family and it’s exciting to get back home.”

Gillispie will be joined in the booth by Frank La Sala. La Sala will handle various Media Relations, Broadcast, and Production duties throughout the season, including hosting all Pilot Foot Marts Pre-game shows. La Sala was a member of the Smokies Broadcast Team for the first half of the 2019 season before spending the remainder of the year with the Greeneville Reds as the teams Broadcaster and Media Relations Manager. In 2018, he was the Daytona Tortugas Broadcasting and Media Relations Assistant. A Wayne, N.J. native, La Sala graduated from Marist College.

Knoxville native John Fulkerson also joins the Smokies Broadcast Team. He will aid in the Media Relations and Production departments. Fulkerson currently attends Pellissippi State Community College.

ABOUT THE TENNESSEE SMOKIES

The Tennessee Smokies are the Double-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs. Members of the eight-team Double-A South League, Smokies baseball has been entertaining families and fans of America’s national pastime in the East Tennessee region for over 100 years. To learn more about the Tennessee Smokies, visit www.smokiesbaseball.com.