Floyd Johnson - 1929 pitcher

Floyd Johnson, a 22 year old pitcher with the Knoxville Smokies of the South Atlantic League, came and went in a relative flash.

His The Sporting News Player Contract Card shows the following:

He was picked up by the Springfield Ponies of the Eastern League, where he had a disapointing 0-1 record with the Massachusetts team.

Floyd Johnson arrived in Knoxville at the end of May, ready to join the Smokies.

And just two weeks later, he was sent back to the Giants' camp.

Such is the life of a minor league ball player.

OTD in Knoxville baseball history

104 years ago today... May 18th, 1922

The Appalachian League Johnson City Soldiers and the Knoxville Pioneers, managed by Frank Moffett, were rained out. Knoxville was sitting at 7-7 in the Appy League standings.

79 years ago today... May 18, 1947

The Knoxville Smokies, managed by Dale Alexander, took down the Tri-State League leaders, the Anderson Rebels, 8-7 at Smithson Stadium in Knoxville. The Smokies would finish the regular season in third place, 15-1/2 games behind the Spartanburg Peaches.

54 years ago today... May 18, 1972

The Knox Sox defeated the Charlotte Hornets, a farm team of the Minnesota Twins. Team batting leader, Russell (Bucky) Dent, went 2 for 5, batting in 2 runs and scoring 2, including a 375' homer over the scoreboard at Bill Meyer Stadium.

29 years ago today... May 18, 1997

The Blue Jays won the away game and the series from the Memphis Chicks, the then league leaders, 5-1. The Smokies would go on to live in the basement of the Southern League West at the end of the season.

Durell Tigers of Harriman

This picture of baseball team surfaced on the Historical Negro League Baseball Site facebook group.  I wasn't aware of the Durell Tigers, so I did a bit of looking.

image lifted from the facebook group, The Historical Negro League Baseball Site.
Originally posted to fb by Paul Mashburn.

The Knoxville News-Sentinel - June 24, 1951

The Knoxville News-Sentinel - September 11, 1952

The Knoxville News-Sentinel - September 15, 1952

The Knoxville News-Sentinel - April 26, 1956

image lifted from the Roane County Heritage Commission facebook page
originally posted February 27, 2016 (link).
I have added names to the photo, based on info provided by the RCHC.

H. M. Edmonds

 

H. M. Edmonds was elected captain of the University of Tennessee baseball team in February of 1898.  A month earlier he was elected as Vice-President of the local YMCA.