Nashville Sounds

The Nashville Sounds began play in 1978 at Herschel Greer Stadium, a 10,700-seat facility built specifically for the franchise near Fort Negley in south Nashville. The team was the brainchild of Larry Schmittou, a baseball lifer who brought together an eclectic ownership group that included country music legends like Conway Twitty, Cal Smith, Larry Gatlin, and Jerry Reed.

The Sounds quickly became a beloved part of Nashville's entertainment landscape. In a city defined by its music scene, the Sounds carved out their own niche, offering affordable family entertainment and a connection to America's pastime. The team cycled through affiliations with the Cincinnati Reds (1978-1979), New York Yankees (1980-1984), Detroit Tigers (1985-1986), and Cincinnati Reds again (1987-1992).

Notable players who passed through Nashville during this era include Don Mattingly, who played for the Sounds in 1982 before his star turn with the Yankees, and future Hall of Famer Tim Raines. The franchise won the American Association championship in 1979 and remained competitive throughout most of the 1980s.

The Sounds joined the Pacific Coast League in 1998 and cycled through affiliations with the Pittsburgh Pirates (1998-2004), Milwaukee Brewers (2005-2014), and briefly the Oakland Athletics. As Nashville transformed from a mid-size Southern city into a booming metropolitan area, the Sounds' aging Herschel Greer Stadium became increasingly out of step with the market's growth.

The Brewers affiliation from 2005 to 2014 was productive on the development front, with Ryan Braun, Prince Fielder, and other future stars passing through Nashville. But the ballpark's deterioration became a pressing issue, and a push for a new downtown facility gained momentum.

In 2009, MFP Baseball acquired the franchise and made the construction of a new ballpark the top priority. After years of negotiation with the city and state, plans were finalized for a modern facility in the Germantown neighborhood of downtown Nashville.