SL1 Knoxville Smokies

Smokies well represented in post-season

Published on October 2, 2006 under Southern League (SL1)
Knoxville Smokies News Release


SEVIERVILLE, Tenn.- The playoff teams are locked in and the Tennessee Smokies Baseball Organization will be well represented with 19 former players and one former manger located on the rosters of five playoff teams which include the St. Louis Cardinals, the Los Angeles Dodgers, the New York Mets, the San Diego Padres, and the Oakland Athletics.

The St. Louis Cardinals will showcase a total of seven former Smokies, including six players and one manager. The Cardinals manager Tony LaRussa, who managed the Knox Sox to a Southern League Title in 1978, will have six players on his roster that have played for the Smokies organization in the past. The list includes Yadier Molina, who was a member of the 2003 Tennessee Smokies, along with the 2005 NL Cy Young Award Winner Chris Carpenter who played for the Smokies in 1995 and '96, and again in 2002 and 2003. Four members of the Smokies 2004 Southern League Championship team will also be playing for the Cardinals; Tyler Johnson ('03-'04), Anthony Reyes ('04), Brad Thompson ('04), and Chris Duncan ('03-'04).

The San Diego Padres will have a total of four former players on their post-season roster which includes their pitching coach Darren Balsley who played for the organization in '88 & '89, and acted as the pitching coach in '99. The Padres roster also includes David Wells ('84; '86), Woody Williams ('88-'91) and Scott Cassidy ('00-'01).

The New York Mets will highlight former Southern League MVP Carlos Delgado who played for the Smokies organization in 1993, along with Chris Woodward ('98) and Shawn Green ('93).

Three former Smokies are located on the Los Angeles Dodgers roster; Giovanni Carrara ('94), Mark Hendrickson ('99-'00) and Jeff Kent ('91). The Oakland Athletics will also feature three former Smokies in Dan Haren ('03), Esteban Loaiza ('02) and Adam Melhuse ('96-'99).

The playoffs will begin this Tuesday, October 3rd, and the matchups include: Oakland at Minnesota, Detroit at the New York Yankees, and the Cardinals at the Padres. On Wednesday the Mets will host the Dodgers in their divisional series.

The Smokies home opener is April 11th, 2007 vs. the Huntsville Stars.

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Southern League Stories from October 2, 2006


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