SEVIERVILLE, Tenn. - With the Minnesota Twins' victory Tuesday night over the Detroit Tigers to close out a memorable American League Central pennant race, the list of contenders for this year's Major League Baseball World Championship is now complete. The Tennessee Smokies are well represented in this year's MLB playoffs as a total of 13 players and/or coaches were former members of the Smokies organization at one time or another.Seven of the 13 on the list wear the St. Louis Cardinals red and white. The group is led by 2005 Cy Young Award winner Chris Carpenter, who went 17-4 with a 2.24 ERA in 2009, and 2009 National League All-Star Yadier Molina (.304 BA, 7 HR, 56 RBI). Rounding out the list for St. Louis are pitchers Brad Thompson (2-6, 4.84) and Josh Kinney (1-0, 8.80), INF Skip Schumaker (.303/4/35) and OF Rick Ankiel (.231/11/38). St. Louis Manager Tony La Russa is in his 14th season with the team, and has led the Cardinals during that time to eight division titles, two N.L. pennants and a World Championship title in 2006.
The Cardinals will be facing the Colorado Rockies in the first round of the National League Divisional Series. Rockies Third Base Coach Glenallen Hill, a former Smokies player, is in his third year with the Rockies organization.
In the other National League Divisional Series match-up, the Los Angeles Dodgers will square off against the Philadelphia Phillies. Two former Smokies, infielders Casey Blake (.280/18/79) and Orlando Hudson (.283/9/62), now play for the Dodgers, while the lone former Smokies player representing the defending champion Phillies is OF Jayson Werth (.268/36/99).
New York Yankees Manager Joe Girardi, in his second season with the team, and Boston Red Sox INF Chris Woodward (.215/0/5) round out the list of former Smokies in this year's playoffs.
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