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SL1 Knoxville Smokies

Mother Nature has final word in 2006

September 4, 2006 - Southern League (SL1)
Knoxville Smokies News Release


SEVIERVILLE, Tenn. - Rainy weather and unplayable field conditions forced the cancellation of the 2006 SL season's final game for the Tennessee Smokies and the Mobile BayBears at Smokies Park on Monday afternoon.

The Smokies finish the second half seven games above .500 at 38-31.

Phil Avlas brought the Smokies from behind in the third inning. His one-out double drove in a pair of runs to tie the game at 2-2. After a Carlos Gonzalez fly out to center field, Jamie D'Antona powered a home run over the wall in left through a driving rain to put Tennessee ahead 4-2.

After a brief delay, in which the grounds crew tried to make the field playable, the umpires called the game. Tennessee was ahead 4-2.

The Smokies fell behind early in the contest behind four-straight Mobile hits. The first three men to the plate in the second inning doubled against Smokies' starter Steven Jackson to take a 2-0 lead.

D'Antona and Gil both finished amongst league leaders in a trio of offensive categories. Gil's 26 home runs were tops in the league, while his 86 RBIs gave him the No. 2 spot. D'Antona fell just short of the hitting crown in the SL. His .310 clip wasn't good enough to pass Chattanooga's Joey Votto in the stretch, but the 17-game hitting streak he put together during the season is still a SL best. D'Antona also had a third-best 15-game hitting streak as well.

Bill Plummer managed the Smokies to a 70-69 mark, the first winning season for Tennessee since the 2003 season when the club posted a 72-67 record under manager Mark DeJohn. The Labor Day rainout also brought to a close the seventh season for the club at Smokies Park. Tennessee drew 255,906 fans through the gates this season and averaged 3,347 over 68 game days.

Mobile, like the Smokies, made a run at the pennant in the second half in the South Division but also came up short. The BayBears finish with a 35-34 mark in the second half and a 62-76 overall record.

Tennessee opens the 2006 regular season on the road in Jacksonville, Fla., against the Suns. Minor League Baseball's opening day is scheduled for April 5th, 2007. The Smokies' home opener is April 11th against the Huntsville Stars.

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