The Nashville Sounds Minor League Baseball team has played in Nashville, Tennessee, since being established in 1978 as an expansion team of the Double-A Southern League.[1] They moved up to Triple-A in 1985 as members of the American Association before joining the Pacific Coast League in 1998.[1] With the restructuring of the minor leagues in 2021, they were placed in the Triple-A East, which became the International League in 2022.[2][3] In the 2024 season, the Sounds' coaching staff was led by manager Rick Sweet and included Al LeBoeuf (hitting), Patrick McGuff (pitching and bullpen), Eric Theisen (hitting), David Tufo (bench), and Ned Yost IV (general).[4][5]
Six former Sounds players later served as coaches for the team. Wayne Garland of the 1982 starting rotation returned as pitching coach from 1987 to 1988.[6] Don Cooper, who pitched out of the bullpen in 1980, served as pitching coach from 1994 to 1996.[7] Reliever Steve Wilson retired from the Sounds during the 1995 season and became the team's pitching coach.[8] Fred Dabney, a reliever on the 1993 team, returned to coach pitchers from 2012 to 2014.[9] Éric Gagné, who made two major league rehabilitation starts in 2008, served as bullpen coach in 2019.[10] Jim Henderson, a reliever from 2011 to 2012 and in 2014, returned to the Sounds as pitching coach in 2021.[11] Outfielder Gene Roof (1986) and catcher Buddy Pryor (1987) were player-coaches who coached hitting while also playing on the team. Two coaches also managed the Nashville club. Pitching coach Wayne Garland filled in as interim manager for three games in 1988 after the dismissal of manager Jack Lind.[12] Richie Hebner, who was the hitting coach from 1998 to 2000, became the team's manager for the second half of the 2000 season when Trent Jewett was hired as the Pittsburgh Pirates' third base coach.[13] Four coaches have been selected to participate in the Triple-A All-Star Game: Stan Kyles (2006), Rich Gale (2011), Bob Skube (2014), and Rick Rodriguez (2017).[14][15]
Pat Dobson's 1980 to 1981 pitching staffs had a 3.18 earned run average (ERA), the lowest recorded under all pitching coaches. Darold Knowles (2001–2004) and Stan Kyles (2005–2008) are the longest-tenured pitching coaches, having each served four full seasons. Hitting coaches Jeff Livesey (2001) and Sandy Guerrero (2009–2011) led their hitters to batting averages of .276, the highest under all hitting coaches. Al LeBoeuf (2012, 2021–2024), who coached hitting for five seasons, is the longest-serving hitting coach.
- ^ a b Weiss, Bill; Wright, Marshall (2001). "Top 100 Teams". Minor League Baseball. Archived from the original on January 13, 2021. Retrieved August 22, 2014.
- ^ Mayo, Jonathan (February 12, 2021). "MLB Announces New Minors Teams, Leagues". Major League Baseball. Archived from the original on March 6, 2021. Retrieved February 12, 2021.
- ^ "Historical League Names to Return in 2022". Minor League Baseball. March 16, 2022. Archived from the original on March 25, 2022. Retrieved March 16, 2022.
- ^ "Nashville Sounds 2024 Coaching Staff Announced by Milwaukee Brewers". Nashville Sounds. Minor League Baseball. January 25, 2024. Archived from the original on January 25, 2024. Retrieved January 25, 2024.
- ^ "Nashville Sounds Game Information" (PDF). Nashville Sounds. Minor League Baseball. June 27, 2024. Archived (PDF) from the original on June 28, 2024. Retrieved June 28, 2024.
- ^ "Wayne Garland Minor League Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. Archived from the original on June 3, 2015. Retrieved August 24, 2015.
- ^ "Don Cooper Minor League Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. Archived from the original on May 27, 2015. Retrieved August 24, 2015.
- ^ "Steve Wilson Minor League Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. Archived from the original on February 13, 2019. Retrieved February 12, 2019.
- ^ "Fred Dabney Minor League Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. Archived from the original on April 5, 2016. Retrieved March 23, 2016.
- ^ "Eric Gagne Minor League Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference. Archived from the original on January 9, 2019. Retrieved January 8, 2019.
- ^ "Jim Henderson Minor League Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference. Archived from the original on March 2, 2021. Retrieved January 28, 2021.
- ^ Burris, Joe (July 4, 1988). "Scherger's Debut Spoiled 3–1". The Tennessean. Nashville. p. 5-C. Archived from the original on April 26, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Patton, Maurice (June 7, 2000). "Hebner Named Sounds' Manager". The Tennessean. Nashville. p. 5C. Archived from the original on April 23, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Triple-A All-Star Game Managers and Coaches (All-Time)" (PDF). Triple-A Baseball. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 2, 2018. Retrieved May 1, 2018.
- ^ "Sounds Pitching Coach Steps Down, Cites Personal Reasons". The City Paper. June 22, 2011. Archived from the original on December 27, 2011. Retrieved February 1, 2019.