| Nashville Blues | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Minor league affiliations | |
| Class | Unclassified |
| League | Southern League |
| Minor league titles | |
| Pennants (0) | None |
| Team data | |
| Name | Nashville Blues |
| Colors | Light blue, white, red |
| Ballpark | Sulphur Spring Park |
Owner(s)/ Operator(s) | Nashville Base Ball Association |
| President | William M. Duncan |
| Manager |
|
The Nashville Blues were a minor league baseball team that played in the Southern League in 1887. They were located in Nashville, Tennessee, and played their home games at Sulphur Spring Park, later known as Sulphur Dell.
Managed by George Bradley, the team attained first place on May 9, approximately three weeks into the season, in the midst of a 12-game winning streak. The Blues stayed atop the standings for over a month, but were weakened by the resignation of Bradley on May 17 and the sale of ace pitcher Al Maul on June 13. Though little else changed with the roster, the team was not the same after these losses. Under new manager Jim Clinton, the Blues fell to fourth place out of five teams on July 19, where they remained until disbanding on August 6.
The Blues were operated by the Nashville Base Ball Association, which raised US$15,000 to fiance the team through the sale of stock. This capital and the revenue from paid attendance at Sulphur Spring Park was not sufficient to cover the $3,000 per month necessary to fund the team. After losing nearly $18,000, the directors chose to cut their losses and withdraw from the Southern League rather than spend the $6,000 needed to play the season to its completion.
A total of 21 players competed in at least one game for the Blues. Of these, 11 also played for major league teams. George Bradley, Jim Clinton, Larry Corcoran, and Jackie Hayes all came to Nashville with considerable big league experience. Among the players who went on to have notable major league careers afterward were Spider Clark, Mortimer Hogan, and Al Maul.