Southern League (1972-1979)
Born: 1972
Affiliation Change: September 18, 1979 (Knoxville Blue Jays)
Stadium: Bill Meyer Stadium (8,000)
Major League Affiliation: Chicago White Sox
Owner: Neal Ridley
Southern League Champions: 1974 & 1978
The Knoxville Sox were the Class AA farm club of the Chicago White Sox in the Southern League for much of the 1970’s. The ballclub won Southern League crowns in 1974 and 1978.
The Knox Sox are perhaps most noteworthy today for providing the first managerial job for Tony La Russa in 1978.
Charlie Evranian – Chicago White Sox Assistant Farm Director 1978
When I got to the White Sox, [Farm Director] Paul Richards said ‘Alright boy, who are you going to be hiring for your managers?’ And I said ‘Well, Tony La Russa wants to manage and we all know him in the organization.’ I wanted Tony for the Appleton job in the Midwest League.
I got him on the phone and he said ‘John Schuerholtz has offered me Jacksonville. If you give me the same deal, I’ll go to Knoxville. I said ‘Done’. And that was Tony’s first managing job. The rest is history.
La Russa stayed just half a season in Knoxville before White Sox owner Bill Veeck promoted him to Chicago’s Major League coaching staff in mid-season 1978. Today he is the 3rd winningest manager in Major League Baseball history.
Most of the core of the Chicago White Sox 1983 American League pennant-winning club came up through Knoxville during the late 1970’s. This included pitchers Britt Burns (K-Sox ’78-’79), Richard Dotson (K-Sox ’78-’79) and LaMarr Hoyt (K-Sox ’79) and sluggers Harold Baines (’78) and Ron Kittle (’79).
In September 1979, Knox Sox owner Neal Ridley announced that the team would become an affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays for the 1980 season. The team changed its name to the Knoxville Blue Jays shortly thereafter.
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