Tombstone
Born: September 18, 1979 – Affiliation change from Knoxville Sox
Re-Branded: September 1992 (Knoxville Smokies)
First Game: April 11, 1980 (L 9-2 @ Orlando Twins)
Last Game: September 5, 1992 (L 2-1 vs. Memphis Chicks)
Southern League Champions: None
Stadium
Bill Meyer Stadium (6,400)11989 Knoxville Blue Jays Program
Opened: 1953
Demolished: 2003
Ownership & Affiliation
Owners:
- 1980-1983: Neal Ridley
- 1984-1992: Toronto Blue Jays (Labatt Brewing Co., et al.)
Major League Affiliation: Toronto Blue Jays
Attendance
Background
The Knoxville Blue Jays were the long-time Class AA farm club of the Toronto Blue Jays.
The K-Jays were never big winners on the diamond, failing to win a Southern League crown in 13 seasons play. But the team did showcase future Major League stars such as Jesse Barfield (’80 and ’81), Jimmy Key (’83), Cecil Fielder (’84-’85), Fred McGriff (’84), David Wells (’84 and ’86), Pat Hentgen (’90) and Jeff Kent (’91).
Attendance was always a challenge in Knoxville during the K-Jays era. A 1989 visit by the Major League Blue Jays to Knoxville for an exhibition against the K-Jays attracted fewer than 2,000 fans to Bill Meyer Stadium.
The team was re-branded following the 1992 season, taking back the historic Knoxville Smokies name. The relationship with Toronto continued until 2003, when the St. Louis Cardinals replaced the Blue Jays as Knoxville’s parent club.
Trivia
The Toronto Blue Jays were going into their fourth year of play when they took over as Knoxville’s parent club in 1980. Oddly, Toronto had never had a Class AA club in their farm during their first three years of existence.
Knoxville Blue Jays Shop
In Memoriam
K-Jays owner Neal Ridley died of cancer in September 1983. The team was sold to the Toronto Blue Jays in the wake of his death.
Links
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One Response
From Toronto and was there for the summer of 91. Went to several games .Good ball and low prices. You could not beg for a ticket in Toronto at that time.