This ball club was but one of many iterations of the Knoxville Smokies, a traditional name for the Marble City’s various minor league baseball teams dating back to the mid-1920’s. The glory years came from 1959 to 1964 when the Detroit Tigers stocked Knoxville with a procession of top flight prospects, many of whom became key contributors to Detroit’s 1968 World Series championship team.
Southern League (1972-1979) Born: 1972 Affiliation Change: September 18, 1979 (Knoxville Blue Jays) First Game: Last Game: Southern League Champions: 1974 & 1978 Bill Meyer Stadium (8,000) Owner: Neal
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, Jimmy Key, Cecil Fielder, Fred McGrif, David Wells, Pat Hentgen and Jeff Kent. The team was re-branded following the 1992 season, taking back the historic Knoxville Smokies name.
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