Welcome back to October baseball! Tonight the MLB postseason officially gets underway with the American League Wild Card game, and this year, like most years, the playoffs are loaded with former Sounds. Between the 10 clubs in the post-season and what their active roster looked like at the end of the regular season, nearly 20 former Sounds will be involved in the playoffs, and several more who have local Nashville ties. It’s also interesting that it’s a 50-50 split this year between teams who reached the playoffs last year and teams who did not. Here’s a look at the teams and any former Sounds they will or may feature.
Arizona Diamondbacks
Record: 93-69
How they made it: Won the top NL Wild Card spot
Fun fact: The D-backs are in the playoffs for the first time since 2011, which was also their most recent winning season until this year.
The D-backs boast three former Sounds on manager Torey Lovullo’s coaching staff. Their assistant hitting coach is Tim Laker (’98-’00), who played 11 years in the major leagues and hit 42 homers in 277 games over three years with the Sounds when they were a Pirates affiliate. The D-backs bullpen catcher is Humberto Quintero (’12), who played 12 years in the major leagues, mostly with the Astros, from ’03-’14. He played in 25 games for the Sounds in ’12 when he was in the Brewers organization. Former Sound Ariel Prieto (’03) is in his third year as a coach and interpreter for the D-Backs. The former A’s pitcher and coach spent six years in the big leagues as a player, and made four starts for the Sounds in ’03 when they were a Pirates affiliate. On the pitching staff, Zack Greinke (’11) made two rehab starts with the Sounds when he was a Milwaukee Brewer. Arizona also has a local connection on their roster in Greinke’s rotation mate Robbie Ray, the former Brentwood High School star who went 15-5 with a 2.89 ERA in 28 starts in an all-star season in the desert.
D-backs bullpen coach Humberto Quintero (Photo courtesy of Mike Strasinger / Nashville Sounds)
D-backs assistant hitting coach Tim Laker (Photo courtesy of MLB.com)
D-backs coach and interpreter Ariel Prieto
Colorado Rockies
Record: 87-75
How they made it: Won the second NL Wild Card spot
Fun fact: The Rockies are in the playoffs for the first time since ’09 and third time in their franchise history, which began in ’93.
One of the moves the Rockies made at the July trade deadline was acquiring former Sound and veteran catcher Jonathan Lucroy (’10, ’12) from Texas, marking the second year in a row Lucroy got dealt to a contender at the deadline. Overall it’ll be the third trip to the post-season for the former Brewers backstop. He was batting .242 with a .297 on-base percentage for Texas at the time of the trade, and then hit .310 with a .429 OBP in hitter-friendly Colorado. The Rockies’ pitching coach is former Sound Steve Foster (’91-’92), who pitched in 59 games for the Reds from ’91-’93 and appeared in 58 games as a Sound. He posted a 2.14 ERA in 12 saves for the Sounds in ’91 and then had a 2.68 ERA in 17 outings (7 starts) in ’92, the final year of the Sounds’ affiliation with the Reds before they became a White Sox affiliate.
Rockies catcher Jonathan Lucroy (Photo courtesy Nashville Sounds)
Rockies pitching coach Steve Foster (Photo courtesy of MLB.com)
Chicago Cubs
Record: 92-70
How they made it: Won the NL Central
Fun fact: The Cubs have now reached the post-season three years in a row for the first time since 1906-08.
Just like last year, the Cubs have two former Sounds on their roster. Pitching coach Chris Bosio (’09, ’11), in his sixth year with the Cubs, was the Sounds’ pitching coach in ’09 and then again in June ’11 through the end of that season. Bosio enjoyed an 11-year playing career, including a post-season appearance in ’95 with a Mariners team that defeated the Yankees in the ALDS in dramatic fashion. The other former Sound on the Cubs is Ben Zobrist (’15), the always-versatile star who appeared in three games for the Sounds in 2015 on a rehab assignment with the A’s. Zobrist, an Illinois native, and his wife, Christian recording artist Julianna Zobrist, also have local ties as they make their home in Franklin. Some Sounds fans may also remember Julianna from being a featured artist at a Faith Night concert at Greer Stadium many years ago.
Cubs pitching coach Chris Bosio (Photo courtesy Mike Strasinger / Nashville Sounds)
Cubs infielder Ben Zobrist (Photo courtesy of MLB.com)
Washington Nationals
Record: 97-65
How they made it: Won the NL East
Fun fact: This is the fourth time in six years the Nats have made the playoffs. The first three times had been under three different managers (Davey Johnson in ’12, Matt Williams in ’14, and Dusty Baker in ’16 and again in ’17).
As the first several months of the 2017 season unfolded, the Nationals proved two things: they were going to win the NL East by a lot, and they badly needed bullpen help. And two of the biggest ‘pen reinforcements they acquired are former Sounds — Sean Doolittle (’15-’17) and Brandon Kintzler (’10-’12). Doolittle appeared in 13 games for the Sounds on rehab assignment over the past three years during his time with the A’s. This past season his lone rehab outing as a Sound came on the road in Omaha on June 7 and turned out to be part of a combined no-hitter! He and Ryan Madson were dealt to the Nationals in mid-July as the A’s began their full rebuild, and Doolittle posted a 2.40 ERA with 21 saves in 30 appearances for the Nats. Kintzler was acquired by the Nats a couple weeks later from the Twins, where he’d put together an all-star season (28 saves, 2.78 ERA, 45 games). Then with Washington he worked in 27 games and had an 3.46 ERA. The Nats also list former Sound Randy Knorr (’00) as a senior baseball advisor as part of Dusty Baker’s staff after he’d spent four years as a bench coach. The former catcher played in 253 games in the majors from ’91-’01, including with the Blue Jays’ championship teams in ’92 and ’93. He played in 13 games for the Sounds in 2000 (Triple-A Pacific Coast League, Pirates) in the twilight of his career.
Nationals reliever Sean Doolittle (Photo courtesy of MiLB.com)
Nationals reliever Brandon Kintzler (Photo courtesy of Mike Strasinger / Nashville Sounds)
Nationals senior baseball advisor Randy Knorr (Photo courtesy of MLB.com)
Los Angeles Dodgers
Record: 104-58
How they made it: Won the NL West
Fun fact: The Dodgers are in the playoffs for a franchise-record fifth straight season. Their 104 wins are a franchise record for their time in L.A., and the first time since 1974 they’d reached the century mark in Ws.
The Dodgers boast a pair of former Sounds on manager Dave Roberts’ coaching staff. Their third base coach again this year is Chris Woodward (’08), who played 12 years in the major leagues and hit .291 in 71 games for the Sounds in 2008. The Dodgers’ hitting coach is former Sound Turner Ward (’99), who also played 12 years in the major leagues. He hit .292 in 35 games for the Sounds in 1999. The Dodgers are loaded with arms, but depending on how they shape their roster for the NLDS, they could include Vandy alum Walker Buehler, their 1st-round pick from ’15. He made his major league debut this year and had a 7.71 ERA in eight appearances.
Dodgers hitting coach Turner Ward (Photo courtesy of MLB.com)
Dodgers third base coach Chris Woodward (Photo courtesy of Mike Strasinger / Nashville Sound)
New York Yankees
Record: 91-71
How they made it: Won the top AL Wild Card spot
Fun fact: The Yankees restored natural order by getting back to the playoffs, where they’ve been 19 times in the last 23 seasons.
Yankees pitching coach
Larry Rothschild (’78) was part of the Sounds’ inaugural season, as he made five relief appearances that year as a Reds minor leaguer. He made just seven appearances in the major leagues as a player (Tigers ’81-’82) but has had a very long career in the big leagues as a coach and manager. One of the pitchers Rothschild oversees is
Sonny Gray (’17), the Smyrna native, Vandy alum, and, after a rehab stint this year, a former Sound. The local product provided one of the most memorable nights at First Tennessee Park this past season. He rehabbed for the A’s in a Sounds uniform
on April 27 against New Orleans and tossed six innings of two-hit shutout ball in front of 9,000-plus fans, getting the win in a 9-2 triumph on a “Throwback Thursday.”
Yankees pitching coach Larry Rothschild (Photo courtesy of Nashville Sounds)
Yankees pitcher Sonny Gray (Photo courtesy of Mike Strasinger / Nashville Sounds)
Minnesota Twins
Record: 85-77
How they made it: Won the second AL Wild Card spot
Fun fact: The Twins return to the playoffs for the first time since 2010, which was the final year of a stretch where they were in the postseason six times in nine seasons.
Like the Yankees, the Twins’ pitching coach, Neil Allen (’90), is also a former Sound. He pitched for five clubs over 11 years in the major leagues from ’79-’89, and his final professional outings came in a Sounds uniform. He had a 7.20 ERA in 12 games in ’90 when the Sounds were a Reds affiliate. The Twins’ bullpen coach, Eddie Guardado, is not a former Sound, but rather a former a Nashville Express hurler, having pitched for that team in ’93 during the two-year period that the Xpress shared Greer Stadium with the Sounds.
Twins pitching coach Neil Allen (Photo courtesy of Nashville Sounds)
Cleveland Indians
Record: 102-60
How they made it: Won the AL Central
Fun fact: The reigning AL champs have made consecutive playoff appearances for the first time since ’95-’99 when they won five straight division titles and reached the World Series twice.
Just like last year, the Indians have two former Sounds, one on the mound and one on their field staff. Reliever Dan Otero (’15) once again proved that his rough ’15 season, which included 15 appearances with the Sounds in a return to Triple-A in addition to a 6.75 ERA with the A’s, was the exception and not the rule. He was an important part of the A’s teams that made the playoffs in ’13 and ’14, had a 1.53 ERA in 62 appearances for Cleveland last year, and followed up that with a 2.85 ERA in 52 outings this year. His bullpen coach in Cleveland is former Sound Jason Bere (’93, ’95-’97), who pitched for 11 years in the big leagues from 1993-2003. In that ’93 campaign, he went 12-5 with a 3.47 ERA in 24 starts for a White Sox team that won its division. He’d made eight starts that year for the Sounds, made eight more over parts of three other seasons and was an AL all-star in ’94.
Indians reliever Dan Otero (Photo courtesy of Mike Strasinger / Nashville Sounds)
Indians bullpen coach Jason Bere (Photo courtesy of Nashville Sounds)
Boston Red Sox
Record: 93-69
How they made it: Won the AL East
Fun fact: The Red Sox also went 93-69 last year before they were swept in the ALDS by Cleveland.
The Red Sox have two former Sounds on their coaching staff, and two very recognizable Middle Tennessee natives on their roster. David Price, the Murfreesboro native and former Vandy star, went 6-3 with a 3.38 ERA in 16 outings (11 starts) in an injury-plagued year, and Mookie Betts, an Overton High School alum, hit .264 with 24 homers and 102 RBIs in 153 games in a second straight all-star season. Manager John Farrell’s pitching coach is Carl Willis (’87), who made 267 appearances in the major leagues over nine years from ’84-’95. His Sounds time came in ’87 during his stint in the Reds organization, and he owned a 4.20 ERA and tied for the team lead in appearances with 53. The Sounds’ pitching staff that year included future Reds stalwarts Rob Dibble, Tom Browning and Norm Charlton and future Royals Hall of Famer Jeff Montgomery. The other former Sound on Farrell’s coaching staff is third base coach Brian Butterfield (’82), who played four years of professional baseball and appeared in 11 games with the Sounds in ’82 on a team that won the Southern League title and boasted players like Brian Dayett, Rex Hudler, Otis Nixon and Buck Showalter.
Red Sox pitching coach Carl Willis (Photo courtesy of MLB.com)
Red Sox third base coach Brian Butterfield (Photo courtesy of MLB.com)
Houston Astros
Record: 101-61
How they made it: Won the AL West
Fun fact: The Astros reached 100 wins for just the second time in franchise history and first time since 1998.
The Astros’ team leader in starts by a pitcher this year was former Sound
Mike Fiers (’11-’14), who went 8-10 with a 5.22 ERA in 29 outings (28 starts) for a pitching staff that missed anchors like
Dallas Kuechel and
Lance McCullers at various times. Fiers has made one career postseason appearance to this point. It came with Houston against Kansas City in the ’15 ALDS after he’d been acquired that July from Milwaukee. The Astros’ other former Sound is
Josh Reddick (’16), who spent a week with the Sounds in June ’16 on a rehab assignment for the A’s. He was coming back from a left thumb fracture and had 25 at-bats in six games. The Astros’ third base coach under manager
A.J. Hinch is former Sounds hitting coach
Gary Pettis (’05), who was with the Sounds in 2005, the first year of their affiliation with the Brewers that culminated with a PCL title. Pettis joined the Astros last year after spending several seasons as third base coach with the Rangers under
Ron Washington. The Astros have a couple of decisions to make for the ALDS roster, and they could elect to include Franklin native and former Vanderbilt star
Tony Kemp, who’ve seen oppose the Sounds with Fresno the past two years. Many may recall
Kemp was with Fresno in Nashville in ’16 when he got word of his first-ever major league call-up.
Astros pitcher Mike Fiers (Photo courtesy of Mike Strasinger / Nashville Sounds)
Astros outfielder Josh Reddick (Photo courtesy of Mike Strasinger / Nashville Sounds)
Astros third base coach Gary Pettis (Photo courtesy of Mike Strasinger / Nashville Sounds)
Enjoy the playoffs!
Jeff
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