The Nashville Vols were a Minor League Baseball team that played in Nashville, Tennessee, from 1901 to 1963. They were established as charter members of the Southern Association in 1901. Known as the Nashville Baseball Club during their first seven seasons, they became the Nashville Volunteers (regularly shortened to Vols) in 1908. Nashville remained in the Southern Association until it disbanded after the 1961 season. The team sat out the 1962 campaign but returned for a final season in the South Atlantic League in 1963 before ceasing operations altogether. Over 62 seasons, the team was led by 28 managers. Managers are responsible for team strategy and leadership on and off the field, including determining the batting order, arranging defensive positioning, and making tactical decisions regarding pitching changes, pinch-hitting, pinch-running, and defensive replacements. Competing in an era when it was common to have player-managers, 19 men played on teams that they managed.

Nashville's managers led the club for 9,015 regular-season games in which they compiled a win–loss record of 4,569–4,446 (.507). In 16 postseason appearances, their teams had a record of 108–74–1 (.593). They won eight regular-season pennants, nine playoff championships, and four Dixie Series, a best-of-seven playoff series between the champions of the Southern Association and Texas League. Newt Fisher (1901 and 1902), Bill Bernhard (1908), Roy Ellam (1916), and Larry Gilbert (1940, 1943, 1948, and 1949) managed the Vols to win the Southern Association pennant. Gilbert (1939, 1940, 1941, 1942, 1943, and 1944), Rollie Hemsley (1949), Don Osborn (1950), and Hugh Poland (1953) led the team to win Southern Association playoff championships. Gilbert (1940, 1941, and 1942) and Hemsley (1949) managed Nashville to win the Dixie Series. Combining all 9,198 regular-season and postseason games, Nashville's all-time record was 4,677–4,520–1 (.509).

Larry Gilbert won 821 games from 1939 to 1948, placing him first on the all-time wins list for Vols managers. Having managed the team for 1,481 games, 10 full seasons, he was also the longest-tenured manager in team history. The manager with the highest winning percentage over a full season or more was Rollie Hemsley (1949) at .625. Conversely, the lowest winning percentage over a season or more was .342 by manager Mickey Finn (1905–1906).

History

The Nashville Baseball Club was created as a charter member of the Southern Association in 1901. The team did not become known as the Nashville Volunteers (regularly shortened to Vols) until 1908. The franchise was operated by Nashville-native Newt Fisher, who was its first manager and played on the team. The Southern Association was a Class B circuit in its inaugural season but was elevated to Class A status in 1902. Under Fisher, the Nashvilles won the first two Southern Association pennants by possessing the best regular-season records in 1901 and 1902. On July 12, 1905, Fisher sold the team to a local stock company. He stayed on as manager until July 17, when former Toledo Mud Hens skipper Mickey Finn was hired to take his place. Finn remained through 1906 in which the club posted its all-time lowest winning percentage of .328 (45–92). His .342 record in two seasons is the lowest among all Nashville managers over a full season or more. John Dobbs, who also played as an outfielder, became Nashville's manager in 1907.

Pitcher Bill Bernhard was hired to manage the Volunteers from 1908 to 1910. He led the club to win a third pennant in his first season. Bill Schwartz, a player-manager at first base, was in charge from 1911 to 1915. Roy Ellam served as manager and shortstop from 1916 to 1920. He guided the Vols to a fourth pennant in 1916. Hub Perdue, who hailed from nearby Bethpage and also pitched, began the 1921 season as manager, but he was dismissed on June 25. The next day, second baseman Chick Knaupp was named as his replacement. Knaupp was then replaced by Larry Doyle, former manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs, on August 20. Doyle continued with the Vols as a player-manager at second base in 1922.

Jimmy Hamilton became manager in 1923. He took the field for one game in 1924. Hamilton stepped down as field manager on July 26, 1928, and made third baseman Tommy Taylor the acting manager while he toured the South scouting players. Taylor remained in the role until being traded to the New Orleans Pelicans on August 3. He was succeeded by Bill Black, who was brought in for the rest of the season and also played second base. Pants Rowland guided the team from 1929 to 1930.

Joe Klugmann, who had been with the Vols as a third baseman since 1929, became manager in 1931. He switched to second base in 1931 before moving back to third in 1932. Though Klugmann's 1931 team incurred a franchise-high 102 losses, he was retained for the next season but was ultimately dismissed on July 7, 1932. Chuck Dressen, a third baseman, took over managerial duties the same day. The Vols entered into their first working agreement with a Major League Baseball team in 1934 when they became the Class A farm club of the New York Giants. Dressen remained at the helm until July 28, 1934, when he was hired to manage the Cincinnati Reds. Outfielder Lance Richbourg led Nashville for the rest of the season. The 1935 Vols started the campaign with first baseman Frank Brazill as manager, but he was dismissed on June 5. Richbourg, who had stayed on the roster after his previous managerial tenure, returned to the role in an interim capacity for one game on June 6. Johnny Butler, previously in charge of the Decatur Commodores, was hired as a permanent replacement for the remainder of the season. Nashville began an affiliation with the Cincinnati Reds in 1936 at the same time that the Southern Association was elevated to Class A1 status. Richbourg served as player-manager for a third term from 1936 to 1937.

The Vols became the Class A1 affiliate of the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1938. Dressen returned to lead the team that year. The 1939 season marked the beginning of one of the most successful periods, in terms of winning percentage and championships, in team history under manager Larry Gilbert, who led from 1939 to 1948. Gilbert's Vols won their first of six consecutive Southern Association playoff championships in 1939. They won their fifth regular-season pennant in 1940 with a franchise-high 101–47 (.682) record. After winning a second playoff title, they won their first Dixie Series, a best-of-seven series between the SA champion and Texas League champion to crown a champion of the Southland. The club operated without major league working agreements in 1941 and 1942, but Gilbert led Nashville to win back-to-back playoff championships and Dixie Series in those seasons.

In 1943, the Volunteers became the Class A1 affiliate of the Chicago Cubs. Gilbert's men won two more playoff titles in 1943 and 1944, but the Dixie Series had been suspended due to World War II. In 1946, the Southern Association was reclassified as a Double-A circuit. Nashville won its seventh regular-season flag in 1948. After 10 seasons as manager, Larry Gilbert retired from his post following the season but remained with the team in the role of general manager. Gilbert had led the Vols for 1,471 regular-season games over 10 seasons, making him the longest-tenured manager in team history. He also sits atop the all-time wins list for Vols skippers with 821 wins.

Rollie Hemsley, Gilbert's successor as well as Vols catcher, managed the 1949 squad to win their eighth league pennant, seventh playoff championship, and fourth and final Dixie Series crown. His .625 winning percentage (95–57) is the highest by any Vols manager over a full season or more. Pitcher Don Osborn led the team to an eighth playoff title in 1950 and continued in a solely managerial capacity in 1951. The Vols returned to the New York Giants organization as their Double-A affiliate from 1952 to 1954. They were managed for the duration of the partnership by Hugh Poland, who previously led New York's Triple-A Ottawa Giants in 1951. The 1953 team won the franchise's ninth and final playoff championship. Nashville repartnered with the Cincinnati Reds, who were known as the Cincinnati Redlegs at the time, from 1955 to 1960. Joe Schultz Jr., manager of Cincinnati's Double-A Tulsa Oilers in 1954, became the Vols' manager in 1955. Ernie White was promoted to the role from their Class A Columbia Reds in 1956. He was followed by first-year manager Dick Sisler from 1957 to 1959. Sisler also played first base in 1957 and 1958. Jim Turner, who was from Antioch, led the Vols in 1960.

Nashville became the Double-A affiliate of the Minnesota Twins in 1961. They were led by Red Robbins, who also played as a third baseman, first baseman, and outfielder, in the only year of the affiliation. Following the season, the Southern Association disbanding after 61 seasons due to the loss of some of its teams and the inability of others to secure major league working agreements for 1962.

The Vols sat out the 1962 campaign, primarily due to the Southern Association's collapse, but returned for a final season in 1963 as the Double-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Angels in the South Atlantic League. They were managed by John Fitzpatrick, who had led the Angels' Class D Quad Cities Angels the previous season. Poor attendance and financial problems resulted in the team's board of directors voting unanimously to surrender the franchise to the league following the season. After 62 seasons in Nashville, the Vols had played 9,015 regular-season games and compiled a win–loss record of 4,569–4,446 (.507). They qualified for postseason playoffs on 16 occasions in which they had a record of 108–74–1 (.593). Combining all 9,198 regular-season and postseason games, Nashville's all-time record was 4,677–4,520–1 (.509).

Managers

+KeyNo.A running total of the number of Vols managers. Thus, any manager who has two or more separate terms is only counted once.GGames managedWWinsLLossesApps.Postseason appearances: number of seasons this manager led the team to the postseasonIndicates a player-manager

+ManagersManagerSeason(s)Regular-seasonPostseasonCompositeWin %Win %Win % 1901–1905 574 313 261 .545 — — — — 574 313 261 .545 1905–1906 202 69 133 .342 — — — — 202 69 133 .342 1907 137 59 78 .431 — — — — 137 59 78 .431 1908–1910 408 221 187 .542 — — — — 408 221 187 .542 1911–1915 710 350 360 .493 — — — — 710 350 360 .493 1916–1920 650 311 339 .478 — — — — 650 311 339 .478 1921 71 29 42 .408 — — — — 71 29 42 .408 1921 50 18 32 .360 — — — — 50 18 32 .360 1921–1922 183 71 112 .388 — — — — 183 71 112 .388 10 1923–1928 863 443 420 .513 — — — — 863 443 420 .513 11 1928 8 2 6 .250 — — — — 8 2 6 .250 12 1928 44 15 29 .341 — — — — 44 15 29 .341 13 1929–1930 306 156 150 .510 — — — — 306 156 150 .510 14 1931–1932 229 87 142 .380 — — — — 229 87 142 .380 15 1932–1934 321 177 144 .551 — — — — 321 177 144 .551 16 1934 54 26 28 .481 1 2 3 .400 59 28 31 .475 1935 49 24 25 .490 — — — — 49 24 25 .490 1935 1 1 0 1.000 — — — — 1 1 0 1.000 1935 101 57 44 .564 1 0 3 .000 105 57 47 .548 1936–1937 304 166 138 .546 1 2 3 .400 309 168 141 .544 1938 150 84 66 .560 1 4 6 .400 160 88 72 .550 19 1939–1948 1,481 821 660 .554 8 63 33 .656 1,577 884 693 .561 20 1949 152 95 57 .625 1 12 7 .632 171 107 64 .626 21 1950–1951 304 164 140 .539 1 11 6 .647 321 175 146 .545 22 1952–1954 460 222 238 .483 1 10 7 .588 477 232 245 .486 23 1955 151 77 74 .510 — — — — 151 77 74 .510 24 1956 154 75 79 .487 — — — — 154 75 79 .487 25 1957–1959 454 243 211 .535 1 4 6 .400 464 247 217 .532 26 1960 153 71 82 .464 — — — — 153 71 82 .464 27 1961 152 69 83 .454 — — — — 152 69 83 .454 28 1963 139 53 86 .381 — — — — 139 53 86 .381 Totals 28 managers 62 seasons 9,015 4,569 4,446 .507 16 108 74 .593 9,198 4,677 4,520 .509 —