Chattanooga Lookouts

From BR Bullpen

ChattLookouts.jpg

Team History[edit]

The Chattanooga Lookouts, of the Southern League and briefly in Double-A South, were on MLB's 2021 Minor League Reorganization elimination list until the Miami Marlins opened a Double-A slot by promoting the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp to Triple-A. The Cincinnati Reds farmhands play their home games at AT&T Field in Chattanooga, TN.

The current Lookouts iteration dates to the 1975-1976 off-season move of the [Birmingham A's|Birmingham Athletics]] to Chattanooga. However, professional baseball first came to the city in 1885. Most of the seasons since have been played as Lookouts, for a local mountain. The current franchise has been a Reds' affiliate for nearly half of its years in Chattanooga.

Their previous home - Engel Stadium, which "starred" as Brooklyn's Ebbets Field in the Jackie Robinson biopic 42 - hosted baseball for 60 summers, many of them including Negro Leagues play. Two baseball legends made their pro debuts with the Chattanooga Black Lookouts: Satchel Paige in 1926 and Willie Mays in 1946.

The ball club has all the necessary approvals to build a new ballpark, hopefully to be open when new standards created by the reorganization take full effect. Current plans are for an August 2023 groundbreaking.

The Lookouts play Copa de la Diversión Hispanic engagement campaign games as Montañas de Chattanooga (Chattanooga Mountains).

Year-by-Year Record[edit]

Year Record Finish Manager Playoffs Notes
1885 33-61 -- Frank Monroe / Frank Harris /
Adolph Deublebliss / William Voltz / Charles Lewis
Team disbanded September 7
1886 20-40 -- C. Levis Team disbanded July 9
1901 47-73 7th Lew Whistler none
1902 50-67 6th William Kreig / Jack Dolan / J.C. "Con" Strothers none
1909 84-36 1st Johnny Dobbs League Champs
1910 66-71 4th Johnny Dobbs none
1911 67-71 5th William A. Smith none
1912 59-75 7th William A. Smith none
1913 70-64 4th Kid Elberfeld none
1914 73-78 6th Moose McCormick none
1915 73-80 6th Moose McCormick (36-53) / Kid Elberfeld (37-27) none
1916 65-74 7th Kid Elberfeld / Frank "Pop" Kitchens none
1917 76-74 6th Kid Elberfeld none
1918 35-34 5th Michael J. Finn League suspended operations June 28
1919 65-73 6th Sam Strang Nicklin none
1920 53-98 8th Sam Strang Nicklin none
1921 52-102 8th Sam Strang Nicklin / Ed McDonald none
1922 59-93 8th Sam Strang Nicklin none
1923 63-88 7th Les Nunamaker none
1924 63-89 6th Les Nunamaker none
1925 71-82 6th Sam Strang Nicklin none
1926 55-94 6th Kid Elberfeld none
1927 59-94 7th Jimmy Johnston none
1928 67-85 6th Joe Mathes
1929 55-99 8th Jimmy Johnston none
1930 67-87 6th Bill Rogers none
1931 79-74 4th Bert Niehoff none
1932 98-51 2nd Bert Niehoff none
1933 74-77 5th Bert Niehoff
1934 78-75 5th Zinn Beck (38-47) / Mule Shirley (40-28)
1935 75-75 5th Mule Shirley (38-33) / Clyde Milan (37-42)
1936 64-89 7th Clyde Milan (23-21) / John Mihalic (2-3) / Joe Engel (0-1)
Clyde Milan (0-3) / Alex McColl (1-1) / Joe Bonowitz (38-60)
1937 56-95 7th Clyde Milan (18-31)/ Bill Rodgers (12-21) / Calvin Griffith (26-45)
1938 66-85 7th Wally Millies (30-37) / Rogers Hornsby (36-48)
1939 85-65 1st Kiki Cuyler Lost in 1st round
1940 73-79 4th Kiki Cuyler Lost in 1st round
1941 78-76 4th Kiki Cuyler (57-49) / Marv Olson (21-27) Lost in 1st round
1942 66-86 7th Marv Olson
1943 69-70 overall -- Marv Olson Team moved to Montgomery July 11
1944 57-83 7th (t) Andy Moore
1945 85-55 2nd Bert Niehoff Lost in 1st round
1946 79-73 3rd Bert Niehoff Lost in 1st round
1947 79-75 4th Bert Niehoff Lost in 1st round
1948 58-96 8th George Myatt
1949 60-92 8th George Myatt (22-29) / Fred Walters (38-63)
1950 59-89 7th Fred Walters
1951 62-91 8th Jack Onslow
1952 86-66 1st Cal Ermer Lost in 1st round
1953 73-81 6th Cal Ermer
1954 75-76 5th Cal Ermer
1955 80-74 3rd Cal Ermer Lost in 1st round
1956 76-78 6th Cal Ermer
1957 83-70 4th Cal Ermer Lost in 1st round
1958 77-76 4th Red Marion Lost in 1st round
1959 67-86 7th Red Marion
1960 60-93 8th Spook Jacobs none
1961 90-62 1st Frank Lucchesi none League Champs
1963 62-78 6th Jack Phillips
1964 65-74 6th Andy Seminick none
1965 60-80 7th Andy Seminick none
Year Record Finish Manager Playoffs Hitting Coach Pitching Coach Coach
1976 70-68 4th Rene Lachemann Lost in 1st round
1977 61-75 6th George Farson
1978 63-80 10th John Orsino (37-60) / Jim Bragan (26-20)
1979 75-69 4th Woody Smith
1980 61-83 9th Woody Smith
1981 67-75 7th Woody Smith Chuck Stobbs
1982 63-80 10th Al Gallagher Chuck Stobbs
1983 68-75 5th Mickey Bowers (20-32) / Bill Haywood (48-43) Mike Bucci John Burden
1984 63-81 10th Bill Plummer Clark Crist Ross Grimsley
1985 66-77 8th Bill Plummer
1986 64-78 10th R.J. Harrison John Burden
1987 68-75 6th (t) Sal Rende Dan Warthen
1988 81-62 2nd Tom Runnells League Champs Rich Bombard
1989 58-81 9th Jim Tracy Rich Bombard
1990 66-78 8th Jim Tracy Don Gullett, Steve Watson (Interim)
1991 73-71 6th Jim Tracy Mike Griffin
1992 90-53 2nd Dave Miley (51-25) / Tom Nieto (2-1) / Ron Oester (37-27) Lost League Finals Tom Nieto Mike Griffin
1993 72-69 4th Pat Kelly Grant Jackson
1994 67-73 6th Pat Kelly Lost in 1st round Tommy Dunbar Terry Abbott
1995 83-60 2nd Dave Miley Lost League Finals Terry Abbott
1996 81-59 2nd Mark Berry Lost League Finals Mark Wagner Mack Jenkins
1997 70-69 6th Mark Berry Mark Wagner Mack Jenkins
1998 65-73 8th Mark Berry Mark Wagner Mack Jenkins
1999 78-62 2nd Phillip Wellman Lost in 1st round Mack Jenkins
2000 70-68 3rd Mike Rojas Jamie Dismuke Mack Jenkins
2001 72-67 5th Phillip Wellman Lost in 1st round Mack Jenkins
2002 60-80 9th Phillip Wellman Alonzo Powell Derek Botelho
2003 66-74 8th Phillip Wellman Alonzo Powell Bill Moloney
2004 87-53 1st Jayhawk Owens Lost in 1st round Jamie Dismuke Bill Moloney
2005 53-83 10th Jayhawk Owens Jamie Dismuke Bill Moloney
2006 81-59 2nd Jayhawk Owens Lost in 1st round Jamie Dismuke Bill Moloney
2007 67-73 7th Jayhawk Owens Jamie Dismuke Grant Jackson
2008 67-72 8th Mike Goff Jamie Dismuke Chris Bosio
2009 65-74 6th (t) John Valentin Luis Salazar Glenn Dishman
2010 65-74 7th Carlos Subero John Valentin Danny Darwin
2011 77-62 3rd Carlos Subero Lost in 1st round Franklin Stubbs Chuck Crim
2012 73-65 3rd Carlos Subero Lost in 1st round Franklin Stubbs Chuck Crim
2013 59-80 10th Jody Reed Orv Franchuk Hector Berrios
2014 61-77 8th Razor Shines Lost in League Finals Shawn Wooten Scott Radinsky
2015 76-61 3rd Doug Mientkiewicz League Champs Chad Allen Stew Cliburn
2016 75-65 4th Doug Mientkiewicz Tommy Watkins Ivan Arteaga
2017 91-49 1st Jake Mauer League Co-Champs Javier Valentin Ivan Arteaga
2018 65-72 9th Tommy Watkins Javier Valentin Ivan Arteaga Richard Salazar
2019 61-75 8th Pat Kelly Daryle Ward Danny Darwin Darren Bragg
2020 Season cancelled
2021 58-54 4th Ricky Gutierrez Todd Takayoshi Rob Wooten Lenny Harris
2022 61-75 7th Jose Moreno Eric Richardson Rob Wooten Nate Irving
2023 70-67 5th Jose Moreno Lost in 1st round Daryle Ward Brian Garman Jefry Sierra, Michael Bonifay

External Link[edit]

Further Reading[edit]

  • Thomas Boswell: "The Barnum of the Bushes", in How Life Imitates the World Series, Penguin Books, New York, NY, 1982, pp. 229-233.
  • Stephen Martini: The Chattanooga Lookouts & 100 Seasons of Scenic City Baseball, Dry Ice Publishing, Cleveland, TN, 2006. www.lookoutsbook.com