Reds, Braves can trace roots back to Tri-Cities

While the Speedway Classic '25 will mark a special occasion of Major League Baseball making its way to Northeast Tennessee, the area is no stranger to professional baseball. For decades, the Appalachian League has had a home in the Tri-Cities and beyond, spanning from West Virginia to North Carolina. Until 2020, the league was a part of the minor league system, but became a collegiate summer league when the minors contracted. The Appy took multiple hiatuses in its early years, but operated as a professional league every year from 1957-2019 before the COVID pandemic forced the 2020 season to be canceled. In that time frame, both the Braves and Reds used multiple towns as a base for young prospects. The Reds made their first foray into the Appy League in 1967, using Wytheville as an affiliate. However, the partnership lasted just one season, and the Wytheville Reds finished last in the league at 24-40. However, that team did produce a Major Leaguer in reliever Dave Tomlin. He made his debut with Cincinnati in 1972 and spent parts of 13 seasons in MLB. Tomlin was still a starter in the Appy, making 13 starts and tossing 85 innings before getting sent to the Florida Instructional League. Shortly after their brief stint as a Reds affiliate, Wytheville welcomed in the Braves in 1971. Their partnership lasted three seasons and the team went a combined 107-98. Eight eventual big leaguers got their start in professional baseball with the Wytheville Braves. None of them were major contributors, though, as Preston Hanna's 1.8 bWAR (Wins Above Replacement) was the highest mark of the cohort. While the Wytheville partnership didn't last long, the Braves weren't done in the Appalachian League, yet. Starting in 1974, the organization moved its presence to Kingsport. The Braves stayed in The Model City until 1979. In 1977, the Kingsport Braves won the Appy League championship. It was the first for a Braves affiliate and the second for the city of Kingsport. Kingsport's inaugural Braves team featured six eventual MLB players, including two-time MVP Dale Murphy and bullpen pillar Rick Camp. Former ETSU Buccaneer Dave Campbell also joined the two on the 1974 team and eventually in the bigs. Eventually, 23 other K-Braves joined the six from 1974 in Major League Baseball. One of whom was Brian Snitker, current manager of the Atlanta Braves who is now a member of the Appalachian League Hall of Fame. The Braves would then take a two-year hiatus from the Appy before returning to Pulaski in 1982. Their partnership lasted for a decade and saw on-field success. In 1984, the Pulaski Braves won the Appalachian League North but lost the championship to Elizabethton in a one-game playoff. Pulaski returned for a chance at gold in '86, and defeated Johnson City in a three-game series for a title. They once again won the division in '89, where they once again fell to Elizabehton out of the South. The P-Braves moved to the South for their final two years of existence and won the Appy in 1991. In the 11 seasons of Braves baseball in Pulaski, 27 future big leaguers suited up for the affiliate. Some of the most notable names from the partnership include Jeff Blauser ('84), David Justice ('85), Steve Avery ('88), and Javy Lopez ('89). Another eventual Major Leaguer was Andy Tomberlin, who played in Pulaski in both 1986 and '87. After playing six seasons at the highest level of the game, Tomberlin went into coaching, where he now is back in the Appy as the hitting coach for the Elizabethton River Riders. The Reds wouldn't return to the Appalachian League until 1991, ending an over two-decade long hiatus. The club decided to return to the league in Princeton and held its home there until 1996. In 1994, Princeton won the first Appy League, and only, championship for both the town and a Reds affiliate. They went 41-25 and won the championship series in three games over Johnson City. In their stint at the Princeton Reds, the affiliate went 184-210, good for a .479 winning percentage. 13 future MLB players appeared in games for the team, including 2003 World Series Champion, Chad Fox. After the Braves left Pulaski, the franchise settled in Danville in 1993. The town proved to be the long-term home for Braves baseball in the league, as the Danville Braves stuck around for the remainder of affiliated baseball for the Appy League. Danville won a pair of championships as a Braves affiliate, one in 2006 and another in 2009. They also won the league's inaugural Organization of the Year award in 2017 on top of six division titles, including four straight from 2004-07. The Braves sent different generations of future stars to get their first tastes of pro ball in Danville. Andruw Jones played for the affiliate in 1994, Charlie Morton made 13 starts in 2003, and Ronald Acuña Jr. teamed up with Austin Riley in 2015 before becoming franchise stallworths of the current Atlanta club. Cincinnati returned to the Appalachian League again in 2018, when Greeneville became a Reds affiliate. The pairing lasted just two seasons before the contraction of Minor League Baseball. In two seasons, the Greeneville Reds went just 54-81, giving them a winning percentage of .400. But, they did produce current big leaguers Jonathan India, Alexis Diaz, and Graham Ashcraft. While Major League Baseball may be a new endeavor for the region, Major League talent is no novel concept, thanks in large part to the Appalachian League. Even though the league isn't affiliated anymore, two current MLB players already have experience with the collegiate Appy. Both White Sox pitcher Jordan Leasure (Elizabethton) and Rays pitcher Paul Gervase (Bristol) played in the league in 2021.