Chattanooga Lookouts

Chattanooga Lookouts Founded in 1885 Chattanooga, Tennessee
Team logo Cap insignia
Class-level
Current	Double-A (1885–present)
Minor league affiliations
League	Southern League (1964–1965; 1976–present)
Division	Northern Division
Previous leagues	South Atlantic League (1963) Southern Association (1901–1902; 1910–1943; 1944–1961) Southern League (1885–1886, 1889, 1892–1893, 1895)
Major league affiliations
Current	Minnesota Twins (2015–present)
Previous	Los Angeles Dodgers (2009–2014) Cincinnati Reds (1988–2008) Seattle Mariners (1983–1987) Cleveland Indians (1978–1982) Oakland Athletics (1976–1977) Philadelphia Phillies (1960–1961; 1963–1965) Washington Senators (1932–1959)
Minor league titles
Dixie Series titles (1)	1932
League titles (2)	1988 2015
Pennants (4)	1932 1939 1952 1961
Division titles (4)	1988 1992 2014 2015
Team data
Nickname	Chattanooga Lookouts (1885–present, except 1943) Montgomery Rebels (1943)
Colors	Red, black, white
Ballpark	AT&T Field (2000–present)
Previous parks	Engel Stadium (1930–1999) Cramton Bowl (1943)
Owner(s)/ Operator(s)	Hardball Capital Group (John Woods and Jason Freier) [1]
Manager	Doug Mientkiewicz
General Manager	Rich Mozingo

The Chattanooga Lookouts are a minor league baseball team based in Chattanooga, Tennessee. They are named for nearby Lookout Mountain. The team, which plays in the Southern League, are a Double-A affiliate of the Minnesota Twins after having been affiliated with the Los Angeles Dodgers major-league club from 2009–2014.^[2][3] The Lookouts play in AT&T Field, located in Chattanooga. Opened in 2000, the stadium seats 6,340 fans.^[3] From 1930 through 1999, the Lookouts played at Engel Stadium, with a one-year break in Montgomery, Alabama's Cramton Bowl in 1943.^[4][5]

History

In 1931, the New York Yankees played an exhibition game against the Lookouts. During the game, a 17-year-old girl named Jackie Mitchell pitched for the Lookouts and struck out Major League greats Lou Gehrig and Babe Ruth. Many reports of this story include a footnote claiming that a few days after the game, baseball commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis voided Mitchell's contract, claiming that baseball was "too strenuous" for women.^[6] This has been refuted here,^[7] and directly contradicts a profile of Mitchell published a few months later.^[8] MLB didn't introduce a ban on contracts for female players until June 21, 1952 (which was repealed in 1992).

During owner Joe Engel's tenure, the Lookouts won four championships – three with the Southern Association and a fourth with the South Atlantic League. Engel led a charge to own the Lookouts privately, with the help of several hundred fans as shareholders from 1938 to 1942. In 1939, as a privately owned franchise under coach Kiki Cuyler, the Lookouts claimed a championship. In 1943, the Lookouts played at Montgomery, Alabama's Cramton Bowl as the Montgomery Rebels after the Washington Senators moved the Lookouts from Chattanooga to Montgomery, some 235 miles (378 km) away, citing a decline in attendance.^[5] (The original Montgomery Rebels team had folded due to World War II in 1943 and would return to Montgomery in 1946 in the now-defunct Southeastern League.) The Lookouts managed to move back to Chattanooga in December of that year after Engel organized a letter-writing campaign aimed at Clark Griffith, the owner of the Senators at the time.^[9]

The team, which plays in the Southern League, has been the Double-A affiliate of a major league ballclub since 1932. From 1988 through 2008, the Lookouts were the Double-A affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds.^[4] For the 2009 through 2014 seasons, the Los Angeles Dodgers served as the parent club.^[10][11][12] In affiliating with the Twins in 2015, the Lookouts rekindled a relationship with the franchise that, as the 1901–1960 edition of the Washington Senators, spent the longest period as its parent team.

Media

All Chattanooga Lookouts games were broadcast on WDOD (1310 AM) until the 2011 season.^[13] From 2011-2015, games were broadcast on WALV-FM (105.1 FM, "ESPN Chattanooga"). Starting in 2016, all 140 Chattanooga Lookouts games will be broadcast on 96.1 The Legend.^[14] Larry Ward (28th season) will continue to host the broadcasts.

Current roster

Chattanooga Lookouts roster
Players				Coaches/Other
Pitchers -- Jason Adam 24 D. J. Baxendale 32 Nick Burdi 37 Ryan Eades 45 David Hurlbut 26 Brett Lee 19 Mason Melotakis * 49 Brandon Peterson 44 Jake Reed 39 Aaron Slegers 23 Mike Strong 38 Corey Williams		Catchers 25 Mitch Garver 35 Jairo Rodriguez 30 Stuart Turner Infielders  7 Niko Goodrum 31 D. J. Hicks  9 Levi Michael 20 Leonardo Reginatto  2 Engelb Vielma 15 T. J. White Outfielders 12 Zach Granite 17 Travis Harrison 21 Joe Maloney 33 Daniel Palka 11 Shannon Wilkerson		Manager 16 Doug Mientkiewicz Coaches 22 Ivan Arteaga (pitching)  8 Tommy Watkins (hitting) 7-day disabled list * On Minnesota Twins 40-man roster # Rehab assignment ∞ Reserve list ‡ Restricted list § Suspended list † Temporary inactive list Roster updated April 24, 2016 Transactions → More MiLB rosters → Minnesota Twins minor league players

Retired numbers

• 26 – Dernell Stenson, OF, 2003

References

1. http://www.chattanoogan.com/2015/3/3/295255/Lookouts-Sold-By-Frank-Burke-To.aspx
4. Paschall, David (December 7, 2010). "Burke may have to sell Lookouts". Chattanooga Times Free Press. Retrieved December 14, 2010.
5. The Old Scout (July 16, 1943). "Senators shift Lookout franchise" (PDF). New York Sun. Retrieved 19 September 2013.
6. The Pinstripe Press : Jackie Mitchell – The Pride of the Yankees on Baseball Almanac
7. http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/05/18/the-myth-of-jackie-mitchell-the-girl-who-struck-out-ruth-and-gehrig.html
8. Atlanta Constitution June 27, 1931. Profile of Jackie Nitchell. Her father notes the 3,000 miles of travel and 32 games pitched so far (summer 1931) for the Chattanooga Junior Lookouts (her only contract until 1933)
9. Jenkins, David (2005). Baseball in Chattanooga. Charleston, South Carolina: Arcadia Publishing.
10. Paschall, David (August 6, 2010). "Dodgers extend Lookouts deal to '14". Chattanooga Times Free Press. Retrieved December 14, 2010.
11. "Dodgers Notebook: Affiliations Are Changing". Los Angeles Daily News. September 18, 2008. p. C5.
12. Chattanooga Lookouts baseball team to partner with Minnesota Twins
13. "Sponsorships". Chattanooga Lookouts. February 7, 2008. Retrieved December 14, 2010.
14. "Lookouts Announce Radio Deal".

External links

• Chattanooga Lookouts official site