| Kingsport Mets | |
| Firstseason: | 1921 |
| Lastseason: | 2020 |
| City: | Kingsport, Tennessee |
| Uniformlogo: | K-Mets.PNG |
| Class Level: |
|
| League: |
|
| Majorleague: |
|
| Leaguenum: | 7 |
| Divnum: | 5 |
| Nickname: |
|
| Colors: | Blue, orange, white |
| Ballpark: |
|
The Kingsport Mets were a Minor League Baseball team of the Appalachian League from 1921 to 2020. They were located in Kingsport, Tennessee, and were last named for the team's major league affiliate, the New York Mets. The team played its home games at Hunter Wright Stadium which opened in 1995. The Mets previously played at Dobyns-Bennett High School. In 1983, while Dobyns-Bennett's field was being renovated, the team temporarily moved to Sarasota, Florida, and played in the Gulf Coast League as the Gulf Coast League Mets.
The first professional team to hail from Kingsport was the Kingsport Indians who played in the Appalachian League from 1921 to 1925. From 1938 to 1941, the Kingsport team was known as the Cherokees, but changed to the Dodgers in 1942 when the team became a farm team of Major League Baseball's Brooklyn Dodgers. They reverted to the Cherokees name in 1943 and continued to play under this moniker through 1955. The Kingsport Cherokees competed in the Mountain States League from 1953 to 1954, before returning to the Appalachian League in 1957 as the Kingsport Orioles after two years of dormancy. After another two years on hiatus, Kingsport returned as the Pirates from 1960 to 1963. From 1969 to 1970, they competed as the Kingsport Royals. Notable players during this period include Al Cowens and U L Washington.
From 1974 to 1979, they were known as the Braves. As an Atlanta Braves affiliate, multiple future major leaguers played for them, including Matt Sinatro, Rick Behenna, Jose Alvarez, Steve Bedrosian, Paul Runge, Brad Komminsk, Milt Thompson, Brook Jacoby, and Mike Payne. Additionally, National League MVP Dale Murphy and Cy Young Award winner Steve Bedrosian played in Kingsport.
In 1980, the team became known as the Kingsport Mets, the name under which the team has competed since then—with the exception of playing the 1983 season in Sarasota, Florida, as the Gulf Coast League Mets while their home stadium underwent renovations. Players Darryl Strawberry, Dwight Gooden, Kevin Mitchell, José Reyes, David Wright, Lastings Milledge, and A. J. Burnett made their professional debuts in Kingsport. The Mets won the Appalachian League Championship in 1988 and 1995.
The start of the 2020 season was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic before ultimately being cancelled on June 30.[1] [2] In conjunction with a contraction of Minor League Baseball beginning with the 2021 season, the Appalachian League was reorganized as a collegiate summer baseball league, and the Mets were replaced by a new franchise in the revamped league designed for rising college freshmen and sophomores.[3]
In 2005, the team selected 14 former players and a manager for its All Silver Anniversary Team in commemoration of 25 years as a Mets affiliate.
| Year | Record | Win % | Finish | Manager | Postseason | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1974 | 31–39–1 | .443 | 7th | 21.5 | — | ||
| 1975 | 33–33 | .500 | 6th | 7 | — | ||
| 1976 | 25–42 | .373 | 8th | 23.5 | — | ||
| 1977 | 43–26 | .623 | 1st | — | League Champions | ||
| 1978 | 33–37 | .471 | 5th | 8.5 | — | ||
| 1979 | 39–31 | .557 | 2nd | 15.5 | — | ||
| 1980 | 35–35–1 | .500 | 3rd | 11 | — | ||
| 1981 | 21–49 | .300 | 6th | 25 | — | ||
| 1982 | 28–40 | .412 | 7th | 4.5 | Ed Olsen | — | |
| 1984 | 31–38 | .449 | 7th | 9 | — |
Baseball Hall of Fame alumni
Notable alumni