1981 Nashville Sounds season

The Nashville Sounds' 1981 season was the franchise's fourth year of play. The team finished the regular season with a record of 81 wins and 62 losses. In post-season play, the team had four wins and three losses on the way to winning the Western Division title; they were eliminated in the Southern League championship series.

Regular season

Nashville did not win the first half title, but came back to win the second half.

Season standings

Southern League - Western Division

Team

Nashville Sounds

Memphis Chicks

Birmingham Barons

Chattanooga Lookouts

Knoxville Blue Jays

Game log

1981 Game Log

April

#

Date

Opponent

Score

Win

Loss

Save

Attendance

Record

1

April 9

Barons

8–7

—

1–0 |- align="center" bgcolor="

May

#

Date

Opponent

Score

Win

Loss

Save

Attendance

Record |- align="center" bgcolor="

23

May 1

Astros

–

—

– |- align="center" bgcolor="

24

May 2

Astros

–

—

– |- align="center" bgcolor="

25

May 3

@ O's

–

—

– |- align="center" bgcolor="

26

May 4

@ O's

–

—

– |- align="center" bgcolor="

27

May 5

@ O's

–

—

– |- align="center" bgcolor="

28

May 6

@ O's

–

—

– |- align="center" bgcolor="

29

May 7

@ Braves

–

—

– |- align="center" bgcolor="

30

May 8

@ Braves

–

—

– |- align="center" bgcolor="

31

May 9

@ Braves

–

—

DH

– |- align="center" bgcolor="

32

May 9

@ Braves

–

—

– |- align="center" bgcolor="

33

May 11

@ Blue Jays

–

—

– |- align="center" bgcolor="

34

May 12

@ Blue Jays

–

—

– |- align="center" bgcolor="

35

May 13

@ Blue Jays

–

—

– |- align="center" bgcolor="

36

May 14

@ Blue Jays

–

—

– |- align="center" bgcolor="

37

May 15

Suns

–

—

– |- align="center" bgcolor="

38

May 16

Suns

–

—

– |- align="center" bgcolor="

39

May 17

Suns

–

—

– |- align="center" bgcolor="

40

May 18

Suns

–

—

– |- align="center" bgcolor="

41

May 19

Braves

–

—

– |- align="center" bgcolor="

42

May 20

Braves

–

—

– |- align="center" bgcolor="

43

May 21

Braves

–

—

– |- align="center" bgcolor="

44

May 22

Braves

–

—

– |- align="center" bgcolor="

45

May 23

@ Lookouts

–

—

– |- align="center" bgcolor="

46

May 24

@ Lookouts

–

—

– |- align="center" bgcolor="

47

May 25

@ Lookouts

–

—

– |- align="center" bgcolor="

48

May 26

@ Lookouts

–

—

– |- align="center" bgcolor="

49

May 27

Blue Jays

–

—

– |- align="center" bgcolor="

50

May 28

Blue Jays

–

—

– |- align="center" bgcolor="

51

May 29

Blue Jays

–

—

– |- align="center" bgcolor="

52

May 30

Blue Jays

–

—

–

June

#

Date

Opponent

Score

Win

Loss

Save

Attendance

Record |- align="center" bgcolor="

53

June 1

Twins

–

—

– |- align="center" bgcolor="

54

June 2

Twins

–

—

– |- align="center" bgcolor="

55

June 3

Twins

–

—

– |- align="center" bgcolor="

56

June 4

Twins

–

—

– |- align="center" bgcolor="

57

June 5

@ Barons

–

—

– |- align="center" bgcolor="

58

June 6

@ Barons

–

—

– |- align="center" bgcolor="

59

June 7

@ Barons

–

—

– |- align="center" bgcolor="

60

June 8

@ Barons

–

—

– |- align="center" bgcolor="

61

June 9

@ Chicks

–

—

– |- align="center" bgcolor="

62

June 10

@ Chicks

–

—

– |- align="center" bgcolor="

63

June 11

@ Chicks

–

—

– |- align="center" bgcolor="

64

June 12

@ Chicks

–

—

– |- align="center" bgcolor="

65

June 13

O's

–

—

– |- align="center" bgcolor="

66

June 14

O's

–

—

– |- align="center" bgcolor="

67

June 15

O's

–

—

– |- align="center" bgcolor="

68

June 16

O's

–

—

– |- align="center" bgcolor="

69

June 17

Lookouts

–

—

– |- align="center" bgcolor="

70

June 18

Lookouts

–

—

– |- align="center" bgcolor="

71

June 19

Lookouts

–

—

– |- align="center" bgcolor="

72

June 20

Lookouts

–

—

– |- align="center" bgcolor="

73

June 22

@ Astros

–

—

– |- align="center" bgcolor="

74

June 23

@ Astros

–

—

– |- align="center" bgcolor="

75

June 24

@ Astros

–

—

– |- align="center" bgcolor="

76

June 25

@ Astros

–

—

– |- align="center" bgcolor="

77

June 26

Barons

–

—

– |- align="center" bgcolor="

78

June 27

Barons

–

—

– |- align="center" bgcolor="

79

June 28

Barons

–

—

– |- align="center" bgcolor="

80

June 29

Barons

–

—

– |- align="center" bgcolor="

81

June 30

@ Twins

–

—

–

July

#

Date

Opponent

Score

Win

Loss

Save

Attendance

Record |- align="center" bgcolor="

82

July 1

@ Twins

–

—

– |- align="center" bgcolor="

83

July 2

@ Twins

–

—

– |- align="center" bgcolor="

84

July 3

@ Twins

–

—

– |- align="center" bgcolor="

85

July 4

@ Suns

–

—

DH

– |- align="center" bgcolor="

86

July 4

@ Suns

–

—

– |- align="center" bgcolor="

87

July 5

@ Suns

–

—

– |- align="center" bgcolor="

88

July 7

@ Suns

–

—

– |- align="center" bgcolor="

89

July 8

Chicks

–

—

– |- align="center" bgcolor="

90

July 9

Chicks

–

—

– |- align="center" bgcolor="

91

July 10

Chicks

–

—

– |- align="center" bgcolor="

92

July 11

Chicks

–

—

– |- align="center" bgcolor="

93

July 12

Astros

–

—

– |- align="center" bgcolor="

94

July 13

Astros

–

—

– |- align="center" bgcolor="

95

July 14

Astros

–

—

– |- align="center" bgcolor="

96

July 15

Astros

–

—

– |- align="center" bgcolor="

97

July 16

@ O's

–

—

– |- align="center" bgcolor="

98

July 17

@ O's

–

—

– |- align="center" bgcolor="

99

July 18

@ O's

–

—

– |- align="center" bgcolor="

100

July 19

@ O's

–

—

– |- align="center" bgcolor="

101

July 20

Braves

–

—

– |- align="center" bgcolor="

102

July 21

Braves

–

—

– |- align="center" bgcolor="

103

July 22

Braves

–

—

– |- align="center" bgcolor="

104

July 23

Braves

–

—

– |- align="center" bgcolor="

105

July 24

@ Blue Jays

–

—

– |- align="center" bgcolor="

106

July 25

@ Blue Jays

–

—

– |- align="center" bgcolor="

107

July 26

@ Blue Jays

–

—

– |- align="center" bgcolor="

108

July 27

@ Blue Jays

–

—

– |- align="center" bgcolor="

109

July 28

Suns

–

—

– |- align="center" bgcolor="

110

July 29

Suns

–

—

– |- align="center" bgcolor="

111

July 30

Suns

–

—

– |- align="center" bgcolor="

112

July 31

Suns

–

—

–

August

#

Date

Opponent

Score

Win

Loss

Save

Attendance

Record |- align="center" bgcolor="

113

August 1

@ Braves

–

—

DH

– |- align="center" bgcolor="

114

August 1

@ Braves

–

—

– |- align="center" bgcolor="

115

August 3

@ Braves

–

—

– |- align="center" bgcolor="

116

August 4

@ Braves

–

—

– |- align="center" bgcolor="

117

August 5

Lookouts

–

—

– |- align="center" bgcolor="

118

August 6

Lookouts

–

—

– |- align="center" bgcolor="

119

August 7

Lookouts

–

—

– |- align="center" bgcolor="

120

August 8

Lookouts

–

—

– |- align="center" bgcolor="

121

August 9

Blue Jays

–

—

– |- align="center" bgcolor="

122

August 10

Blue Jays

–

—

– |- align="center" bgcolor="

123

August 11

Blue Jays

–

—

– |- align="center" bgcolor="

124

August 12

Blue Jays

–

—

– |- align="center" bgcolor="

125

August 13

Twins

–

—

– |- align="center" bgcolor="

126

August 14

Twins

–

—

– |- align="center" bgcolor="

127

August 15

Twins

–

—

– |- align="center" bgcolor="

128

August 16

Twins

–

—

– |- align="center" bgcolor="

129

August 17

@ Barons

–

—

– |- align="center" bgcolor="

130

August 18

@ Barons

–

—

– |- align="center" bgcolor="

131

August 19

@ Barons

–

—

– |- align="center" bgcolor="

132

August 20

@ Barons

–

—

– |- align="center" bgcolor="

133

August 21

@ Chicks

–

—

– |- align="center" bgcolor="

134

August 22

@ Chicks

–

—

– |- align="center" bgcolor="

135

August 23

@ Chicks

–

—

– |- align="center" bgcolor="

136

August 24

@ Chicks

–

—

– |- align="center" bgcolor="

137

August 25

O's

–

—

– |- align="center" bgcolor="

138

August 26

O's

–

—

– |- align="center" bgcolor="

139

August 27

O's

–

—

– |- align="center" bgcolor="

140

August 28

O's

–

—

– |- align="center" bgcolor="

141

August 29

@ Lookouts

–

—

– |- align="center" bgcolor="

142

August 30

@ Lookouts

–

—

– |- align="center" bgcolor="

143

August 31

@ Lookouts

–

—

–

September

#

Date

Opponent

Score

Win

Loss

Save

Attendance

Record |- align="center" bgcolor="

144

September 1

@ Lookouts

–

—

81–62

Post-season

The Sounds met the first-half winners, the Memphis Chicks, in the Western Division finals. The Sounds swept the Chicks in three straight games.

Western Division finals

Nashville swept the Memphis Chicks in three games to win the Western Division title.

Southern League Championship

Nashville met the Eastern Division champion Orlando Twins in the best-of-five Southern League Championship series. Nashville lost the series by a tally of three games to one.

1981 Post-season

Western Division finals

#

Date

Opponent

Score

Win

Loss

Save

Attendance

Record

1

September 3

@ Chicks

9–7 (12)

—

1–0

2

September 4

@ Chicks

16–8

—

2–0

3

September 5

Chicks

9–4

—

3–0

Southern League Championship

#

Date

Opponent

Score

Win

Loss

Save

Attendance

Record

1

September 11

@ Twins

2–4

—

3–1

2

September 12

@ Twins

1–7

—

3–2

3

September 13

Twins

10–2

—

4–2

4

September 14

Twins

4–7

—

4–3

Roster

1981 Nashville Sounds roster

Players

Pitchers

  • Rod Boxberger
  • Guy Elston
  • Pete Filson
  • Curt Kaufman
  • Dan Ledduke
  • Tim Lewis
  • Mike Morgan
  • Frank Ricci
  • Roger Slagle
  • Ken Smith
  • Jeff Taylor
  • Steve Taylor
  • Jamie Werly
  • Stefan Wever

Awards and honors

Jamie Werly was selected as the league's Most Outstanding Pitcher. Werly, shortstop Don Mattingly, and outfielder Willie McGee, were chosen for the league's post-season All-Star team. Sporting News named Larry Schmittou as the Southern League and Double-A Executive of the Year. The team was also awarded the MacPhail Trophy for Outstanding Minor League Promotions.

Ted Wilborn led the league with 106 runs. Don Mattingly led the league with 35 doubles. Pitcher Pete Filson tied with another player for the top winning percentage in the league (.833, 10–2), while Jamie Werly led the league in innings pitched (222) and strikeouts (193).

References

See Also

1984 Nashville Sounds season

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1983 Nashville Sounds season

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1980 Nashville Sounds season

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1982 Nashville Sounds season

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1979 Nashville Sounds season

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