Savannah Sand Gnats
Encyclopedia
The Savannah Sand Gnats are a minor league baseball
team in Savannah, Georgia
and are a member of the A-level South Atlantic League
. Since the 2007 season, the Sand Gnats have been an affiliate of the New York Mets
.
. In 1996, the team changed its name to the Sand Gnats, and became an affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers
. The team was affiliated with the Texas Rangers
from 1998 to 2002, and the Montreal Expos
/Washington Nationals
from 2003 to 2006.
The Sand Gnats play their home games at Grayson Stadium
. Opened in 1927, Grayson Stadium seats 4,700 fans. The team was featured in the first Season of Da Ali G Show
, when the character Borat
sang his national anthem, and then ventured into the locker room. The Gnats were also featured on the Food Network
show Paula's Home Cooking
during the episode "Ball Game," when Paula Deen
threw out the ceremonial first pitch at a game and wore a team jersey while cooking. They were also featured to the television show George Lopez
, when the character Jason McNamara is drafted by the Nationals, and is going to play for the Sand Gnats.
The Sand Gnats have won three SAL championships (1993, 1994, 1997).
On January 11, 2007, the Sand Gnats named Tim Teufel
as manager for the 2007 season.
On May 8, 2007, Jorge Reyes, a pitcher
for the Sand Gnats, was suspended for violating Minor League Baseball
's substance abuse policy. Reyes was the first player to receive a 100-game suspension for his second violation.
Among their notable alumni are Edwin Encarnacion
, Travis Hafner
, Hank Blalock
, Josh Whitesell
, Josh Satin
, and Ryan Zimmerman
.
| 1984 || 78 || 61 || 3rd, Southern || Lost in semi-finals
|-
| 1985 || 57 || 78 || 4th, Southern || Did Not Qualify
|-
| 1986 || 75 || 60 || 2nd, Southern || Did Not Qualify
|-
| 1987 || 69 || 69 || 4th, Southern || Did Not Qualify
|-
| 1988 || 68 || 67 || 5th, Southern || Did Not Qualify
|-
| 1989 || 69 || 70 || 4th, Southern || Did Not Qualify
|-
| 1990 || 73 || 68 || 6th, Southern || Lost League Finals
|-
| 1991 || 61 || 77 || 7th, Southern || Did Not Qualify
|-
| 1992 || 62 || 78 || 5th, Southern || Did Not Qualify
|-
| 1993 || 94 || 48 || 1st, Southern || League Champions
|-
| 1994 || 82 || 55 || 2nd, Southern || League Champions
|-
| 1995 || 56 || 83 || 6th, Southern || Did Not Qualify
|-
| 1996 || 72 || 69 || 2nd, Southern || League Champions
|-
| 1997 || 63 || 77 || 3rd, Southern || Did Not Qualify
|-
| 1998 || 66 || 76 || 3rd, Southern || Did Not Qualify
|-
| 1999 || 62 || 78 || 4th, Southern || Did Not Qualify
|-
| 2000 || 74 || 65 || 4th, Southern || Did Not Qualify
|-
| 2001 || 54 || 82 || 8th, Southern || Did Not Qualify
|-
| 2002 || 49 || 89 || 8th, Southern || Did Not Qualify
|-
| 2003 || 58 || 80 || 7th, Southern || Did Not Qualify
|-
| 2004 || 58 || 80 || 7th, Southern || Did Not Qualify
|-
| 2005 || 62 || 76 || 7th, Southern || Did Not Qualify
|-
| 2006 || 56 || 83 || 7th, Southern || Did Not Qualify
|-
| 2007 || 41 || 94 || 8th, Southern || Did Not Qualify
|-
| 2008 || 61 || 76 || 7th, Southern || Did Not Qualify
|-
| 2009 || 65 || 72 || Southern || Did Not Qualify
|-
||2010 || 75 || 64 || Southern || Lost in semi-finals
1984–1995: Savannah Cardinals
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
team in Savannah, Georgia
Savannah, Georgia
Savannah is the largest city and the county seat of Chatham County, in the U.S. state of Georgia. Established in 1733, the city of Savannah was the colonial capital of the Province of Georgia and later the first state capital of Georgia. Today Savannah is an industrial center and an important...
and are a member of the A-level South Atlantic League
South Atlantic League
The South Atlantic League is a minor league baseball league based chiefly in the Southeastern United States, with the exception of three teams in the Mid-Atlantic States...
. Since the 2007 season, the Sand Gnats have been an affiliate of the New York Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
.
History
Formerly known as the Savannah Cardinals, the team played their inaugural season in 1984, affiliated with the St. Louis CardinalsSt. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
. In 1996, the team changed its name to the Sand Gnats, and became an affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
. The team was affiliated with the Texas Rangers
Texas Rangers (baseball)
The Texas Rangers are a professional baseball team in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, based in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League, and are the reigning A.L. Western Division and A.L. Champions. Since , the Rangers have...
from 1998 to 2002, and the Montreal Expos
Montreal Expos
The Montreal Expos were a Major League Baseball team located in Montreal, Quebec from 1969 through 2004, holding the first MLB franchise awarded outside the United States. After the 2004 season, MLB moved the Expos to Washington, D.C. and renamed them the Nationals.Named after the Expo 67 World's...
/Washington Nationals
Washington Nationals
The Washington Nationals are a professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals are a member of the Eastern Division of the National League of Major League Baseball . The team moved into the newly built Nationals Park in 2008, after playing their first three seasons in RFK Stadium...
from 2003 to 2006.
The Sand Gnats play their home games at Grayson Stadium
Grayson Stadium
Grayson Stadium is a stadium in Savannah, Georgia. It is primarily used for baseball, and is the home field of the Savannah Sand Gnats minor league baseball team, the Class-A affiliate of the New York Mets. It is also the part-time home of the Savannah State University college baseball team...
. Opened in 1927, Grayson Stadium seats 4,700 fans. The team was featured in the first Season of Da Ali G Show
Da Ali G Show
Da Ali G Show is the name of two related satirical TV series created by and starring British comedian Sacha Baron Cohen and featuring the character Ali G....
, when the character Borat
Borat
Borat Sagdiyev is a satirical fictional character invented and performed by English comedian Sacha Baron Cohen...
sang his national anthem, and then ventured into the locker room. The Gnats were also featured on the Food Network
Food Network
Food Network is a television specialty channel that airs both one-time and recurring programs about food and cooking. Scripps Networks Interactive owns 70 percent of the network, with Tribune Company controlling the remaining 30 percent....
show Paula's Home Cooking
Paula's Home Cooking
Paula's Home Cooking is a Food Network show hosted by Paula Deen. Deen's primary culinary focus is Southern cuisine and familiar comfort food that is popular with Americans. In the show, classic dishes such as pot roast, fried okra, and pecan pie are the norm, and overly complicated or eccentric...
during the episode "Ball Game," when Paula Deen
Paula Deen
Paula Deen American cook, cooking show host, restaurateur, author, actress and Emmy Award-winning television personality.Deen resides in Savannah, Georgia, where she owns and operates...
threw out the ceremonial first pitch at a game and wore a team jersey while cooking. They were also featured to the television show George Lopez
George Lopez (TV series)
"The George Lopez Show" redirects here. For the late-night program hosted by the same comedian, see Lopez Tonight.George Lopez is an American sitcom starring comedian George Lopez...
, when the character Jason McNamara is drafted by the Nationals, and is going to play for the Sand Gnats.
The Sand Gnats have won three SAL championships (1993, 1994, 1997).
On January 11, 2007, the Sand Gnats named Tim Teufel
Tim Teufel
Timothy Shawn Teufel is a former Major League Baseball second baseman, and currently the 3rd base coach for the New York Mets.Teufel was a member of the World Series champion New York Mets...
as manager for the 2007 season.
On May 8, 2007, Jorge Reyes, a pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
for the Sand Gnats, was suspended for violating Minor League Baseball
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
's substance abuse policy. Reyes was the first player to receive a 100-game suspension for his second violation.
Among their notable alumni are Edwin Encarnacion
Edwin Encarnación
Edwin Elpidio Encarnación , is a Dominican Republic Major League Baseball utility player with the Toronto Blue Jays. The 6 ft 2 in, 235-pound Encarnación bats and throws right-handed....
, Travis Hafner
Travis Hafner
Travis Lee Hafner is a left-handed hitting designated hitter for the Cleveland Indians of the American League Central Division. His nickname, "Pronk", was given to him by former teammate Bill Selby during spring training of when people sometimes referred to him as "The Project" and other times...
, Hank Blalock
Hank Blalock
Hank Joe Blalock is a Major League Baseball third baseman who is currently a free agent.-High school:Blalock attended Rancho Bernardo High School in San Diego, California...
, Josh Whitesell
Josh Whitesell
Joshua S. Whitesell is a 6' 1", 225-pound left-handed professional baseball first baseman for the Tokyo Yakult Swallows of Nippon Professional Baseball....
, Josh Satin
Josh Satin
Joshua Satin is an American second baseman for the New York Mets of Major League Baseball, who also plays first base and third base.He was a First Team College All American at the University of California, Berkeley...
, and Ryan Zimmerman
Ryan Zimmerman
Ryan Wallace Zimmerman is a Major League Baseball third baseman with the Washington Nationals. A 6-foot 3-inch player from the University of Virginia and Kellam High School, Zimmerman has been a member of the Nationals since his debut on September 1, 2005...
.
Season-by-season records
|-| 1984 || 78 || 61 || 3rd, Southern || Lost in semi-finals
|-
| 1985 || 57 || 78 || 4th, Southern || Did Not Qualify
|-
| 1986 || 75 || 60 || 2nd, Southern || Did Not Qualify
|-
| 1987 || 69 || 69 || 4th, Southern || Did Not Qualify
|-
| 1988 || 68 || 67 || 5th, Southern || Did Not Qualify
|-
| 1989 || 69 || 70 || 4th, Southern || Did Not Qualify
|-
| 1990 || 73 || 68 || 6th, Southern || Lost League Finals
|-
| 1991 || 61 || 77 || 7th, Southern || Did Not Qualify
|-
| 1992 || 62 || 78 || 5th, Southern || Did Not Qualify
|-
| 1993 || 94 || 48 || 1st, Southern || League Champions
|-
| 1994 || 82 || 55 || 2nd, Southern || League Champions
|-
| 1995 || 56 || 83 || 6th, Southern || Did Not Qualify
|-
| 1996 || 72 || 69 || 2nd, Southern || League Champions
|-
| 1997 || 63 || 77 || 3rd, Southern || Did Not Qualify
|-
| 1998 || 66 || 76 || 3rd, Southern || Did Not Qualify
|-
| 1999 || 62 || 78 || 4th, Southern || Did Not Qualify
|-
| 2000 || 74 || 65 || 4th, Southern || Did Not Qualify
|-
| 2001 || 54 || 82 || 8th, Southern || Did Not Qualify
|-
| 2002 || 49 || 89 || 8th, Southern || Did Not Qualify
|-
| 2003 || 58 || 80 || 7th, Southern || Did Not Qualify
|-
| 2004 || 58 || 80 || 7th, Southern || Did Not Qualify
|-
| 2005 || 62 || 76 || 7th, Southern || Did Not Qualify
|-
| 2006 || 56 || 83 || 7th, Southern || Did Not Qualify
|-
| 2007 || 41 || 94 || 8th, Southern || Did Not Qualify
|-
| 2008 || 61 || 76 || 7th, Southern || Did Not Qualify
|-
| 2009 || 65 || 72 || Southern || Did Not Qualify
|-
||2010 || 75 || 64 || Southern || Lost in semi-finals
1984–1995: Savannah Cardinals