# List of Nashville Vols Opening Day starting pitchers

The Nashville Vols were a Minor League Baseball team that played in Nashville, Tennessee, from 1901 to 1963. They were established as charter members of the Southern Association in 1901. Known as the Nashville Baseball Club during their first seven seasons, they became the Nashville Volunteers (regularly shortened to Vols) in 1908. Nashville remained in the Southern Association until it disbanded after the 1961 season. The team sat out the 1962 campaign but returned for a final season in the South Atlantic League in 1963 before ceasing operations altogether. The first game of the new baseball season for a team is played on Opening Day, and being named the Opening Day starting pitcher is an honor which is given to the player who is expected to lead the pitching staff that season, though there are various strategic reasons why a team's best pitcher might not start on Opening Day. The Vols used 55 different Opening Day starters in their 62 seasons.
Nashville's first Opening Day game was played against the Chattanooga Lookouts at Stanton Field in Chattanooga, Tennessee, on May 2, 1901. Ted Corbett was their starting pitcher that day; he took a no decision in the 15–14 loss, which lasted 10 innings. Their first Opening Day game held at home was against the Birmingham Barons at Athletic Park on April 10, 1907. Starter John Duggan pitched a complete game for the 3–0 victory. Nashville's Athletic Park became known as Sulphur Dell in 1908. The Vols' final Opening Day at the Dell occurred on April 8, 1961, against Chattanooga. Albert Johnston started the game, a 5–3 defeat, and was charged with the loss. On April 19, 1963, the Vols opened their final season versus the Knoxville Smokies at Bill Meyer Stadium in Knoxville, Tennessee. Starting pitcher Aubrey Gatewood did not figure in the decision in the 8–4 win.
Nashville's Opening Day starting pitchers had a combined Opening Day record of 28 wins, 23 losses, and 11 no decisions, including 1 tie, in 62 seasons. At Sulphur Dell, they had a record of 11 wins, 10 losses, and 6 no decisions, including 1 tie, in 27 Opening Day starts. Vols pitchers had a record of 17 wins, 13 losses, and 5 no decisions in 35 Opening Day starts on the road.
Seven Vols made two Opening Day starts: Art Herman (1903 and 1905), Frank Bair (1911 and 1912), George Milstead (1929 and 1932), George Jeffcoat (1940 and 1941), Leo Twardy (1946 and 1947), Pete Mallory (1948 and 1949), and Jerry Davis (1957 and 1959). Six Nashville Opening Day starters also started Opening Day games in Major League Baseball: Wiley Piatt for the Philadelphia Phillies (1899); George McQuillan for Philadelphia (1908 and 1910) and the Pittsburgh Pirates (1915); Waite Hoyt for the New York Yankees (1927), Brooklyn Dodgers (1932), and Pittsburgh (1935); Red Lucas for the Cincinnati Reds (1929 and 1930); Russ Meyer for the Chicago Cubs (1948); and Jack Harshman for the Baltimore Orioles (1959).

## Pitchers

Key :
| Pitcher (#) | Number indicates multiple appearances as a Vols Opening Day starter |
| Score (#) | Game score with Vols runs listed first; number of innings in a game that was shorter or longer than 9 innings in parentheses |
| Location | Stadium in italics denotes a Vols home game |
| W | Win earned by starting pitcher; Vols won game |
| L | Loss earned by starting pitcher; Vols lost game |
| ND (W) | No decision by starting pitcher; Vols won game |
| ND (L) | No decision by starting pitcher; Vols lost game |
| ND (T) | No decision by starting pitcher; game resulted in a tie |
Pitchers :
| Season | Pitcher | Decision | Score | Opponent | Location |
| 1901 | Ted Corbett | ND (W) | 15–14 (10) | Chattanooga Lookouts | Stanton Field |
| 1902 | War Sanders | W | 8–2 (7) | Atlanta Crackers | Piedmont Park |
| 1903 | Art Herman (1) | W | 4–1 | Birmingham Barons | West End Park |
| 1904 | Wiley Piatt | L | 0–2 | Birmingham Barons | West End Park |
| 1905 | Art Herman (2) | L | 0–8 | Atlanta Crackers | Piedmont Park |
| 1906 | Rube Geyer | L | 0–3 | Birmingham Barons | West End Park |
| 1907 | John Duggan | W | 3–0 | Birmingham Barons | Athletic Park |
| 1908 | Bill Sorrells | L | 1–3 | Atlanta Crackers | Ponce de Leon Park |
| 1909 | Thomas Gilroy | ND (W) | 4–3 | Montgomery Climbers | Sulphur Dell |
| 1910 | Charlie Case | L | 2–4 | Memphis Turtles | Russwood Park |
| 1911 | Frank Bair (1) | L | 2–3 | Memphis Turtles | Russwood Park |
| 1912 | Frank Bair (2) | W | 3–1 (12) | Memphis Chickasaws | Russwood Park |
| 1913 | Earl Fleharty | L | 3–4 | Birmingham Barons | Rickwood Field |
| 1914 | Forrest More | L | 5–6 | Atlanta Crackers | Ponce de Leon Park |
| 1915 | Heinie Berger | W | 8–5 | Chattanooga Lookouts | Sulphur Dell |
| 1916 | Tom Rogers | L | 0–3 | Chattanooga Lookouts | Sulphur Dell |
| 1917 | Frank Wells | W | 9–2 | Birmingham Barons | Rickwood Field |
| 1918 | Waite Hoyt | W | 7–0 | Birmingham Barons | Rickwood Field |
| 1919 | Gus Helfrich | W | 7–5 | Birmingham Barons | Rickwood Field |
| 1920 | Shovel Hodge | W | 5–2 | Birmingham Barons | Rickwood Field |
| 1921 | William Statham | L | 3–4 (14) | Birmingham Barons | Rickwood Field |
| 1922 | Red Lucas | W | 6–5 | Birmingham Barons | Rickwood Field |
| 1923 | George McQuillan | W | 2–1 | Atlanta Crackers | Sulphur Dell |
| 1924 | Johnny Enzmann | W | 3–2 | Atlanta Crackers | Sulphur Dell |
| 1925 | Ole Olsen | W | 8–3 | Birmingham Barons | Sulphur Dell |
| 1926 | Axel Lindstrom | W | 12–3 | Atlanta Crackers | Sulphur Dell |
| 1927 | Ernie Alten | L | 2–10 | Atlanta Crackers | Sulphur Dell |
| 1928 | Del Lundgren | W | 5–1 | Atlanta Crackers | Sulphur Dell |
| 1929 | George Milstead (1) | L | 4–13 | Birmingham Barons | Sulphur Dell |
| 1930 | George Boehler | L | 7–9 | Birmingham Barons | Sulphur Dell |
| 1931 | Lefty Willis | L | 2–3 | Birmingham Barons | Sulphur Dell |
| 1932 | George Milstead (2) | W | 6–3 | Atlanta Crackers | Sulphur Dell |
| 1933 | Jackie Reid | L | 7–13 | Chattanooga Lookouts | Sulphur Dell |
| 1934 | Jim Brillheart | W | 6–4 | Atlanta Crackers | Ponce de Leon Park |
| 1935 | Sharkey Eiland | W | 6–5 (10) | Chattanooga Lookouts | Engel Stadium |
| 1936 | By Speece | W | 11–7 | Knoxville Smokies | Smithson Stadium |
| 1937 | Linville Watkins | L | 2–6 | Atlanta Crackers | Ponce de Leon Park |
| 1938 | Ray Starr | L | 2–8 | Chattanooga Lookouts | Engel Stadium |
| 1939 | Ace Adams | ND (T) | 8–8 (12) | Knoxville Smokies | Sulphur Dell |
| 1940 | George Jeffcoat (1) | W | 12–8 | Atlanta Crackers | Ponce de Leon Park |
| 1941 | George Jeffcoat (2) | ND (L) | 3–4 | Chattanooga Lookouts | Engel Stadium |
| 1942 | Vito Tamulis | W | 10–4 | Knoxville Smokies | Smithson Stadium |
| 1943 | Glenn Gardner | W | 7–3 | Atlanta Crackers | Ponce de Leon Park |
| 1944 | Mack Stewart | L | 0–4 | Chattanooga Lookouts | Sulphur Dell |
| 1945 | Russ Meyer | L | 0–13 (6) | Birmingham Barons | Rickwood Field |
| 1946 | Leo Twardy (1) | W | 9–7 | Chattanooga Lookouts | Sulphur Dell |
| 1947 | Leo Twardy (2) | W | 6–0 | Chattanooga Lookouts | Engel Stadium |
| 1948 | Pete Mallory (1) | ND (L) | 14–15 | Chattanooga Lookouts | Sulphur Dell |
| 1949 | Pete Mallory (2) | ND (L) | 9–11 | Chattanooga Lookouts | Engel Stadium |
| 1950 | Tony Jacobs | ND (W) | 6–4 (10) | Chattanooga Lookouts | Sulphur Dell |
| 1951 | Bobo Holloman | L | 1–7 | Little Rock Travelers | Travelers Field |
| 1952 | Umberto Flammini | L | 6–9 | Little Rock Travelers | Sulphur Dell |
| 1953 | Jack Harshman | W | 7–2 | Little Rock Travelers | Travelers Field |
| 1954 | Dick Libby | ND (L) | 5–7 (10) | Little Rock Travelers | Sulphur Dell |
| 1955 | Ralph Birkofer | ND (L) | 4–5 (10) | Chattanooga Lookouts | Engel Stadium |
| 1956 | Bob Kelly | W | 9–3 | Chattanooga Lookouts | Sulphur Dell |
| 1957 | Jerry Davis (1) | W | 5–2 | Chattanooga Lookouts | Engel Stadium |
| 1958 | Robert Dobzanski | L | 4–10 | Chattanooga Lookouts | Sulphur Dell |
| 1959 | Jerry Davis (2) | ND (L) | 12–13 | Mobile Bears | Sulphur Dell |
| 1960 | Tom Gibson | W | 12–5 | Memphis Chickasaws | Sulphur Dell |
| 1961 | Albert Johnston | L | 3–5 | Chattanooga Lookouts | Sulphur Dell |
| 1963 | Aubrey Gatewood | ND (W) | 8–4 | Knoxville Smokies | Bill Meyer Stadium |