Prior professional baseball in Memphis played in the
Southern Association from 1901 to 1960. The first
professional baseball team in
Memphis was the
Memphis Reds of the
League Alliance in 1877. A different
Reds team was created as a charter member of the original
Southern League in 1885. After a seven-year span with no professional team, Memphis became host to the
Memphis Blues, a
Double-A team of the
Texas League, in 1968.
Montreal Expos (1978–1983) In 1978, a new Memphis Chicks team was created as an
expansion franchise of the Double-A
Southern League playing in its Western Division as an affiliate of the
Montreal Expos. The Expos moved their Double-A affiliation from the
Québec Metros in
Quebec City to Memphis because of the circuit's better climate. The Chicks played their home games at Blues Stadium, which was renamed
Tim McCarver Stadium in honor of
Tim McCarver, a Memphis native, former Chickasaw, and major league ballplayer. On August 20, Mike Finlayson pitched a seven-inning
no-hitter in the first game of a
doubleheader against the
Montgomery Rebels in Memphis. The Southern League used a split-season schedule wherein the season was divided into two halves, and the division winners from each half qualified for the postseason championship playoffs. Memphis placed second in both halves and finished their inaugural season with a record of 71–73.
Outfielder Eddie Gates was selected as the
Southern League Most Valuable Player (MVP). Memphis ended the first half of the 1979 season tied for first place with Montgomery. They won the First Half Western Division title by defeating the Rebels, 2–1, in a one-game playoff. They lost the best-of-three Western Division championship series to Nashville, the second half winner, two games to one. The Chicks won the first half again in 1980, this time defeating the Sounds, 3–1, to advance to the finals, On July 6, 1981, the Chicks played host to the
Southern League All-Star Game at Tim McCarver Stadium. The game was originally scheduled to be played in
Savannah, Georgia, against the
Atlanta Braves, but was changed to Memphis against the Chicks due to the
1981 Major League Baseball strike. Before an attendance of 5,366 people, a team of the Southern League's All-Stars defeated Memphis, 10–3. Majority owner
Ewing Kauffman then chose to move Kansas City's Double-A affiliation to Memphis for 1984. On July 2, 1986, Mitch McKelvey no-hit the
Columbus Astros in a 16–0 Memphis win at Tim McCarver Stadium. The Chicks struggled through their first four years in the Royals system, not posting their first winning record until 1987. Prior to the 1988 season, Fogelman sold the team to Craig Stein, who also owned the Double-A
Reading Phillies of the
Eastern League, for an undisclosed price. Memphis won the second half title in 1988, but lost the division championship to the
Chattanooga Lookouts, 3–1. Outfielder
Matt Winters was selected as the 1988 Southern League MVP. The team experienced a franchise-low 59–84 (.413) record in 1989.
Left fielder Harvey Pulliam was voted the MVP of the 1989 Southern League All-Star Game. After the season, the team changed hands again as Stein sold the franchise to businessmen Mike Nicklous, Richard Addeo, and Alan Bernikow for over $3 million. It was Nicklous' intention to purchase and relocate a Triple-A team to Memphis. In the best-of-five finals, Memphis won their only
Southern League championship by defeating the
Orlando Sun Rays, 3–2.
First baseman Jeff Conine was voted the 1990 Southern League MVP. On July 12, 1993, Memphis hosted the
Double-A All-Star Game. A team of
National League-affiliated All-Stars defeated a team of
American League affiliates, 12–7, with 6,335 people in attendance. Chicks
right fielder Les Norman was selected as the game's Southern League MVP. During the All-Star break, team president David Hersh announced that
NBC broadcaster
Bob Costas had joined the Chicks' ownership group, Professional Sports Entertainment of Tennessee, Inc, which consisted of other limited partners including film director
Ron Howard, television talk show host
Maury Povich, former major league catcher and baseball broadcaster Tim McCarver, and
United States House of Representatives member
Steve Cohen. On August 8,
Rodney Myers pitched a no-hitter against the
Knoxville Smokies in a 3–0 Memphis win. The final four years of the Kansas City affiliation were reminiscent of the first four with only one winning season in their final year of partnership in 1994. Over the 11-year affiliation, the longest in franchise history, Memphis had a 759–814 record. Through all 17 years of play, the team was 1,203–1,235.
San Diego Padres (1995–1996) Memphis entered into a two-year affiliation with the
San Diego Padres for 1995 and 1996. First baseman
Jason Thompson was the Southern League MVP of the 1995 Double-A All-Star Game. On September 2,
Robbie Beckett no-hit the Chattanooga Lookouts in the second game of a seven-inning doubleheader, which Memphis lost, 1–0. The Chicks won the first-half title in 1995, but lost the Western Division finals to Chattanooga, 3–2. The Chicks repeated as first-half champions in 1996, but were again ousted by the Lookouts, 3–1. The team's 81–58 (.583) record was the highest in franchise history. First baseman
Derrek Lee won the 1996 MVP Award. In two seasons with the Padres, the Chicks' record was 149–132. The held a composite franchise record of 1,352–1,367.
Seattle Mariners (1997) pitched two
no-hitters for the Chicks in 1997. The Chicks entered into a one-year agreement to partner with the
Seattle Mariners in 1997 while plans were underway to relocate the team. Memphis' pitchers tossed two no-hitters in their final season. The first occurred on April 14 when
Ryan Franklin, Scott Simmons, and
David Holdridge combined to no-hit the Lookouts in a 4–0 win. One week later, in his next start on April 21, Franklin pitched a solo seven-inning no-hit game on the road against the
Carolina Mudcats in the first game of a doubleheader, a 6–0 win. On September 1, the Chicks played their final game on the road at Chattanooga's
Engel Stadium, a 3–0 Memphis win. In their final season, the Chicks compiled a 67–72 record and missed out on winning either half of the season. Over their 20-year run in Memphis, the team had a composite record of 1,419–1,439. With the 1998 arrival of the
Memphis Redbirds, a Triple-A
Pacific Coast League expansion team, ==Season-by-season results==