A Swing At Baseball

East Tennessee sports fans should take time to appreciate the role the Tennessee Smokies play in producing Major League Baseball talent.

Tonight's National League Championship Series offered just one example.

In the 5th inning, three former Smokies faced-off at a key juncture in the game.

St. Louis pitcher Brad Thompson faced NY Met slugger Carlos Delgado. Yadier Molina was catching for the Cardinals.

All three players spent considerable time in East Tennessee developing their baseball skills.

In fact, the NLCS has showcased other players who have spent time here. Chris Carpenter and Shawn Green are stars for the Cardinals and Mets. And St. Louis skipper Tony LaRussa (who, I thought, once again over-managed in last night's loss) once managed here.

Major League Baseball is populated with plenty of players who spent time with the Tennesse and Knoxville Smokies/Blue Jays.

But it all came together for me in the 5th inning last night. For what it's worth, Delgado got the best of Thompson and Molina, hitting a 3-run home run. The Mets won the game and evened the series.

Football gets plenty of attention around here in October, and it should-- but don't overlook the great baseball tradition we have too.

It's playing out before our eyes-- on national television.