Foreign Born Players for Knoxville
From 1897 to 1965 there were 20 different foreign born ball players associated with Knoxville teams according to info at Baseball-Reference.com. Not all info is complete so I expect there might be more.
- 9 players from Canada
- 5 players from Cuba
- 1 player from Germany
- 1 player from Greece
- 1 player from Italy
- 1 player from Panama
- 1 player from Puerto Rico
- 1 player from Venezuela
Phil Nadeau - born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada in 1872
- Played outfield for the 1909 Charleston Seagulls / Knoxville Appalachians of the South Atlantic League
- His minor league career spanned from 1894 to 1914
Dutch Schesler - born in Frankfort, Germany in 1900
- Pitched for the 1936 Knoxville Smokies of the Southern Association
- His minor league career spanned from 1920 to 1943
- He played 17 games for the 1931 Philadelphia Phillies
Jack Aragon - born in La Habana, Cuba in 1915
- Played catcher for the 1939 Knoxville Smokies of the Southern Association
- He was back with the 1950 and 1951 Knoxville Smokies as both player and manager
- His minor league career spanned from 1937 to 1951
- He played 1 game for the 1941 New York Giants
Earl Cook - born in Stouffville, Ontario, Canada in 1908
- Pitched for the 1941 Knoxville Smokies of the Southern Association
- His minor league career spanned from 1932 to 1946
- He played 1 game for the 1941 Detroit Tigers
Al Campanis - born in Kos, Dodescanese, Greece in 1916
- Played infield for the 1942 Knoxville Smokies of the Southern Association
- His minor league career spanned from 1940 to 1948
- He played 7 games for the 1943 Brooklyn Dodgers
Lou Polli - born in Baveno, Italy in 1901
- Pitched for the 1942 Knoxville Smokies of the Southern Association
- His minor league career spanned from 1922 to 1945
- He played 5 games for the 1932 St. Louis Browns
- He played 19 games for the 1944 New York Giants
William Casanova - born in Windsor, Ontario, Canada in 1930
- Played outfield for the 1956 Montgomery Rebels / Knoxville Smokies of the South Atlantic League
- His minor league career spanned from 1951 to 1956
Jacques Monette - born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada in 1930
- Played outfield for the 1956 Montgomery Rebels / Knoxville Smokies of the South Atlantic League
- Played outfield for the 1957 Knoxville Smokies of the South Atlantic League
- His minor league career spanned from 1950 to 1958
Bill Diemer - born in Woodslee, Ontario, Canada in 1931
- Pitched for the 1957 Knoxville Smokies of the South Atlantic League
- His minor league career spanned from 1951 to 1957
Dave Roberts - born in Panama in 1933
- Played for the 1957 Knoxville Smokies of the South Atlantic League
- His minor league career spanned from 1952 to 1966
- He played for three seasons in the Majors (Houston and Pittsburgh)
- He later played for seven seasons in two different Japanese Leagues
Arnold Hallgren - born in Winfield, Alberta, Canada in 1933
- Played outfield for the 1959 Knoxville Smokies of the South Atlantic League
- His minor league career spanned from 1952 to 1961
John Ryan - born in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada in 1939
- Played infield for the 1961, 1962, and 1963 Knoxville Smokies of the South Atlantic League
- His minor league career spanned from 1960 to 1971
The 1963 season saw six foreign born players. The Smokies were part of the Detroit Tigers’ organization.
- Pete Craig - Canada
- Mike Cuellar - Cuba
- Ricardo Delgado - Puerto Rico
- Chico Fernandez - Cuba
- Larry Rojas - Cuba
- John Ryan - Canada
The 1964 season saw two foreign born players. The Smokies (Southern League) were part of the Detroit Tigers’ organization.
- John Hiller - Canada
- Larry Rojas - Cuba
The 1965 season saw two foreign born players. The Smokies (Southern League) were part of the Cincinnati Reds’ organization.
- Rogelio Alvarez - Cuba
- Francisco Obregon - born in Caracas, Venezuela in 1936
