In 2000, after lengthy contract negotiations, we welcomed professional baseball with our acquisition of the Tennessee Smokies, the Toronto Blue Jays AA minor league team. In 2007, the Smokies became affiliated with the Chicago Cubs. Sevierville (a 2/3’s owner) and Sevier County (1/3) joined to create a $19 million development and built the Smokies a state-of-the-art home, ideally located at Highway 66 and Interstate 40 (exit 407). The large multi-purpose stadium lets the Smokies host their Southern League rivals 70 games a year. The 2006 season marked the 7th year of Smokies Baseball in Sevier County. Over 280,000 fans visited Smokies Stadium last year, bringing the 7-year attendance total to over 1.3 million. And for the first time since moving into Smokies Stadium, the Smokies were the 2004 Southern League champions.