Ask Hamilton: Chattanooga Lookouts

 

Dear Loyal Lookouts Fan,

Always glad to hear from a fellow fan! The Lookouts have long delighted crowds with great games, Friday-night fireworks, and plenty of family fun. Let’s take a look back at the ins and outs – or rather, the innings and outings – of our home team.

Chattanooga has been rooting for the Lookouts for over a century. It all began in 1908, when Oliver Burnside “O.B.” Andrews and other local investors founded the Chattanooga Baseball Club. Eager for the city to take a swing at minor league baseball, they purchased a South Atlantic League franchise, and a year later, a team was formed. A fan contest produced the name that lives on to this day: “Chattanooga Lookouts,” a reference to nearby Lookout Mountain. Later that year, Andrews moved the team to a Double-A league with the Southern Association.

In 1929, the Lookouts franchise was purchased by Joe Engel, a former major league player and talent scout tasked with establishing a minor league affiliate for the Washington Senators. Soon after, Engel commissioned a new ballpark to be built on the site of Andrews Field, where the Lookouts had been playing since 1911. Engel Stadium was completed in 1930 and would remain the team’s home base for nearly 70 years.

The stadium and its namesake soon became the talk of the town. Quite the character, Engel would stage all sorts of spectacles to attract publicity for the Lookouts, from parading elephants around the field to giving away cars and houses to fans. During this time, the Lookouts began to score big, winning the Southern Association championship in both 1932 and 1939.

Believe it or not, the Lookouts actually had a stint in another state, short-lived as it was. In 1943, the team was relocated to Montgomery, Alabama, and played a season as the “Montgomery Rebels.” However, Chattanooga wouldn’t give up its team so easily.

Group portrait, 1937

 

Fans led a telegram and letter writing campaign to bring them back, and the Lookouts returned that December.

The Lookouts got hit with a curveball when the Southern Association disbanded in 1962, leaving them without a league, and as a consequence, without a major league affiliate. The Lookouts joined the South Atlantic League, but after an unsuccessful season, their affiliate withdrew once again. Faced with dwindling ticket sales and declining performances, the Lookouts decided to disband in 1966.

 

Engel Stadium postcard

 

However, as we know, that wasn’t the end of the Lookouts! In 1976, the Oakland A’s moved a minor league franchise to Chattanooga and the Lookouts began to play ball once more. The team regained its momentum and has been a consistent part of our city’s sports scene ever since.

Over the decades, the Lookouts have operated under many different major league affiliates including the Philadelphia Phillies, Cleveland Guardians, Seattle Mariners, Los Angeles Dodgers, Minnesota Twins, and today, the Cincinnati Reds.
The Lookouts’ iconic logo was born in the 1990s: a pair of eyes “looking out” from the “C” that the team had sported for decades. This rebrand knocked it out of the park – ticket sales nearly doubled and the new merchandise had orders coming in from around the country. A friendly red mascot, Looie the Lookout, was also introduced to help fans have a ball.

 

Joe Engel

 

With the new century came a new stadium. The Lookouts played their last game at Engel Stadium in 1999 before moving to BellSouth Park – now AT&T Field – located in the heart of downtown the next year.

Today, the Lookouts and excited fans are again anticipating the completion of a brand-new ballpark. Located in Chattanooga’s South Broad district at the former site of the U.S. Pipe/Wheland Foundry, the $115 million facility broke ground in 2024 with plans for the Lookouts to play their first season there in 2026.

Looking back, it’s clear our city has a lot of love for its historic home team. Here’s to cheering the Lookouts on for many more years to come!

Go Lookouts!

Hamilton Bush
Resident History Hound
Chattanooga, TN