Nashville Centennials

The Nashville/Henderson Centennials were a minor league baseball team that played in the Class C Central League in 1897. They were first located in Nashville, Tennessee, and played their home games at Athletic Park. Financial problems forced the team to leave Nashville and relocate to Henderson, Indiana, for the final six weeks of the season. The Centennials were named for the Tennessee Centennial and International Exposition held that year in Nashville in celebration of Tennessee's centennial as a U.S. state, which had occurred a year earlier, in 1896.

Financial instability prevented the Nashville Seraphs, Nashville's previous minor league baseball team, from returning to play after their 1895 championship season. On January 18, 1897, the Nashville Centennials were formed as a charter member of the Class C Central League. The team was named for the Tennessee Centennial and International Exposition held that year in Nashville in celebration of Tennessee's centennial as a U.S. state, which had occurred a year earlier, in 1896. Joining the Centennials in the six-team league were the Cairo Egyptians, Evansville Brewers, Paducah Little Colonels, Terre Haute Hottentots, and Washington Browns. The Centennials played their home games at Athletic Park, which would later come to be known as Sulphur Dell.