Jump to content

Southern League (1964–present)

From Niidae Wiki

Template:Use mdy dates Template:Short description Template:About Template:Infobox sports league

The Southern League is a Minor League Baseball league that has operated in the Southern United States since 1964. Along with the Eastern League and Texas League, it is one of three circuits playing at the Double-A level, which is two grades below Major League Baseball (MLB).

The league traces its roots to the original Southern League (1885–1899), the Southern Association (1901–1961), and the original South Atlantic League (1904–1963). The later circuit dissolved before the 1964 season and refounded itself as the Southern League. Following MLB's reorganization of the minor leagues in 2021, it operated as the Double-A South for one season before switching back to its previous moniker in 2022. In its inaugural 1964 season, the Southern League consisted of eight teams from Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. Following contractions, expansions, and relocations, the league consists of eight teams in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, and Tennessee.

A league champion is determined at the end of each season. The Birmingham Barons have won 8 Southern League titles, the most among all teams in the league, followed by the Jacksonville Suns (6) and the Montgomery Rebels (5).

History

[edit]

Predecessor leagues (1885–1963)

[edit]

The original Southern League was formed prior to the 1885 season as an eight-team circuit playing in the Southern United States. It operated at various times as a Class B league (equivalent to short-season Class A before 2021, and Low-A since 2021).<ref name=SL-AA>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=SA-AA>Template:Cite web</ref> Fraught with financial problems, teams regularly dropped out before the season's end. After being nonoperational in 1891, 1892, and 1897, it disbanded permanently after halting play during the 1899 season.<ref name=History>Template:Cite web</ref>

The Southern Association was formed in 1901 as a Class B circuit operating in nearly the same footprint as the first Southern League. It was elevated to Class A in 1902, Class A1 in 1936, and Double-A in 1946.<ref name=SA-AA/> The Southern Association remained a premier Southern baseball league until Major League Baseball radio and television broadcasts began to undercut attendance in the 1950s. The league disbanded after 1961.<ref name=History/>

The original South Atlantic League, nicknamed the "SALLY League" and not related to the current South Atlantic League (formerly the Western Carolinas League), was formed in 1904. It operated at Class C until it was elevated to Class B in 1921 and Class A in 1946.<ref name=SAL-A>Template:Cite web</ref> A year after the Southern Association's disbandment, the SALLY League took its place at the Double-A level in 1963.<ref name=SAL-A/>

The modern league (1964–present)

[edit]
File:Billy Hitchcock 1978.jpg
Billy Hitchcock instituted several changes to modernize the league during his 1971 to 1980 presidency.

The Double-A SALLY League dissolved after the 1963 season and refounded itself as the Southern League. The newly minted league wanted to distance itself from the SALLY League's past history in the low minors. Additionally, many leagues had contributed to its legacy. For these reasons, it elected to start with a clean slate and does not claim the original SALLY League's history or records as its own.<ref name=History/> In its inaugural campaign, the six-team Southern League consisted of the Asheville Tourists, Birmingham Barons, Charlotte Hornets, Chattanooga Lookouts, Columbus Confederate Yankees, Knoxville Smokies, Lynchburg White Sox, and Macon Peaches.<ref name=SL-AA/> Sam C. Smith, the last president of the SALLY League, served as president of the new Southern League.<ref name=History/>

From 1967 to 1969, the league was reduced to six teams.<ref name=SL-AA/> It went back to eight clubs in 1970, but dropped to seven in 1971.<ref name=SL-AA/><ref name=DA>Template:Cite web</ref> With an odd number of teams, the Southern League joined forces with the Double-A Texas League as the Dixie Association in 1971. The two leagues played an interlocking schedule with individual league champions determined at the end of the season. Up to this point, the Southern League pennant had simply gone to the team with the best record at the end of the regular season.Template:Sfn For the first time, the top two Southern League teams met in a best-of-three series to determine champions.Template:Sfn The Charlotte Hornets defeated the Asheville Tourists, 2–1, and then defeated the Texas League champion Arkansas Travelers, 3–0, to win the Dixie Association championship.<ref name=SCSL>Template:Cite web</ref> The partnership was dissolved after the season.<ref name=SCSL/>

President Smith died suddenly in April 1971, and Billy Hitchcock became the new president that August.<ref name=History/> Hitchcock introduced a number of changes that are still in use today. In 1972, the Southern League was split into two divisions, Eastern and Western.Template:Sfn The playoffs, which began in the Dixie Association, were continued and expanded to a best-of-five series.Template:Sfn The league also began selecting postseason All-Star teams and issuing awards for the Most Valuable Player, Most Outstanding Pitcher, and Manager of the Year.<ref name=SLawards>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 1976, it introduced a split-season format with the schedule divided in half and first and second half champions from each division being crowned. This expanded the playoffs to two rounds with the winners of each half competing for each division's championship and those winners meeting for the league championship.Template:Sfn With the addition of two teams in 1978, the Southern League grew to 10 teams.<ref name=SL-AA/> Other improvements under Hitchcock's presidency included stadium refurbishments and efforts to make the league more family-friendly. Attendance figures rose dramatically during his tenure.<ref name=History/>

Jim Bragan became president in 1981 after Hitchcock's retirement.<ref name=History/> Over his 14 years leading the Southern League, attendance continued to grow as several cities built new ballparks.<ref name=History/> In 1994, Arnie Fielkow succeeded Bragan as president, and Don Mincher took over in 2000.<ref name=History/> Lori Webb became president in 2012 after Mincher's death that March.<ref name=History/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

COVID-19 impact and takeover by Major League Baseball (2020–present)

[edit]

The start of the 2020 season was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic before ultimately being cancelled on June 30.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=2020can>Template:Cite news</ref> As part of Major League Baseball's 2021 reorganization of the minor leagues, the Southern League was reduced to eight teams and temporarily renamed the "Double-A South" for the 2021 season.<ref name=JMayo2-12-2021>Template:Cite web</ref> Following MLB's acquisition of the rights to the historical names of the minor leagues, the Double-A South was renamed the Southern League effective with the 2022 season.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Current teams

[edit]
Division Team MLB affiliation City Stadium Capacity
North Birmingham Barons Chicago White Sox Birmingham, Alabama Regions Field 8,500<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Chattanooga Lookouts Cincinnati Reds Chattanooga, Tennessee AT&T Field 6,362<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Knoxville Smokies Chicago Cubs Knoxville, Tennessee Covenant Health Park 7,500<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Rocket City Trash Pandas Los Angeles Angels Madison, Alabama Toyota Field 7,000<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
South Biloxi Shuckers Milwaukee Brewers Biloxi, Mississippi Keesler Federal Park 6,076<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Columbus Clingstones Atlanta Braves Columbus, Georgia Synovus Park 5,500<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Montgomery Biscuits Tampa Bay Rays Montgomery, Alabama Montgomery Riverwalk Stadium 7,000<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Pensacola Blue Wahoos Miami Marlins Pensacola, Florida Community Maritime Park 5,038<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Structure and season

[edit]

The Southern League is currently divided into two divisions, North and South, of four teams each.<ref name=Standings>Template:Cite web</ref> Previously, from 1972 to 2004, the league was split into Eastern and Western divisions. There were no divisions in place from 1964 to 1970.Template:Sfn As of 2020, each club had 140 games scheduled per season. Utilizing a split-season schedule, each half consisted of 70 games. The season typically began during the first or second week of April and concluded in the first week of September on Labor Day.<ref>Template:Cite webTemplate:Dead linkTemplate:Cbignore</ref>

Players

[edit]

The Southern League uses a salary cap. As of the 2024 season, clubs are required to spend a maximum of US$1,360,000 on player compensation, with a minimum salary of $30,250 per player.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> For players aged 23 and younger on standard contracts, only 50% of their salary counts towards the cap (up to $200,000 total). There is also a separate salary cap for coaches and technical staff. Rosters are limited to a size of 28 players on Opening Day weekend, although up to 9 players can be signed on the roster before the transactions date limit.

All-Star Game

[edit]

Template:Main

The Southern League All-Star Game was an annual midsummer game between two teams of the league's players, one made up of All-Stars from North Division teams and the other from South Division teams. First held in 1964,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> the event predominantly consisted of a single team of the league's All-Stars versus a Major League Baseball team through 1998. The division versus division format was used continuously from 1999 to 2019. No game was held from 1991 to 1995 as the Southern League and the other two Double-A leagues, the Eastern League and Texas League, participated in the Double-A All-Star Game instead.Template:Sfn

Teams timeline

[edit]

<timeline> DateFormat = yyyy ImageSize = width:1000 height:auto barincrement:20 Period = from:1964 till:2025 TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal PlotArea = right:20 left:0 bottom:50 top:5 #> to display a count on left side of graph, use "left:20" to suppress the count, use "left:20"<# Colors = id:barcolor 

id:line  value:pink
id:bg  value:white
         id:Full value:rgb(0.742,0.727,0.852) # Use this color to denote a team that is a current league member
         id:Past value:rgb(0.4,0.80,0.67) # Use to indicate a stint in the Dixie Association (1971)
         id:OtherC1 value:rgb(0.996,0.996,0.699) # Use this color to denote a team that has moved to another current league  
         id:OtherC2 value:rgb(0.988,0.703,0.383) # Use this color to denote a team that has moved to a now defunct league

PlotData= 

  width:15 textcolor:black shift:(5,-5) anchor:from fontsize:s

bar:1  color:Full from:1964 till:1967 text:Asheville Tourists (1964–66; 1968–75)
bar:1  color:OtherC1 from:1967 till:1968
bar:1  color:Full from:1968 till:1971
bar:1  color:Past from:1971 till:1972
bar:1  color:Full from:1972 till:1976
bar:1  color:OtherC2 from:1976 till:1980 text:WCL
bar:1  color:OtherC1 from:1980 till:2020 text:SAL
bar:1  color:OtherC1 from:2021 till:end text:SAL

bar:2  color:Full from:1964 till:1966 text:Birmingham Barons (1964–65; 1967–75; 1981–present)
bar:2  color:Full from:1967 till:1971
bar:2  color:Past from:1971 till:1972 
bar:2  color:Full from:1972 till:1976
bar:2  color:Full from:1981 till:2020
bar:2  color:Full from:2021 till:end

bar:3  color:Full from:1964 till:1971 text:Charlotte Hornets (1964–72)
bar:3  color:Past from:1971 till:1972
bar:3  color:Full from:1972 till:1973



bar:4  color:Full from:1964 till:1966 text:Chattanooga Lookouts (1964–65; 1976–present)
bar:4  color:Full from:1976 till:2020
bar:4  color:Full from:2021 till:end

bar:5  color:Full from:1964 till:1967 text:Columbus Confederate Yankees (1964–66)

bar:6  color:Full from:1964 till:1968 text:Knoxville Smokies (1964–67)
bar:6  color:Full from:1972 till:2020 text:Knoxville/Tennessee Smokies (1972–present)
bar:6  color:Full from:2021 till:end

bar:7  color:Full from:1964 till:1965 text:Macon Peaches (1964; 1966–67)
bar:7  color:Full from:1966 till:1968
bar:7  color:OtherC1 from:1980 till:1988 text:SAL
bar:7  color:OtherC1 from:1991 till:2003 text:SAL

bar:8  color:Full from:1964 till:1971 text:Lynchburg/Evansville White Sox; Columbus White Sox/Astros/Mudcats (1964–90)
bar:8  color:Past from:1971 till:1972
bar:8  color:Full from:1972 till:1991
bar:8  color:Full from:1991 till:2012 text:Carolina Mudcats (1991–2011)
bar:8  color:OtherC1 from:2012 till:2020 text: Caro
bar:8  color:OtherC1 from:2021 till:end text: Caro



bar:9  color:Full from:1965 till:1971 text:Montgomery Rebels (1965–80)
bar:9  color:Past from:1971 till:1972
bar:9  color:Full from:1972 till:1981



bar:10  color:Full from:1966 till:1967 text:Mobile A's (1966)

bar:11  color:Full from:1968 till:1971 text:Savannah Senators/Indians/Braves (1968–83)
bar:11  color:Past from:1971 till:1972
bar:11  color:Full from:1972 till:1984
bar:11  color:Full from:1984 till:2005 text:Greenville Braves (1984–2004)
bar:11  color:Full from:2005 till:2020 text:Mississippi Braves (2005–24)
bar:11  color:Full from:2021 till:2024
bar:11  color:Full from:2024 till:end text:Columbus (Ga.) (2025– )

bar:12  color:Full from:1970 till:1971 text:Jacksonville Suns/Expos/Jumbo Shrimp (1970–2019)
bar:12  color:Past from:1971 till:1972
bar:12  color:Full from:1972 till:2020
bar:12  color:OtherC1 from:2021 till:end text: IL

bar:13  color:Full from:1970 till:1971 text:Mobile White Sox (1970)



bar:15  color:Full from:1973 till:2004 text:Orlando Twins/SunRays/Cubs/Rays (1973–2003)
bar:15  color:Full from:2004 till:2020 text:Montgomery Biscuits (2004–present)
bar:15  color:Full from:2021 till:end



bar:16  color:Full from:1976 till:1993 text:Charlotte O's/Knights (1976–92)
bar:16  color:OtherC1 from:1993 till:2020 text:IL
bar:16  color:OtherC1 from:2021 till:end text:IL

bar:17  color:Full from:1978 till:1998 text:Memphis Chicks (1978–97)
bar:17  color:Full from:1998 till:2020 text:West Tenn Diamond Jaxx; Jackson Generals (1998–2019)

bar:18  color:Full from:1978 till:1985 text:Nashville Sounds (1978–84)
bar:18  color:OtherC2 from:1985 till:1998 text: AA
bar:18  color:OtherC1 from:1998 till:2020 text:PCL
bar:18  color:OtherC1 from:2021 till:end text:IL

bar:19  color:Full from:1985 till:2015 text:Huntsville Stars (1985–2014)
bar:19  color:Full from:2015 till:2020 text:Biloxi Shuckers (2015–present)
bar:19  color:Full from:2021 till:end

bar:20  color:Full from:1993 till:2020 text:Nashville Xpress; Port City Roosters; Mobile BayBears (1993–2019)
bar:20  color:Full from:2021 till:end text:Rocket City Trash Pandas (2021–present)

bar:21  color:Full from:2012 till:2020 text:Pensacola Blue Wahoos (2012–present)
bar:21  color:Full from:2021 till:end

ScaleMajor = gridcolor:line unit:year increment:2 start:1964 TextData = 

   fontsize:L

   textcolor:black

   pos:(0,30) tabs:(400-center)

   text:^"Southern League Timeline"
  1. > If the chart uses more than one bar color, add a legend by selecting the appropriate fields from the following three options (use only the colors that are used in the graphic.) Leave a blank line after the end of the timeline, then add a line with the selected values from the list, separated by a space. Template:Font color Template:Font color Template:Font color <# </timeline>

Template:Font color Template:Font color Template:Font color Template:Font color

All-time teams

[edit]

Template:Main A "^" indicates that team's article redirects to an article of an active team formerly of the Southern League

Template:Div col

Template:Div col end

Champions

[edit]

Template:Main

League champions have been determined by different means since the Southern League's formation in 1964.<ref name=champions>Template:Cite web</ref> Through 1970, champions were the regular-season pennant winners—the team with the best win–loss record at the conclusion of the regular season. The 1971 title was decided in a postseason series between the two teams with the best records. From 1972 to 1975, the winners of each of two divisions competed in a series to determine champions. The league operated using a split season format from 1976 to 2020. Under this format, the winners of each half within each division played for the division championship, and the division winners met to play for the SL title.Template:Sfn The 2021 winner was crowned via a series between the two teams with the best full-season records.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The 2022 championship will be decided through the same split-season divisional format used for most of the league's existence.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The Birmingham Barons have won 8 Southern League championships, the most among all teams in the league, followed by the Jacksonville Suns (6) and the Montgomery Rebels (5).<ref name=champions/>

Awards

[edit]

The SL recognizes outstanding players and team personnel annually near the end of each season.

MVP Award

[edit]

Template:Main article The Most Valuable Player Award is given to honor the best player in the league.

Pitcher of the Year Award

[edit]

Template:Main article The Pitcher of the Year Award, originally known as the Most Outstanding Pitcher Award, serves to recognize the league's best pitcher.

Manager of the Year Award

[edit]

Template:Main article The Manager of the Year Award is given to the league's top manager.

Top MLB Prospect Award

[edit]

The Top MLB Prospect Award, created in 2021, is given to the league's top rookie prospect.

Top MLB Prospect
Season Winner Team Organization Position Template:Abbr
2021 Template:Sortname Mississippi Braves Atlanta Braves Catcher <ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2022 Template:Sortname Montgomery Biscuits Tampa Bay Rays Pitcher <ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2023 Template:Sortname Montgomery Biscuits Tampa Bay Rays Third baseman <ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2024 Template:Sortname Montgomery Biscuits Tampa Bay Rays Shortstop <ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Presidents

[edit]

Six presidents led the Southern League since its formation:<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

See also

[edit]

Template:Portal

References

[edit]
Specific

Template:Reflist

General
[edit]

Template:Commons category

Template:Southern League (baseball) Template:Professional Baseball

Retrieved from "https://wiki.niidae.com/index.php?title=Southern_League_(1964–present)&oldid=52596"