Editing Southern League (1964–present) (section)

===The modern league (1964–present)===

[[File:Billy Hitchcock 1978.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1|[[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 (baseball)|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>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/league.cgi?id=a33d7a12|title=1971 Dixie Association|work=Baseball-Reference|publisher=Sports Reference|access-date=May 18, 2020}}</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 [[List of Southern League champions|Southern League pennant]] had simply gone to the team with the best record at the end of the regular season.{{sfn|Southern League Media Guide|2019|pages=132–140}} For the first time, the top two Southern League teams met in a best-of-three series to determine champions.{{sfn|Southern League Media Guide|2019|pages=132–140}} 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>{{cite web|url=https://www.statscrew.com/minorbaseball/standings/l-SOUL/y-1971 |title=1971 Southern League (Dixie Association) Standings |website=Stats Crew |access-date=May 4, 2020}}</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.{{sfn|Southern League Media Guide|2019|pages=132–140}} The playoffs, which began in the Dixie Association, were continued and expanded to a best-of-five series.{{sfn|Southern League Media Guide|2019|pages=132–140}} The league also began selecting postseason All-Star teams and issuing awards for the [[Southern League Most Valuable Player Award|Most Valuable Player]], [[Southern League Most Outstanding Pitcher Award|Most Outstanding Pitcher]], and [[Southern League Manager of the Year Award|Manager of the Year]].<ref name=SLawards>{{cite web|url=https://www.milb.com/southern/history/league-award-winners|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191219003813/https://www.milb.com/southern/history/league-award-winners|url-status=dead|archive-date=December 19, 2019|title=Southern League Award Winners|website=Southern League|publisher=Minor League Baseball|access-date=May 18, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.milb.com/southern/history/postseason-all-star-teams|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200926205128/https://www.milb.com/southern/history/postseason-all-star-teams|url-status=dead|archive-date=September 26, 2020|title=Southern League Postseason All-Star Teams|website=Southern League|publisher=Minor League Baseball|access-date=May 18, 2020}}</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.{{sfn|Southern League Media Guide|2019|pages=132–140}} With the addition of two teams in 1978, the Southern League grew to 10&nbsp;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&nbsp;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>{{cite web|title=Southern League Names First Woman President|url=http://www.chattanoogan.com/2012/7/20/230749/Southern-League-Names-First-Woman-President.aspx|website=The Chattanoogan|date=July 20, 2012|access-date=May 18, 2020}}</ref>