The Savannah Pathfinders was the original name of the American minor league baseball franchise that represented Savannah, Georgia, during the 20th century.
| Savannah Pathfinders | |
|---|---|
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| Minor league affiliations | |
| Previous classes |
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| League | Southern League (1968–1970) |
Previous leagues |
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| Major league affiliations | |
| Previous teams |
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| Minor league titles | |
| League titles | 1906, 1913, 1914, 1937, 1947, 1954, 1960 |
| Team data | |
Previous names |
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Previous parks | Bolton Street Park (1904–1909)) Fairview Park (1910–1926) Grayson Stadium (1926–1970) |
While Savannah's minor league teams sported at least ten nicknames during the century, the predominant nickname was the Savannah Indians, which was used for 27 seasons (1906–1912; 1926–1928; 1936–1942; 1946–1954; 1970). The name was not derived from an association with the Cleveland Major League Baseball franchise until 1970, when Savannah served as the MLB Indians' Double-A farm system affiliate. In 1955–1960, 1962, and from 1968–1995, the Savannah team was named after its Major League parent. After 1926, the club played at Grayson Stadium.
For much of their existence, the Indians played in what became the Double-A Southern League, known before 1964 as the original South Atlantic League or "Sally" League. In 1926–1928, they competed in the Southeastern League. The Sally League franchise was founded as the Pathfinders in 1904 and dubbed the Colts from 1913–1915. From 1971–1983, Savannah's Southern League team was called the Savannah Braves, reflecting its link to the Atlanta Braves' organization. When this franchise relocated to Greenville in 1984, it was replaced by the Savannah Cardinals of the contemporary Single-A South Atlantic League; the Savannah team, known as the Savannah Sand Gnats since 1996, moved to Columbia, South Carolina in 2016, and was in turn replaced by a new, independent franchise, the Savannah Bananas.
Between 1904 and 1970, Savannah won seven Sally League championships.
Notable alumni (1904–1970)
edit- Joe Astroth
- Joe Azcue
- Gene Bearden
- Lou Brissie
- Jack Brohamer
- Don Buford
- Leo Cárdenas
- Donn Clendenon
- Ripper Collins
- Dave DeBusschere
- Art Ditmar
- Bob Elliott
- Nick Etten
- Curt Flood
- Toby Harrah
- Shoeless Joe Jackson
- Ken Johnson
- Alex Kellner
- Al McBean
- Gene Michael
- Bugs Raymond
- Cookie Rojas
- Connie Ryan
- Bob Watson
References
edit- Johnson, Lloyd; Wolff, Miles, eds. (1997). The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball (2nd ed.). Durham, North Carolina: Baseball America. ISBN 978-0-9637189-8-3.
- Savannah, Georgia, Baseball Reference