The South Atlantic League, nicknamed the SALLY League, was a Minor League Baseball league that operated in the Southern United States intermittently from 1904 to 1963. Initially Class C league, it was elevated to Class B in 1921, Class A in 1946, and Double-A in 1963. The circuit dissolved after the 1963 season and was refounded as the Southern League.
| Classification | |
|---|---|
| Sport | Baseball |
| Founded | 1904 |
| Ceased | 1963 |
| Replaced by | Southern League |
| Country | United States |
History
editThe original South Atlantic League was founded in 1904 by Charles W. Boyer and J.B. Lucy as a Class C league, equivalent to an Advanced Rookie league in the pre-2021 minor league scheme.[1] After a year of dormancy in 1918, it continued at that classification from 1919 to 1920 before being elevated to Class B (equivalent to short-season Class A before 2021 and a Class A league today)in 1921.[2] The Great Depression caused the league to shut down from 1931 to 1935,[1] but it returned at Class B from 1936 to 1942.[2] Three more years of dormancy occurred during World War II, but the SALLY League was revived as a Class A circuit from 1946 to 1962.[2]
In 1963, it was reclassified as a Double-A league along with the other Class A leagues.[2] The circuit reorganized as the Southern League in 1964. To distance itself from its history at lower classifications, the newly-named league elected to start with a clean slate and not maintain records prior to the 1964 season. Thusly, the 51-year history of the league was retired with the South Atlantic League name.[1]
In 1980, the Western Carolinas League resurrected the name as it became the current South Atlantic League.[1][2]
All-time teams
edit- Albany Babies
- Asheville Tourists
- Augusta Dollies
- Augusta Georgians
- Augusta Rams
- Augusta Tigers
- Augusta Tygers
- Augusta Tourists
- Augusta Wolves
- Augusta Yankees
- Charleston ChaSox/White Sox
- Charleston Palmettos/Pals
- Charleston Rebels
- Charleston Sea Gulls/Gulls
- Charlotte Hornets
- Chattanooga Lookouts
- Columbia Comers/Commies/Combers
- Columbia Gamecocks
- Columbia Gems
- Columbia Reds
- Columbia Senators
- Columbia Skyscrapers
- Columbus Foxes
- Columbus Pirates
- Columbus Red Birds/Cardinals
- Gastonia Combers
- Gastonia Pirates
- Greenville Spinners
- Jacksonville Braves
- Jacksonville Jays
- Jacksonville Jets
- Jacksonville Tarpons
- Jacksonville Tars
- Knoxville Appalachians
- Knoxville Smokies
- Lynchburg White Sox
- Macon Brigands
- Macon Dodgers
- Macon Highlanders
- Macon Peaches
- Montgomery Grays
- Montgomery Rebels
- Nashville Vols
- New Orleans Bucks
- New Orleans Kings
- New Orleans Jacks
- New Orleans Generals
- Portsmouth-Norfolk Tides
- Savannah Athletics
- Savannah Indians
- Savannah Pirates
- Savannah Redlegs
- Savannah Reds
- Savannah White Sox
- South Atlantic League Orphans
- Spartanburg Pioneers
- Spartanburg Spartans
Champions
editLeague champions were determined by different means throughout the league's history.[3] Playoffs were held in most seasons, while in others the champions were simply the regular season pennant winners.[3]
References
edit- ^ a b c d "Southern League History". Southern League. Minor League Baseball. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
- ^ a b c d e "South Atlantic League (A) Encyclopedia and History". Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
- ^ a b O'Neal, Bill (1994), The Southern League: Baseball in Dixie, 1885–1994, Eakin Press, pp. 320–321, ISBN 0890159521