The Southern League is a minor league baseball league which operates in the Southern United States. It is classified a Double-A league. The original league was formed in 1885, and shut down in 1899. A new league, the Southern Association, was formed in 1900, consisting of twelve teams. The Association shut down after the 1961 campaign.
In 1964, the original South Atlantic League (nicknamed the "Sally League" and not related to the current league of the same name) changed its name to the Southern League. The original South Atlantic League was a mid- to higher-classification circuit that played from 1904 to 1917, 1919 to 1930 (when it was known as the South Atlantic Association), 1936 to 1942 and 1946 to 1963. The old South Atlantic League grew from Class C status to Class B (through 1942), then Class A (until 1962). In its final season, it was elevated to Double-A.
The Southern League is divided into two divisions, North and South. Before 2005, the divisions were East and West, but the move of the Greenville Braves to Mississippi after the 2004 season led to a realignment. The current league president is former major league first baseman Don Mincher.[1]
The Southern League maintains its headquarters in the Atlanta suburb of Marietta, Georgia. Starting in the 2012 season, the Carolina Mudcats relocated to Pensacola, Florida to become the Pensacola Blue Wahoos.[2] They will retain their Cincinnati Reds affiliation.
[edit] Current teams
Map of current Southern League teams
2011 game between the Carolina Mudcats and the Montgomery Biscuits
| Division |
Team |
MLB Affiliation |
City |
Stadium |
Capacity |
| North |
Birmingham Barons |
Chicago White Sox |
Hoover, Alabama |
Regions Park |
10,800 |
| Chattanooga Lookouts |
Los Angeles Dodgers |
Chattanooga, Tennessee |
AT&T Field |
6,340 |
| Huntsville Stars |
Milwaukee Brewers |
Huntsville, Alabama |
Joe W. Davis Stadium |
10,200 |
| Jackson Generals |
Seattle Mariners |
Jackson, Tennessee |
Pringles Park |
6,000 |
| Tennessee Smokies |
Chicago Cubs |
Sevierville, Tennessee |
Smokies Park1 |
6,412 |
| South |
Jacksonville Suns |
Miami Marlins |
Jacksonville, Florida |
Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville |
11,000 |
| Mississippi Braves |
Atlanta Braves |
Pearl, Mississippi |
Trustmark Park |
7,500 |
| Mobile BayBears |
Arizona Diamondbacks |
Mobile, Alabama |
Hank Aaron Stadium |
6,000 |
| Montgomery Biscuits |
Tampa Bay Rays |
Montgomery, Alabama |
Montgomery Riverwalk Stadium |
7,000 |
| Pensacola Blue Wahoos |
Cincinnati Reds |
Pensacola, Florida |
Community Maritime Park |
5,000 |
- 1 Hosting 2012 Southern League All-Star Game
[edit] Current team rosters
[edit] Complete list of teams (1964–present)
[edit] South Atlantic League teams (prior to 1964)
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ http://southern.league.milb.com/about/page.jsp?ymd=20070221&content_id=180465&vkey=about_l111&fext=.jsp&sid=l111
- ^ http://www.milb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20111120&content_id=26014148&vkey=news_t4124&fext=.jsp&sid=t4124
[edit] External links
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Southern League
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Asia
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Inter-league and Professional National Team Championships
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