South Atlantic League (1946–63)
Southern League logo
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| Sport | Baseball |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1964 |
| No. of teams | 10 |
| Country | USA |
| Most recent champion(s) |
Jackson Generals |
| Classification | Double-A |
| Official website | www.southernleague.com |
The Southern League is a minor league baseball league that operates in the Southern United States. Classified a Double-A league, it is headquartered in the Atlanta suburb of Marietta. The league acquired its name in 1964, after the South Atlantic League, which had started in 1936, renamed itself to Southern League.
The original Southern League existed from 1885 to 1899. A new league, the Southern Association, was formed in 1901, consisting of twelve teams. The association shut down after the 1961 season.
In 1964, the original South Atlantic League (nicknamed the Sally League and not related to the current league of the same name, formerly the Western Carolinas League) 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) and 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; however, the move of the Greenville Braves to the Jackson, Mississippi, area after the 2004 season led to a realignment.
The current league president is Lori Webb; the position was held by Steve DeSalvo as interim President for a few months due to the March 2012 death of former major league first baseman Don Mincher, who had held the position from 2000 to 2011 (the first year as an interim President).
In 2012, the Carolina Mudcats relocated to Pensacola, Florida to become the Pensacola Blue Wahoos. In 2015, the Huntsville Stars relocated to Biloxi, Mississippi to become the Biloxi Shuckers joined the league, replacing Huntsville.
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