Southern League (1885–1899)
Sport | Baseball |
---|---|
Founded | 1885 |
Ceased | 1899 |
Country | United States |
Most titles | New Orleans Pelicans (3) |
The Southern League was a
History
The original Southern League was formed on February 11, 1885, in
Financial insolvency, a perpetual problem in the league,
Only four teams were able to compete during the 1888 season.
The Southern League started up again in 1892, and the
In 1894, some teams were forced to sell their players to other clubs in order to stay financially solvent, while others refused to continue play in the second half. Only Nashville, Mobile, New Orleans, and Memphis competed after the season's midpoint.[13] This prompted the Southern League to call the rest of the season off nine games into the second half on July 7, 1894, as the result of league-wide financial instability brought on by the expense of travel and poor attendance.[14][15] Memphis was awarded the pennant for having the best overall record.[16]
In the ensuing months, baseball leaders across the South considered which cities to include in the next iteration of the league.[17] Representatives met at The Read House Hotel in Chattanooga on January 14 to reorganize for the 1895 season.[18] Membership was granted to clubs in Atlanta, Chattanooga, Evansville, Little Rock, Memphis, Montgomery, Nashville, and New Orleans, thus lessening the expense of travel incurred in the past with the inclusion of cities such as Charleston and Savannah.[19] Each of the eight teams paid a US$1,000 deposit to guarantee they would play the entire season.[20] They also pledged to pay dues of $100 per month plus 3% of total gate receipts for a sinking fund.[20] Player salaries were capped at $1,000 per team.[20]
The 1895 season saw the Chattanooga franchise being transferred to Mobile on June 19,[21] Memphis disbanding on July 23,[22] and Little Rock dropping out on July 27.[23] Though the Atlanta Crackers and Nashville Seraphs ended the 1895 season tied for first place, a meeting of the league's directors resulted in the nullification of an August 10 game between the two in which the umpire improperly made an out call following fan interference. This ruling caused the Seraphs' winning percentage to rise to .676 (71–34) and Atlanta's to fall to .667 (68–34), making Nashville the pennant winner.[24][25] Chattanooga/Mobile's Lew Whistler won the league batting title with a .404 batting average.[26]
The New Orleans Pelicans (67–30, .744) won their third league pennant in 1896, giving them more championships in the original Southern League than any other club.
Teams
Team nicknames were not official for most teams in the 19th century. Names were often bestowed by local sportswriters or civic leaders.[28] As such, some records only provide the city a team represented with no moniker.
- Atlanta (1889)a
- Atlanta Atlantas(1885–86, 1894)d
- Atlanta Colts(1898)
- Atlanta Crackers (1895–96)
- Atlanta Firecrackers(1892)
- Atlanta Windjammers(1893)
- Augusta (1898)
- Augusta Browns(1885–86)
- Augusta Electricians(1893)
- Birmingham (1885, 1889, 1893)b c
- Birmingham Barons (1896)
- Birmingham Grays(1892)
- Birmingham Ironmakers(1887)
- Birmingham Maroons(1888)
- Birmingham Reds(1898)
- Charleston (1889)a
- Charleston Seagulls(1886–88, 1893–94, 1898)
- Chattanooga (1889)
- Chattanooga Chatts(1892)
- Chattanooga Lookouts (1885–86)
- Chattanooga Warriors(1893, 1895)e
- Columbus Babies(1896)g
- Columbus River Snipes(1896)g
- Columbus Stars (1885)
- Dallas Steers(1899)h
- Evansville Blackbirds (1895)
- Little Rock Travelers (1895)
- Macon (1885–86)
- Macon Central City(1892–1893)
- Macon Hornets(1893–1894)
- Memphis (1889)
- Memphis Browns (1887)
- Memphis Fever Germs (1893)
- Memphis Giants (1892, 1894–1895)f
- Memphis Grays (1886, 1888)
- Memphis Lambs(1895)f
- Memphis Reds (1885)
- Mobile (1889)b
- Mobile Blackbirds(1892–1993, 1896, 1898–1899)
- Mobile Bluebirds(1894–1895)d e
- Mobile Swamp Angels(1887)
- Montgomery Colts(1893, 1896)
- Montgomery Grays(1895)
- Montgomery Lambs(1892)
- Montgomery Senators(1898–1899)h
- Nashville Americans (1885–1886)
- Nashville Blues (1887)
- Nashville Seraphs (1895)
- Nashville Tigers (1893–1894)
- New Orleans Pelicans (1887–1889, 1892–1896, 1898–1899)
- Pensacola (1893)c
- Savannah(1886–1887, 1898)
- Savannah Electrics (1893)
- Savannah Modocs(1894)
- Shreveport Tigers (1899)
- Notes
- a In 1889, Atlanta and Charleston were the same team.
- b In 1889, Birmingham and Mobile were the same team.
- c In 1893, Birmingham and Pensacola were the same team.
- d In 1894, the Mobile Bluebirds and Atlanta Atlantas were the same team.
- e In 1895, the Chattanooga Warriors and Mobile Bluebirds were the same team.
- f In 1895, Memphis's team was called both the Giants and the Lambs.
- g In 1896, the Columbus Babies and Columbus River Snipes were the same team.
- h In 1899, the Montgomery Senators and Dallas Steers were the same team.
City timeline
- Atlanta
- Atlanta Colts(1898)
- Augusta, Georgia
- Augusta Electricians(1893) → Augusta (1898)
- Birmingham, Alabama
- Birmingham (1885) → Birmingham Reds(1898)
- Birmingham (1885) →
- Charleston, South Carolina
- Charleston Seagulls(1893–1894, 1898)
- Chattanooga, Tennessee
- Chattanooga Warriors(1893, 1895)
- Columbus, Georgia
- Columbus Stars (1885) → Columbus Babies/River Snipes (1896)
- Dallas, Texas
- Dallas Steers(1899)
- Evansville, Indiana
- Evansville Blackbirds (1895)
- Little Rock, Arkansas
- Little Rock Travelers (1895)
- Macon, Georgia
- Macon (1885–1886) → Macon Hornets(1893–1894)
- Macon (1885–1886) →
- Memphis, Tennessee
- Memphis Reds (1885) → Memphis Grays (1886) → Memphis Browns (1887) → Memphis Grays (1888) → Memphis (1889) → Memphis Giants (1892) → Memphis Fever Germs (1893) → Memphis Giants (1894) → Memphis Lambs/Giants (1895)
- Mobile, Alabama
- Mobile Blackbirds(1896, 1898–1899)
- Montgomery, Alabama
- Montgomery Senators(1898–1899)
- Nashville, Tennessee
- Nashville Americans (1885–1886) → Nashville Blues (1887) → Nashville Tigers (1893–1894) → Nashville Seraphs (1895)
- New Orleans, Louisiana
- New Orleans Pelicans (1887–1889, 1892–1896, 1898–1899)
- Pensacola, Florida
- Pensacola (1893)
- Savannah, Georgia
- Savannah(1898)
- Shreveport, Louisiana
- Shreveport Tigers (1899)
League champions
- 1885: Atlanta Atlantas
- 1886: Atlanta Atlantas
- 1887: New Orleans Pelicans
- 1888: Birmingham Maroons
- 1889: New Orleans Pelicans
- 1890: non-operational
- 1891: non-operational
- 1892: Birmingham Grays
- 1893: Augusta Electricians (1st half) / Macon Central City/Hornets (2nd half)
- 1894: Memphis Grays
- 1895: Nashville Seraphs
- 1896: New Orleans Pelicans
- 1897: non-operational
- 1898: Augusta
- 1899: Mobile Blackbirds
References
- General
- O'Neal, Bill (1994), The Southern League: Baseball in Dixie, 1885–1994, Eakin Press, ISBN 0890159521
- Specific
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s "Timeline" (PDF). Southern Association Baseball. Retrieved February 1, 2015.
- ^ O'Neal, p. 2
- ^ a b c Darnell, Tim (November 30, 2007). "Southern League". New Georgia Encyclopedia. Georgia Humanities Council and the University of Georgia Press. Retrieved February 1, 2015.
- ^ "1885 Southern League Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved February 1, 2015.
- ^ a b c "League history". Southern League. Minor League Baseball. Retrieved February 1, 2015.
- ^ O'Neal, p. 6
- ^ O'Neal, pp. 6–7
- ^ "1888 Southern League Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved February 1, 2015.
- ^ a b O'Neal, p. 8
- ^ a b O'Neal, p. 11
- ^ a b c d e f "The Southern League". Reach's Official Base Ball Guide for 1894. A. J. Reach Co. 1894. pp. 36–41. Retrieved February 2, 2015.
- ^ O'Neal, p. 13
- ^ "1894 Southern Association Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved January 29, 2015.
- ^ "The Season Ended". Nashville Banner. Nashville. July 9, 1894. p. 3. Retrieved February 26, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
- ISBN 978-1-938545-83-2.
- ^ O'Neal, p. 15
- ^ "Figuring on Base Ball". Chattanooga Daily Times. Chattanooga. November 25, 1894. p. 5. Retrieved February 26, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "The Southern League". Nashville Banner. Nashville. January 14, 1895. p. 1. Retrieved February 26, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Protection Acquired". The Nashville American. Nashville. January 5, 1895. p. 6. Retrieved February 26, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c "We'll Have Base Ball". Chattanooga Daily Times. Chattanooga. January 15, 1895. p. 5. Retrieved February 26, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "John Kelly Gets It". The Nashville American. Nashville. July 16, 1895. p. 6. Retrieved March 2, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Fresh, Johnny (July 24, 1895). "Six Straight Games". The Nashville American. Nashville. p. 6. Retrieved March 2, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Fresh, Johnny (July 28, 1895). "Stallings' Dander Up". The Nashville American. Nashville. p. 6. Retrieved March 6, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "The Solid Three". The Atlanta Constitution. Atlanta. September 9, 1895. p. 2. Retrieved March 5, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Will Fly the Pennant". The Nashville American. Nashville. December 23, 1895. p. 5. Retrieved March 5, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ O'Neal, p. 16
- ^ "1899 Southern League Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved February 1, 2015.
- ^ Nipper, Skip (October 1, 2013). "Name That Team". 262 Down Right. Retrieved February 1, 2015.