A black and white photograph of a flag hanging from a flag pole infront of a wooden outfield fence while several men and women stand below
The 1908 Southern Association pennant being hoisted at Sulphur Dell in Nashville, Tennessee

The Southern Association of Minor League Baseball was a baseball league that operated in the United States from 1901 to 1961. A league champion was determined at the end of each season. Champions were determined by postseason playoffs or winning the regular season pennant.

With 18 pennant wins, the Atlanta Crackers won the most regular season pennants in the history of the Southern Association. They are followed by the New Orleans Pelicans (9); Birmingham Barons, Memphis Egyptians/Chicks, and Nashville Baseball Club/Vols (8); Chattanooga Lookouts and Little Rock Travelers (4); and Mobile Bears (2).[1]

The Nashville Vols have the most playoff championships, with nine. They are followed by the Atlanta Crackers (6); Birmingham Barons (5); Mobile Bears (4); New Orleans Pelicans (3); Little Rock Travelers (2); and Memphis Chicks (1).[2]

Considering all championships, both pennants and playoffs, the Atlanta Crackers (24) have the most in league history. They are followed by the Nashville Baseball Club/Vols (17); Birmingham Barons (13); New Orleans Pelicans (12); Memphis Egyptians/Chicks (9); Little Rock Travelers and Mobile Bears (6); and Chattanooga Lookouts (4).

History

League champions were determined by different means throughout the Southern Associations's existence. Champions from 1901 to 1927 and from 1929 to 1931 were simply the regular season pennant winners. In 1928 and from 1932, either the top two or four teams in the league competed in playoffs to determine a league champion. These playoffs varied between being best-of-five and best-of-seven contests.

Pennant winners

A black and white photograph of seventeen men sitting in three rows on the ground. Most are wearing dark coats with high white socks, but two are wearing dark baseball uniforms with a white "N" on the chests; some are wearing fielding gloves, and one is petting a dog.
The Nashville Baseball Club won the first Southern Association pennant in 1901.
The Memphis Egyptians, 1903 pennant winners
The Nashville Vols, 1908 pennant winners
The New Orleans Pelicans, 1910 pennant winners
The New Orleans Pelicans, 1915 pennant winners
The Nashville Vols, 1916 pennant winners
The Memphis Chicks, 1921 pennant winners
Year Pennant winner
1901Nashville Baseball Club
1902Nashville Baseball Club
1903Memphis Egyptians
1904Memphis Egyptians
1905New Orleans Pelicans
1906Birmingham Barons
1907Atlanta Crackers
1908Nashville Vols
1909Atlanta Crackers
1910New Orleans Pelicans
1911New Orleans Pelicans
1912Birmingham Barons
1913Atlanta Crackers
1914Birmingham Barons
1915New Orleans Pelicans
1916Nashville Vols
1917Atlanta Crackers
1918New Orleans Pelicans[lower-alpha 1]
1919Atlanta Crackers
1920Little Rock Travelers
1921Memphis Chicks
1922Mobile Bears
1923New Orleans Pelicans
1924Memphis Chicks
1925Atlanta Crackers
1926New Orleans Pelicans
1927New Orleans Pelicans
1928Birmingham Barons
1929Birmingham Barons
1930Memphis Chicks
1931Birmingham Barons
1932Chattanooga Lookouts
1933Memphis Chicks
1934New Orleans Pelicans
1935Atlanta Crackers
1936Atlanta Crackers
1937Little Rock Travelers
1938Atlanta Crackers
1939Chattanooga Lookouts
1940Nashville Vols
1941Atlanta Crackers
1942Little Rock Travelers
1943Nashville Vols
1944Atlanta Crackers
1945Atlanta Crackers
1946Atlanta Crackers
1947Mobile Bears
1948Nashville Vols
1949Nashville Vols
1950Atlanta Crackers
1951Little Rock Travelers
1952Chattanooga Lookouts
1953Memphis Chicks
1954Atlanta Crackers
1955Memphis Chicks
1956Atlanta Crackers
1957Atlanta Crackers
1958Birmingham Barons
1959Birmingham Barons
1960Atlanta Crackers
1961Chattanooga Lookouts

Playoff champions

Scores and runner-up teams are absent when no playoffs were held or pennant winners were declared champions.
Year Champion Score Runner-up
1928 Birmingham Barons 4–0Memphis Chicks
1929 None held
1930 None held
1931 None held
1932 None held
1933 New Orleans Pelicans 3–2Memphis Chicks
1934 New Orleans Pelicans 3–2Nashville Vols
1935 Atlanta Crackers 3–0New Orleans Pelicans
1936 Birmingham Barons 3–0–1New Orleans Pelicans
1937 Little Rock Travelers 4–3Atlanta Crackers
1938 Atlanta Crackers 4–1–1Nashville Vols
1939 Nashville Vols 4–3Atlanta Crackers
1940 Nashville Vols 4–2Atlanta Crackers
1941 Nashville Vols 4–3Atlanta Crackers
1942 Nashville Vols 4–0Little Rock Travelers
1943 Nashville Vols 4–1New Orleans Pelicans
1944 Nashville Vols 4–3Memphis Chicks
1945 Mobile Bears 4–1New Orleans Pelicans
1946 Atlanta Crackers 4–3Memphis Chicks
1947 Mobile Bears 4–3Nashville Vols
1948 Birmingham Barons 4–2Nashville Vols
1949 Nashville Vols 4–2Mobile Bears
1950 Nashville Vols 4–1Atlanta Crackers
1951 Birmingham Barons 4–0Little Rock Travelers
1952 Memphis Chicks 4–2–1Mobile Bears
1953 Nashville Vols 4–1Birmingham Barons
1954 Atlanta Crackers 4–1New Orleans Pelicans
1955 Mobile Bears 4–2Birmingham Barons
1956 Atlanta Crackers 4–3Memphis Chicks
1957 Atlanta Crackers 4–0Nashville Vols
1958 Birmingham Barons 4–1Mobile Bears
1959 Mobile Bears 4–1Birmingham Barons
1960 Little Rock Travelers 3–2Birmingham Barons

Championship wins by club

Pennants

Wins Team Championship years
18 Atlanta Crackers 1907, 1909, 1913, 1917, 1919, 1925, 1935, 1936, 1938, 1941, 1944, 1945, 1946, 1950, 1954, 1956, 1957, 1960
9 New Orleans Pelicans 1905, 1910, 1911, 1915, 1923, 1926, 1927, 1934, 1918
8 Birmingham Barons 1906, 1912, 1914, 1928, 1929, 1931, 1958, 1959
8 Memphis Egyptians/Chicks 1903, 1904, 1921, 1924, 1930, 1933, 1953, 1955
8 Nashville Baseball Club/Vols 1901, 1902, 1908, 1916, 1940, 1943, 1948, 1949
4 Chattanooga Lookouts 1932, 1939, 1952, 1961
4 Little Rock Travelers 1920, 1937, 1942, 1951
2 Mobile Bears 1922, 1947

Playoffs

Wins Team Championship years
9 Nashville Vols 1939, 1940, 1941, 1942, 1943, 1944, 1949, 1950, 1953
6 Atlanta Crackers 1935, 1938, 1946, 1954, 1956, 1957
5 Birmingham Barons 1928, 1936, 1948, 1951, 1958
4 Mobile Bears 1945, 1947, 1955, 1959
3 New Orleans Pelicans 1932, 1933, 1934
2 Little Rock Travelers 1937, 1960
1 Memphis Chicks 1952

See also

Notes

  1. The Southern Association suspended play on June 28 due to World War I.[1]

References

Specific
  1. 1 2 "Timeline" (PDF). Southern Association Baseball. Retrieved September 21, 2015.
  2. O'Neal, Bill (1994), The Southern League: Baseball in Dixie, 1885–1994, Eakin Press, pp. 306–7, ISBN 0890159521
General
  • "Timeline" (PDF). Southern Association Baseball. Retrieved September 21, 2015.
  • O'Neal, Bill (1994), The Southern League: Baseball in Dixie, 1885–1994, Eakin Press, pp. 306–7, ISBN 0-89015-952-1
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.