The Georgia State League was an American Class D

minor league Minor leagues are professional sports leagues which are not regarded as the premier leagues in those sports. Minor league teams tend to play in smaller, less elaborate venues, often competing in smaller cities/markets. This term is used in Nor ...

in professional

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding tea ...

that existed in 1906, 1914, 1920–1921 and 1948–1956. During its last incarnation, it existed alongside two nearby Class D circuits, the

Georgia–Florida League The Georgia–Florida League was a minor baseball league that existed from 1935 through 1958 (suspending operations during World War II) and in 1962–1963. It was one of many Class D circuits that played in the Southeastern United States during ...

and the

Georgia–Alabama League The Georgia–Alabama League was a minor league baseball league that operated in its two namesake states. The circuit first operated from 1913 to 1917, was revived from 1928 to 1930, then returned to operation for a final time from 1946 through 1 ...

. The version of the league began with six teams, but two clubs were forced to disband and a third to relocate before the league folded on July 9. Then, in the Empire State League based in Georgia renamed itself Georgia State League. The six-team 1914 league played a full schedule and crowned a champion, the Americus Muckalees. But the resurgence of the league did not even last two years. The circuit started 1915 as the Georgia State League and was renamed the Florida–Alabama–Georgia League (the "FLAG League"), which operated in the state of

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

, on June 15. After World War I, the league—again featuring half a dozen member clubs—was revived for two full campaigns. In 1920, it was dominated by legendary minor league slugger

Ike Boone Isaac Morgan "Ike" Boone (February 17, 1897 – August 1, 1958) was an American professional baseball player. He played eight seasons as a right fielder in Major League Baseball (MLB) between 1922 and 1932 for the New York Giants, Boston Red Sox, ...

, who batted .403 and led the GSL in hits, runs and

home runs In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team. A home run i ...

. The Georgia State League revived in during the post-World War II boom in minor league baseball. It expanded from six to eight teams in , and by had begun to attract working agreements with

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

farm system In sports, a farm team, farm system, feeder team, feeder club, or nursery club is generally a team or club whose role is to provide experience and training for young players, with an agreement that any successful players can move on to a higher ...

s. But as the low minors began to experience falling attendance during the 1950s, the GSL began to suffer. Its

Statesboro Pilots The Statesboro Pilots were a minor league baseball team based in Statesboro, Georgia Statesboro is the largest city and county seat of Bulloch County, Georgia, United States, located in the southeastern part of the state. Statesboro is home to ...

club disbanded on July 1, , leaving the league with only five teams. The Georgia State League began and finished the season with a full complement of six teams, but the league did not answer the bell for 1957.

Cities represented

Albany, GA Albany ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Georgia. Located on the Flint River, it is the seat of Dougherty County, and is the sole incorporated city in that county. Located in southwest Georgia, it is the principal city of the Albany, Georgia ...

: Albany 1906 * Americus, GA:

Americus Pallbearers There have been eight Minor leagues teams that have represented the city of Americus, Georgia. Since classification of the minors began, seven of them have been labeled as class D loops and one played in an independent league. History Americus Pal ...

1906; Americus Muckalees 1914 * Baxley, GA:

Baxley Red Sox Baxley is a city in Appling County, Georgia, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 4,942. The city is the county seat of Appling County. History Baxley was first settled as a result of the Macon and Brunswick Railro ...

1948 * Baxley, GA & Hazlehurst, GA: Baxley-Hazlehurst Red Socks 1949; Baxley-Hazlehurst Red Sox 1950; Hazlehurst-Baxley Red Sox 1951; Hazlehurst-Baxley Cardinals 1952-1955;

Hazlehurst-Baxley Tigers The Hazlehurst-Baxley Tigers were a minor league baseball team that represented Baxley, Georgia, Baxley and Hazlehurst, Georgia in the Georgia State League in 1956. However the team was first established in 1948 as the Baxley Red Sox. The following ...

1956 * Brunswick, GA: Brunswick 1906;

Brunswick Pilots The Brunswick Pilots were a minor league baseball team based in Brunswick, Georgia. From 1913 to 1915, the Pilots played as members of the Class D (baseball), Class D level 1913 Empire State League, 1914 Georgia State League and 1915 Florida–Alab ...

1914 *

Carrollton, GA Carrollton, Georgia is a city in the northwest region of Georgia, about 45 miles (72 km) west of Atlanta near the Alabama state line. It is the county seat of Carroll County, which is included in the Atlanta Metropolitan Area. Historically, ...

: Carrollton 1920–1921 *

Cedartown, GA Cedartown is a city and the county seat of Polk County, Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 10,190. Cedartown is the principal city of and is included in the Cedartown, Georgia Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is ...

: Cedartown Cedars 1920–1921 *

Columbus, GA Columbus is a consolidated city-county located on the west-central border of the U.S. state of Georgia. Columbus lies on the Chattahoochee River directly across from Phenix City, Alabama. It is the county seat of Muscogee County, with which it of ...

Columbus River Snipes Columbus is a Latinized version of the Italian surname "''Colombo''". It most commonly refers to: * Christopher Columbus (1451-1506), the Italian explorer * Columbus, Ohio, capital of the U.S. state of Ohio Columbus may also refer to: Places ...

1906 * Cordele, GA: Cordele 1906; Cordele Ramblers 1914 *

Douglas, GA Douglas is a city in Coffee County, Georgia, Coffee County, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia, United States. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, the city had a population of 11,722. Douglas is the county seat of Coffee County and the c ...

: Douglas Rebels 1948;

Douglas Trojans {{No footnotes, date=January 2020 The Douglas Trojans were a minor league baseball team, based in Douglas, Georgia that played from 1948 until 1956. The team played in the Class D Georgia State League and won three of the league's titles during thei ...

1949–1955; Douglas Reds 1956 * Dublin, GA:

Dublin Green Sox Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of the Wicklow Mountains range. At the 2016 cen ...

1949–1952; Dublin Irish 1953–1956 *

Griffin, GA Griffin is a city in and the county seat of Spalding County, Georgia. It is part of the Atlanta metropolitan area. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 23,478. Griffin was founded in 1840 and named for landowner Col. Lewis Law ...

Griffin The griffin, griffon, or gryphon (Ancient Greek: , ''gryps''; Classical Latin: ''grȳps'' or ''grȳpus''; Late Latin, Late and Medieval Latin: ''gryphes'', ''grypho'' etc.; Old French: ''griffon'') is a legendary creature with the body, tail ...

1920–1921 * Eastman, GA:

Eastman Dodgers The Eastman Dodgers were a minor league baseball team based in Eastman, Georgia. The Eastman Dodgers were members of the Class D Georgia State League The Georgia State League was an American Class D minor league in professional baseball that ex ...

1948–1953 * Fitzgerald, GA: Fitzgerald Pioneers 1948–1952 *

Jesup, GA Jesup is a city in Wayne County, Georgia, Wayne County, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia, United States. The population was 9,809 at the 2020 census. The city is the county seat of Wayne County, Georgia, Wayne County. History By February 1869, Wil ...

Jesup Bees The Jesup Bees were a minor league baseball team based in Jesup, Georgia. From 1950 to 1953, the Bees played exclusively as members of the Class D level Georgia State League, winning league pennants in 1951 and 1953. The Bees hosted home games at ...

1950–1953 * LaGrange, GA: LaGrange 1920–1921 *

Lindale, GA Lindale is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Floyd County, Georgia, United States. It is part of the Rome, Georgia Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 4,191 at the 2010 census. History A post office ...

: Lindale Pepperells 1920–1921 *

Rome, GA Rome is the largest city in and the county seat of Floyd County, Georgia, United States. Located in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, it is the principal city of the Rome, Georgia, metropolitan statistical area, which encompasses all ...

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

1920–1921 * Sandersville, GA:

Sandersville Wacos Sandersville may refer to: * Sandersville, Georgia * Sandersville, Mississippi Sandersville is a town in Jones County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 636 at the 2020 census, down from 731 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Lau ...

1953–1954; Sandersville Giants 1955–1956 * Sparta, GA: Sparta Saints 1948–1949 * Statesboro, GA:

1952–1955 * Thomasville, GA: Thomasville Hornets 1914 * Thomson, GA:

Thomson Orioles The Thomson Orioles were a minor league baseball team based in Thomson, Georgia in 1956. Thomson qualified for the playoffs and played the season as members of the Class D level Georgia State League, which permanently folded following the complet ...

1956 * Tifton, GA: Tifton Blue Sox 1949–1950 *

Valdosta, GA Valdosta is a city in and the county seat of Lowndes County, Georgia, United States. As of 2019, Valdosta had an estimated population of 56,457. Valdosta is the principal city of the Valdosta Metropolitan Statistical Area, which in 2021 had a ...

: Valdosta Stars 1906; Valdosta Millionaires 1914 *

Vidalia, GA Vidalia ( ''vye-DAYL-yə'' , ) is a city located primarily in Toombs County, Georgia, United States. The city also extends very slightly into Montgomery County. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 10,473. Vidalia is the principal ...

Vidalia Indians The Vidalia Indians were a minor league baseball team based in Vidalia, Georgia. With the exception of 1951, Vidalia teams between 1948 and 1956 played exclusively as members of the Class D level Georgia State League, winning Georgia State League ...

1952–1956 *

& Lyons, GA: Vidalia-Lyons Twins 1948–1950 * Waycross, GA: Waycross Machinists 1906; Waycross Grasshoppers 1914

League champions

* 1906 Waycross Machinists * 1914 Americus Muckalees * 1920 Carrollton * 1921 LaGrange * 1948 Fitzgerald Pioneers * 1949 Tifton Blue Sox * 1950

* 1951

* 1952

* 1953 Hazlehurst-Baxley Cardinals * 1954

* 1955

and Sandersville Giants * 1956 Douglas Reds

References

*Johnson, Lloyd, and Wolff, Miles, editors: ''The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball.'' Durham, North Carolina:

Baseball America ''Baseball America'' is a sports enterprise that covers baseball at every level, including MLB, with a particular focus on up-and-coming players in the MiLB, college, high school, and international leagues. It is currently published in the form o ...

, 1997. {{Authority control Baseball leagues in Georgia (U.S. state) Defunct minor baseball leagues in the United States Sports leagues established in 1906 Sports leagues disestablished in 1956