The Southern League was a Class B and Class C

minor league baseball Minor League Baseball (MiLB) is a professional baseball organization below Major League Baseball (MLB), constituted of teams affiliated with MLB clubs. It was founded on September 5, 1901, in response to the growing dominance of the National Le ...

league which operated intermittently in the

Southern United States The Southern United States (sometimes Dixie, also referred to as the Southern States, the American South, the Southland, Dixieland, or simply the South) is List of regions of the United States, census regions defined by the United States Cens ...

from 1885 to 1899. Financial problems plagued the league and its member teams throughout their existence. It was not unusual for teams to depart the league during the season or for the league to cease operations without completing the season. It was this lack of financial support which ultimately caused the league to permanently disband in 1889. In 1901, a new league, called the

Southern Association The Southern Association (SA) was a higher-level minor league in American organized baseball from 1901 through 1961. For most of its existence, the Southern Association was two steps below the Major Leagues; it was graded Class B (1902-19 ...

, was created from its remnants.

History

The original Southern League was formed on February 11, 1885, in

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...

. It was the first professional league to operate in the South.

Henry W. Grady Henry Woodfin Grady (May 24, 1850 – December 23, 1889) was an American journalist and orator who helped reintegrate the states of the Confederacy (American Civil War), Confederacy into the Union (American Civil War), Union after the American C ...

, managing editor of ''

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution ''The Atlanta Journal-Constitution'' (''AJC'') is an American daily newspaper based in metropolitan area of Atlanta, Georgia. It is the flagship publication of Cox Enterprises. The ''Atlanta Journal-Constitution'' is the result of the merger ...

'', was selected as the league's first president. The eight-team circuit included the Atlanta Atlantas, Augusta Browns,

Chattanooga Lookouts The Chattanooga Lookouts are a Minor League Baseball team of the Southern League and the Double-A affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds. They are based in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and are named for nearby Lookout Mountain. The team plays its home g ...

, Columbus Stars, Memphis Reds,

Nashville Americans The Nashville Americans were a minor league baseball team that played in the Class B (baseball), Class B Southern League (1885–1899), Southern League from 1885 to 1886. They were located in Nashville, Tennessee, and played their home games at Su ...

, and unnamed teams from

Birmingham, Alabama Birmingham ( ) is a city in the north central region of Alabama, United States. It is the county seat of Jefferson County, Alabama, Jefferson County. The population was 200,733 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List ...

, and

Macon, Georgia Macon ( ), officially Macon–Bibb County, is a consolidated city-county in Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia, United States. Situated near the Atlantic Seaboard fall line, fall line of the Ocmulgee River, it is southeast of Atlanta and near the ...

. Each team was scheduled to play 100 games during the season, but few would reach that mark as the Birmingham, Chattanooga, and Columbus clubs quit the league in the final two weeks of the season. Atlanta captured the Southern League's first pennant with their 66–32 (.673) season record. Nashville's Len Sowders was the league's first batting champion with a .309

batting average Batting average is a statistic in cricket, baseball, and softball that measures the performance of batters. The development of the baseball statistic was influenced by the cricket statistic. Cricket In cricket, a player's batting average is ...

. Financial insolvency, a perpetual problem in the league, forced the teams from Augusta and Chattanooga to drop out of the league in July 1886. Atlanta repeated their previous winning season by capturing the 1886 league pennant with a 64–28 (.696) record. Lefty Marr, mirroring Nashville teammate Len Sowders' feat from the previous season, was the league's batting champion with a .327 batting average. Charleston Seagulls pitcher Gus Wehling had the lowest

earned run average In baseball statistics, earned run average (ERA) is the average of earned runs allowed by a pitcher per nine innings pitched (i.e. the traditional length of a game). It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number ...

(0.78) for the season. A new entrant to the league, the

New Orleans Pelicans The New Orleans Pelicans are an American professional basketball team based in New Orleans. The Pelicans compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division (NBA), Southwest Division of the Western Confere ...

, won the 1887 league pennant with a 74–40 (.649) record. Of the seven teams fielded during the 1887 season, only three (Charleston, Memphis, and New Orleans) made it to the end of the season on October 11; financial problems forced the others to drop out of the league. Wally Andrews of Memphis was the league's batting champion (.413). Only four teams were able to compete during the 1888 season. The season opened on April 7, was halted by early July. The league champion Birmingham Maroons compiled a 32–19 .(627) season. Memphis' John Sneed led the league with his .354 batting average. The league played again in 1889 but only fielded four teams, which was partially to blame for the failure of the 1888 season. After the first week or two of play, the Southern League reorganized by adding three other teams. The league collapsed again that season after only three teams remained active by the middle of the season. New Orleans (46–9, .836) was in first place at the time the league dissolved. The circuit was non-operational from 1890 to 1891. The Southern League started up again in 1892, and the Birmingham Grays (73–50, .593) won the league pennant. The 1893 Southern League featured the largest circuit in the league's history. The 12-team league was hampered by a poorly-designed schedule and insufficient financing which forced the owners of the Birmingham club, Charleston Seagulls, and Nashville Tigers to turn control of their teams over to the league, which continued to operate the clubs. A meeting was held on July 1, at which the league's president, Hart, resigned despite those in attendance asking him to reconsider. J.B. Nicklin of Chattanooga was elected as the new league president six days later. Between mid July and early August, The Birmingham team transferred to

Pensacola, Florida Pensacola ( ) is a city in the Florida panhandle in the United States. It is the county seat and only incorporated city, city in Escambia County, Florida, Escambia County. The population was 54,312 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. ...

, but soon found themselves quarantined from the rest of the league due to an outbreak of yellow fever. This development, in addition to ongoing financial debacles, caused the league to end the season on August 12. The Augusta Electricians were awarded the pennant for the first part of the season, and the Macon Central City/Hornets were awarded the pennant for the second half. Charlie Frank of Memphis won the league batting title with a .390 average. 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. 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. Memphis was awarded the pennant for having the best overall record. In the ensuing months, baseball leaders across the South considered which cities to include in the next iteration of the league. Representatives met at The Read House Hotel in Chattanooga on January 14 to reorganize for the 1895 season. 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. Each of the eight teams paid a US$1,000 deposit to guarantee they would play the entire season. They also pledged to pay dues of $100 per month plus 3% of total gate receipts for a sinking fund. Player salaries were capped at $1,000 per team. 1895NashvilleSeraphs

The 1895 season saw the Chattanooga franchise being transferred to Mobile on June 19, Memphis disbanding on July 23, and Little Rock dropping out on July 27. 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. Chattanooga/Mobile's Lew Whistler won the league batting title with a .404 batting average. 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. The league was in-operational in 1897 due to the lack of financial support. In 1898, the league made it as far as July 4 before shutting down again. The

Augusta, Georgia Augusta is a city on the central eastern border of the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. The city lies directly across the Savannah River from North Augusta, South Carolina at the head of its navigable portion. Augusta, the third mos ...

, club was in first place at the time with a 20–8 (.714) record. The Southern League consisted of only four teams during its 1899 season. The Mobile Blackbirds (23–16, .590) were in first place when the league suspended operations on May 1. This was the final season of competition for the original Southern League—a lack of interest and financial support caused the league to fold for good. Two years later, in 1901, the

was created by Abner Powell, Charley Frank, and Ike Fisher out of the remnants of the Southern League.

Teams

Team nicknames were not official for most teams in the 19th century. Names were often bestowed by local sportswriters or civic leaders. 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 The Birmingham Barons are a Minor League Baseball team based in Birmingham, Alabama. The team, which plays in the Southern League, is the Double-A affiliate of the Chicago White Sox and plays at Regions Field in downtown Birmingham. The Baron ...

(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) *

(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 *

(1885–1886) * Nashville Blues (1887) * Nashville Seraphs (1895) * Nashville Tigers (1893–1894) *

(1887–1889, 1892–1896, 1898–1899) *Pensacola (1893)^c *

Savannah A savanna or savannah is a mixed woodland-grassland (i.e. grassy woodland) biome and ecosystem characterised by the trees being sufficiently widely spaced so that the canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to reach th ...

(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 Atlantas (1885–1886) → Atlanta (1889) → Atlanta Firecrackers (1892) → Atlanta Windjammers (1893) → Atlanta Atlantas (1894) → Atlanta Crackers (1895–1896) → Atlanta Colts (1898) *

** Augusta Browns (1885–1886) → Augusta Electricians (1893) → Augusta (1898) *

**Birmingham (1885) → Birmingham Ironmakers (1887) → Birmingham Maroons (1888) → Birmingham (1889) → Birmingham Grays (1892) → Birmingham (1893) →

(1896) → Birmingham Reds (1898) *

Charleston, South Carolina Charleston is the List of municipalities in South Carolina, most populous city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. The city lies just south of the geographical midpoint of South Carolina's coastline on Charleston Harbor, an inlet of the Atla ...

** Charleston Seagulls (1886–1888) → Charleston (1889) → Charleston Seagulls (1893–1894, 1898) *

Chattanooga, Tennessee Chattanooga ( ) is a city in Hamilton County, Tennessee, United States, and its county seat. It is located along the Tennessee River and borders Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the south. With a population of 181,099 in 2020, it is Tennessee ...

(1885–1886) → Chattanooga (1889) → Chattanooga Chatts (1892) Chattanooga Warriors (1893, 1895) *

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

** Columbus Stars (1885) → Columbus Babies/River Snipes (1896) *

Dallas, Texas Dallas () is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of Texas metropolitan areas, most populous metropolitan area in Texas and the Metropolitan statistical area, fourth-most ...

** Dallas Steers (1899) *

Evansville, Indiana Evansville is a city in Vanderburgh County, Indiana, United States, and its county seat. With a population of 118,414 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is Indiana's List of cities in Indiana, third-most populous city after India ...

** Evansville Blackbirds (1895) *

Little Rock, Arkansas Little Rock is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Arkansas, most populous city of the U.S. state of Arkansas. The city's population was 202,591 as of the 2020 census. The six-county Central Arkan ...

** Little Rock Travelers (1895) *

**Macon (1885–1886) → Macon Central City (1892–1893) → Macon Hornets (1893–1894) *

Memphis, Tennessee Memphis is a city in Shelby County, Tennessee, United States, and its county seat. Situated along the Mississippi River, it had a population of 633,104 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List of municipalities in Tenne ...

** 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 ( , ) is a city and the county seat of Mobile County, Alabama, United States. The population was 187,041 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. After a successful vote to annex areas west of the city limits in July 2023, Mobil ...

** Mobile Swamp Angels (1887) → Mobile Blackbirds (1892–1893) → Mobile Bluebirds (1894–95) → Mobile Blackbirds (1896, 1898–1899) *

Montgomery, Alabama Montgomery is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Alabama. Named for Continental Army major general Richard Montgomery, it stands beside the Alabama River on the Gulf Coastal Plain. The population was 2 ...

** Montgomery Lambs (1892) → Montgomery Colts (1893) → Montgomery Grays (1895) → Montgomery Colts (1896) → Montgomery Senators (1898–1899) *

Nashville, Tennessee Nashville, often known as Music City, is the capital and List of municipalities in Tennessee, most populous city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County in Middle Tennessee, locat ...

(1885–1886) → Nashville Blues (1887) → Nashville Tigers (1893–1894) → Nashville Seraphs (1895) *

New Orleans, Louisiana New Orleans (commonly known as NOLA or The Big Easy among other nicknames) is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city-parish located along the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Louisiana. With a population of 383,997 at the 2020 ...

(1887–1889, 1892–1896, 1898–1899) *

**Pensacola (1893) *

Savannah, Georgia Savannah ( ) is the oldest city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia and the county seat of Chatham County, Georgia, Chatham County. Established in 1733 on the Savannah River, the city of Savannah became the Kingdom of Great Brita ...

(1886–1887) → Savannah Electrics (1893) → Savannah Modocs (1894) →

(1898) *

Shreveport, Louisiana Shreveport ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is the List of municipalities in Louisiana, third-most populous city in Louisiana after New Orleans and Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Baton Rouge. The bulk of Shreveport is in Caddo Parish, Lo ...

** 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 * ;Specific {{DEFAULTSORT:Southern League (1885-99) Defunct minor baseball leagues in the United States Baseball leagues in Alabama Baseball leagues in Arkansas Baseball leagues in Florida Baseball leagues in Georgia (U.S. state) Baseball leagues in Indiana Baseball leagues in Louisiana Baseball leagues in South Carolina Baseball leagues in Tennessee Baseball leagues in Texas Sports leagues established in 1885 Sports leagues disestablished in 1899