| Classification | |
|---|---|
| Sport | Baseball |
| Founded | 1904 |
| Ceased | 1963 |
| Replaced by | Southern League |
| Country | United States |
The South Atlantic League, nicknamed the SALLY League, was a Minor League Baseball league that operated in the Southern United States intermittently from 1904 to 1963. Initially Class C league, it was elevated to Class B in 1921, Class A in 1946, and Double-A in 1963. The circuit dissolved after the 1963 season and was refounded as the Southern League.
The league first played a brief season under the "South Atlantic League" name in 1892. [1] [2] The Charleston Sea Gulls, Charlotte Hornets, Columbia Senators and Winston-Salem Blue Sluggers played in the 1892 independent league. [3] The first South Atlantic League regular season schedule began on April 30, 1892. [4] The league then folded on June 10, 1892. In the final standings, the Charleston Seagulls finished in first place with a 20–13 record, finishing 1.5 games ahead of second place Winston-Salem. [4]
The original South Atlantic League was founded in 1904 by Charles W. Boyer and J.B. Lucy as a Class C league, equivalent to an Advanced Rookie league in the pre-2021 minor league scheme. [5] After a year of dormancy in 1918, it continued at that classification from 1919 to 1920 before being elevated to Class B (equivalent to short-season Class A before 2021 and a Class A league today)in 1921. [6] The Great Depression caused the league to shut down from 1931 to 1935, [5] but it returned at Class B from 1936 to 1942. [6] Three more years of dormancy occurred during World War II, but the SALLY League was revived as a Class A circuit from 1946 to 1962. [6]
In 1963, it was reclassified as a Double-A league along with the other Class A leagues. [6] The circuit reorganized as the Southern League in 1964. Partly to distance itself from its history in the low minors, the newly-named league opted against claiming the SALLY League's history as its own. Thusly, the 51-year history and records of the league was retired with the South Atlantic League name. [5]
In 1980, the Western Carolinas League resurrected the name as it became the current South Atlantic League. [5] [6]
League champions were determined by different means throughout the league's history. [7] Playoffs were held in most seasons, while in others the champions were simply the regular season pennant winners. [7]