South Atlantic League

There have been different South Atlantic Leagues in the history of minor league baseball, spanning from 1904 to 2019 with a few breaks. The Sally operated from 1904-1917 as a class C league, then started up again in 1919, also class C. This time it operated from 1919-1930, moving up to class B beginning in 1921. William Bramham became league president in mid 1924, and served until 1930. The Sally league was re-started again as a class B from 1936-1942, shut down for the war and returned in 1946 as a class A league. The AA Southern Association (which never integrated) ceased operations after the 1961 season and so the SAL was promoted to AA in 1963 to take its place; a year later the name was changed to the Southern League. Out of the 51 seasons of operation, Augusta, GA competed in 46, Macon, GA was around for 46, and Columbia, SC was in 45. Charleston, SC, Jacksonville, FL, Savannah, GA, and Columbus, GA each competed for at least 29 years also, making for a relatively stable line-up.

The South Atlantic League name went unused for 16 years - in 1980 the Western Carolinas League brought back the name when it sought to change its identity. When it played its final season in 2019, the league had fourteen teams, divided into two divisions of seven clubs. When the minor leagues were reorganized following the cancelled 2020 season, some of these teams were transferred to the High-A East and other to the Low-A East sections of the Professional Development League. The name was revived in 2022 when the High-A East rebranded itself as the South Atlantic League.

In 1994 the league opened the South Atlantic League Hall of Fame.

The SAL has long been called the "Sally League."

Current Teams, Managers, and Affiliations

South Division				North Division
Team	Manager	Parent Team		Team	Manager	Parent Team
Asheville Tourists	Nate Shaver	Houston Astros		Aberdeen IronBirds	Felipe Alou Jr.	Baltimore Orioles
Bowling Green Hot Rods	Rafael Valenzuela	Tampa Bay Rays		Brooklyn Cyclones	Gilbert Gomez	New York Mets
Greenville Drive	Iggy Suarez	Boston Red Sox		Greensboro Grasshoppers	Blake Butler	Pittsburgh Pirates
Hickory Crawdads	Chad Comer	Texas Rangers		Hudson Valley Renegades	Nick Ortiz	New York Yankees
Rome Emperors	Cody Gabella	Atlanta Braves		Jersey Shore BlueClaws	Greg Brodzinski	Philadelphia Phillies
Winston-Salem Dash	Guillermo Quiroz	Chicago White Sox		Wilmington Blue Rocks	Mario Lisson	Washington Nationals

League Champions and MVPs

(formerly called Player of the Year award)

• 1961 Gary Rushing
• 1962 Elmo Plaskett

Year	Champion	MVP
1980	Greensboro Hornets
1981	Greensboro Hornets	Dan Murphy, Asheville Tourists OF & Jeff Reynolds, Greensboro Hornets 3B
1982	Greensboro Hornets
1983	Gastonia Expos
1984	Asheville Tourists	Kevin Seitzer, Charleston Royals 3B
1985	Florence Blue Jays	Sil Campusano, Florence Blue Jays OF
1986	Columbia Mets	Cameron Drew, Asheville Tourists RF
1987	Myrtle Beach Blue Jays	Ed Whited, Asheville Tourists 3B
1988	Spartanburg Phillies	Brant Alyea Jr., Gastonia Rangers OF-DH
1989	Augusta Pirates	Mike Mulvaney, Greensboro Hornets 1B
1990	Charleston Wheelers	Tim Howard, Columbia Mets 3B
1991	Columbia Mets	Kiki Hernandez, Greensboro Hornets C
1992	Myrtle Beach Hurricanes	Gary Mota, Asheville Tourists OF
1993	Savannah Cardinals	D.J. Boston, Hagerstown Suns 1B
1994	Savannah Cardinals	Ruben Rivera, Greensboro Bats OF
1995	Augusta GreenJackets	Andruw Jones, Macon Braves OF
1996	Savannah Sand Gnats	Russ Branyan, Columbus RedStixx 3B
1997	Delmarva Shorebirds	Luis Lopez, Hagerstown Suns 1B
1998	Capital City Bombers	Marcus Giles, Macon Braves 2B
1999	Augusta GreenJackets	Scott Seabol, Greensboro Bats 3B
2000	Delmarva Shorebirds	Chin-Hui Tsao, Asheville Tourists P
2001	Lexington Legends	Rene Reyes, Asheville Tourists 1B
2002	Hickory Crawdads	Walter Young, Hickory Crawdads 1B
2003	Rome Braves	Jorge Cortes, Hickory Crawdads OF
2004	Hickory Crawdads	Brandon Moss, Augusta Green Jackets OF
2005	Kannapolis Intimidators	Matt Miller, Asheville Tourists OF
2006	Lakewood BlueClaws	Eugenio Velez, Augusta GreenJackets 2B/SS
2007	Columbus Catfish	John Raynor, Greensboro Grasshoppers, OF
2008	Augusta GreenJackets	Darin Holcomb, Asheville Tourists, 3B
2009	Lakewood BlueClaws	Jordan Pacheco, Asheville Tourists, C
2010	Lakewood BlueClaws	J.D. Martinez, Lexington Legends, OF
2011	Greensboro Grasshoppers	Jurickson Profar, Hickory Crawdads, SS
2012	Asheville Tourists	Matt Skole, Hagerstown Suns, 3B
2013	Savannah Sand Gnats	Rosell Herrera, Asheville Tourists, SS
2014	Asheville Tourists	Wilmer Difo, Hagerstown Suns 2B
2015	Hickory Crawdads	Luis Guillorme, Savannah Sand Gnats SS
2016	Rome Braves	Brian Mundell, Asheville Tourists 1B
2017	Greenville Drive	Darick Hall, Lakewood BlueClaws 1B
2018	Lexington Legends	Casey Golden, Asheville Tourists OF
2019	Lexington Legends	Terrin Vavra, Asheville Tourists SS

Cities Represented

1904-1963

Alabama

• Montgomery, AL:
  • Montgomery Rebels 1916, 1951, 1954-1956; moved from Southeastern League 1946-1950;
  • Montgomery Grays 1952-1953

Florida

• Jacksonville, FL:
  • Jacksonville Jays 1904-1910
  • Jacksonville Tarpons 1911-1916
  • Jacksonville Roses 1917
  • Jacksonville Tars 1936-1942, 1946-1952
  • Jacksonville Braves 1953-1960
  • Jacksonville Jets 1961

Georgia

• Albany, GA: Albany Babies 1911-1916
• Augusta, GA:
  • Augusta Tourists 1904-1910, 1914-1917
  • Augusta Dollies 1919
  • Augusta Georgians 1920-1921
  • Augusta Tygers 1922-1929
  • Augusta Wolves 1930, moved to Palmetto League 1931
  • Augusta Tigers 1936-1942, 1946-1952, 1955-1958
  • Augusta Rams 1953-1954
  • Augusta Yankees 1962-1963
• Columbus, GA:
  • Columbus Foxes 1909-1917, 1956-1957
  • Columbus Red Birds 1936-1942
  • Columbus Cardinals 1946-1955
  • Columbus Pirates 1959
• Macon, GA:
  • Macon Highlanders 1904
  • Macon Brigands 1905-1907
  • Macon Peaches 1908-1915, 1923-1930, 1936-1942, 1946-1955, 1962-1963; moved to Southern League 1964-1967
  • Macon Tigers 1916-1917
  • Macon Dodgers 1956-1960
• Savannah, GA:
  • Savannah Pathfinders 1904-1905
  • Savannah Indians 1906-1912, 1936-1942, 1946-1953
  • Savannah Colts 1913-1915
  • Savannah Athletics 1954-1955
  • Savannah Redlegs 1956-1958
  • Savannah Reds 1959
  • Savannah Pirates 1960
  • Savannah White Sox 1962

North Carolina

• Asheville, NC:
  • Asheville Tourists 1924-1930, 1959-1963; moved to Piedmont League 1931-1932, moved to Southern League 1964-1966
• Charlotte, NC:
  • Charlotte Hornets 1919-1930, 1954-1963; moved to Piedmont League 1931-1942, moved from Tri-State League 1946-1953, moved to Southern League 1964-1972
• Gastonia, NC:
  • Gastonia Comers 1923
  • Gastonia Pirates 1959

South Carolina

• Charleston, SC:
  • Charleston Sea Gulls 1904-1909, 1911, 1913-1917
  • Charleston Gulls 1919
  • Charleston Palmettos 1920
  • Charleston Pals 1921-1923
  • Charleston Rebels 1940-1942, 1946-1953
  • Charleston ChaSox 1959
  • Charleston White Sox 1960-1961
• Columbia, SC:
  • Columbia Skyscrapers 1904
  • Columbia Gamecocks 1905-1910
  • Columbia Commies 1911
  • Columbia Comers 1912, 1914-1917, 1919-1923, 1925-1930
  • Columbia Senators 1936-1937
  • Columbia Reds 1938-1942, 1946-1955, 1960-1961
  • Columbia Gems 1956-1957
• Greenville, SC:
  • Greenville Spinners 1919-1930, 1938-1942, 1946-1950, 1961-1962; moved to Tri-State League 1951-1955
• Spartanburg, SC:
  • Spartanburg Pioneers 1919-1921
  • Spartanburg Spartans 1922-1929, 1938-1940

Tennessee

• Chattanooga, TN:
  • Chattanooga Lookouts 1963; moved to Southern League 1964-1965
• Knoxville, TN:
  • Knoxville Appalachians 1909, moved to Southeastern League 1910
  • Knoxville Smokies 1925-1929, 1956-1963, moved to Southern League 1964-1967
• Nashville, TN:
  • Nashville Vols 1963

Virginia

• Lynchburg, VA:
  • Lynchburg White Sox 1962-1963, moved to Southern League 1964-1965
• Portsmouth, VA & Norfolk, VA:
  • Portsmouth-Norfolk Tides 1961-1962

1980-2019

Georgia

• Albany, GA:
  • Albany Polecats 1992-1995
  • South Georgia Waves 2002-2003
• Augusta, GA:
  • Augusta Pirates 1988-1993
  • Augusta Greenjackets 1994-2019
• Columbus, GA:
  • Columbus Indians 1991
  • Columbus RedStixx 1992-2002
  • Columbus Catfish 2004-2008
• Macon, GA:
  • Macon Peaches 1980-1982
  • Macon Redbirds 1983
  • Macon Pirates 1984-1987
  • Macon Braves 1991-2002
• Rome, GA:
  • Rome Braves 2003-2019
• Savannah, GA:
  • Savannah Cardinals 1984-1995
  • Savannah Sand Gnats 1996-2015

Kentucky

• Bowling Green, KY:
  • Bowling Green Hot Rods 2009, moved to Midwest League
• Lexington, KY:
  • Lexington Legends 2001-2019

Maryland

• Hagerstown, MD:
  • Hagerstown Suns 1993-2019
• Salisbury, MD:
  • Delmarva Shorebirds 1996-2019

North Carolina

• Asheville, NC:
  • Asheville Tourists 1980-2019, moved from Western Carolinas League
• Fayetteville, NC:
  • Fayetteville Generals 1987-1996
  • Cape Fear Crocs 1997-2000
• Gastonia, NC:
  • Gastonia Cardinals 1980-1982, moved from Western Carolinas League
  • Gastonia Expos 1983-1984
  • Gastonia Jets 1985
  • Gastonia Tigers 1986
  • Gastonia Rangers 1987-1992
• Greensboro, NC:
  • Greensboro Hornets 1980-1993, moved from Western Carolinas League
  • Greensboro Bats 1994-2004
  • Greensboro Grasshoppers 2005-2019
• Hickory, NC:
  • Hickory Crawdads 1993-2019
• Kannapolis, NC:
  • Piedmont Phillies 1995
  • Piedmont Boll Weevils 1996-2000
  • Kannapolis Intimidators 2001-2019
  • Kannapolis Cannon Ballers 2020 (did not play)
• Shelby, NC:
  • Shelby Pirates 1980, moved from Western Carolinas League
  • Shelby Mets 1981-1982
• Wilmington, NC:
  • Wilmington Waves 2001

New Jersey

• Lakewood, NJ:
  • Lakewood BlueClaws 2001-2019

Ohio

• Eastlake, OH:
  • Lake County Captains 2003-2009, moved to Midwest League

South Carolina

• Anderson, SC:
  • Anderson Braves 1980-1984
• Charleston, SC:
  • Charleston Royals 1980-1984
  • Charleston Rainbows 1985-1993
  • Charleston RiverDogs 1994-2019
• Columbia, SC:
  • Columbia Mets 1983-1992
  • Capital City Bombers 1993-2004
  • Columbia Fireflies 2016-2019
• Florence, SC:
  • Florence Blue Jays 1981-1986
• Greenville, SC:
  • Greenville Bombers 2005
  • Greenville Drive 2006-2019
• Greenwood, SC:
  • Greenwood Pirates 1981-1983
• Myrtle Beach, SC:
  • Myrtle Beach Blue Jays 1987-1990
  • Myrtle Beach Hurricanes 1991-1992
• Spartanburg, SC:
  • Spartanburg Phillies 1980, 1987-1994; moved from Western Carolinas League
  • Spartanburg Traders 1981-1982
  • Spartanburg Spinners 1983
  • Spartanburg Suns 1984-1986
• Sumter, SC:
  • Sumter Braves 1985-1990
  • Sumter Flyers 1991

West Virginia

• Charleston, WV:
  • Charleston Wheelers 1987-1994
  • Charleston AlleyCats 1995-2004
  • West Virginia Power 2005-2019

2022-present

Georgia

• Rome, GA:
  • Rome Braves 2022-2023
  • Rome Emperors 2024-

Kentucky

• Bowling Green, KY:
  • Bowling Green Hot Rods 2022-

Delaware

• Wilmington, DE
  • Wilmington Blue Rocks 2022-

Maryland

• Aberdeen, MD:
  • Aberdeen Iron Birds 2022-

New Jersey

• Lakewood, NJ:
  • Jersey Shore BlueClaws 2022-

New York

• Brooklyn, NY:
  • Brooklyn Cyclones 2022-
• Wappingers Falls, NY:
  • Hudson Valley Renegades 2022-

North Carolina

• Asheville, NC:
  • Asheville Tourists 2022-
• Greensboro, NC:
  • Greensboro Grasshoppers 2022-
• Hickory, NC:
  • Hickory Crawdads 2022-
• Winston-Salem, NC:
  • Winston-Salem Dash 2022-

South Carolina

• Greenville, SC:
  • Greenville Drive 2022-

Hall of Fame Alumni

43 South Atlantic League/Western Carolinas League alumni have been inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame:

• Hank Aaron, 1953 Jacksonville Braves
• Roberto Alomar, 1985 Charleston Rainbows
• Walter Alston, 1939 Columbus Indians
• Sparky Anderson, 1965 Manager Rock Hill Cardinals
• Craig Biggio, 1987 Asheville Tourists
• Adrian Beltre, 1996 Savannah Sand Gnats
• Steve Carlton, 1964 Rock Hill Cardinals
• Ty Cobb, 1904-1905 Augusta Tourists
• Kiki Cuyler, 1922 Charleston Pals
• Bob Gibson, 1957 Columbus Foxes
• Tom Glavine, 1985 Sumter Braves
• Goose Goslin, 1920-1921 Columbia Comers
• Vladimir Guerrero, 1995 Albany Polecats
• Todd Helton, Asheville Tourists
• Trevor Hoffman, 1990 Charleston Wheelers
• Derek Jeter, 1992-1993 Greensboro Hornets
• Chipper Jones, 1991 Macon Braves
• Harmon Killebrew, 1956 Charlotte Hornets
• Tommy Lasorda, 1949 Greenville Spinners
• Al Lopez, 1928 Macon Peaches
• Fred McGriff, 1983 Florence Blue Jays
• Eddie Murray, 1974 Asheville Tourists
• Phil Niekro, 1960 Jacksonville Braves
• Tony Oliva, 1962 Charlotte Hornets
• Tony Perez, 1963 Macon Peaches
• Mariano Rivera, 1991 & 1993 Greensboro Hornets
• Frank Robinson, 1954-1955 Columbia Reds
• Ivan Rodriguez, 1989 Gastonia Rangers
• Scott Rolen, 1994 Spartanburg Phillies
• Nolan Ryan , 1966 Greenville Mets
• Ryne Sandberg, 1979 Spartanburg Phillies
• Enos Slaughter, 1936 Columbus Red Birds
• Willie Stargell, 1961 Asheville Tourists
• Lloyd Waner, 1926 Columbia Comers
• Hoyt Wilhelm, 1948-1949 Jacksonville Tars

Further Reading

• Walter Triebel: "Road-Tripping the South Atlantic League: A Guide to the Teams, Ballparks and Cities", McFarland, Jefferson. NC, 2016. ISBN 978-0-7864-9811-6
• Marshall D. Wright: The South Atlantic League, 1904-1963: A Year-By-Year Statistical History, McFarland, Jefferson, NC, 2009. ISBN 978-0-7864-3626-2