# Southern Association Most Valuable Player Award

The Southern Association Most Valuable Player Award (MVP) was an annual award given to the best player in Minor League Baseball's Southern Association based on their regular-season performance as voted on by league sportswriters. Early iterations of the honor were voted on by league managers. Though the league was established in 1901, the award was not created until 1936. It continued to be issued through the 1961 season, after which the league disbanded.
Two players won the award twice: Ted Cieslak, who won back-to-back in 1945 and 1946, and Stan Palys, the winner in 1957 and 1960.
Eleven outfielders won the MVP Award, the most of any position. Catchers and first basemen, each with three winners, won the most among infielders, followed by second baseman and third baseman (2). Six pitchers also won the award.
Eight players from the Nashville Vols were selected for the MVP Award, more than any other team in the league, followed by the Atlanta Crackers (4); the Birmingham Barons, Little Rock Travelers, Memphis Chicks, and Mobile Bears (3); and the Chattanooga Lookouts, Knoxville Smokies, and New Orleans Pelicans (1).
Four players from the Chicago Cubs Major League Baseball (MLB) organization won the MVP Award, more than any other, followed by the Cleveland Indians and Detroit Tigers organizations (3); the Brooklyn Dodgers, New York Giants, and Pittsburgh Pirates organizations (2); the Boston Red Sox, Chicago White Sox, Cincinnati Reds, St. Louis Browns, and Washington Senators organizations (1). Five players were from teams unaffiliated with any MLB organization.

## Winners

Key :
| Position | Indicates the player's primary position |
| (#) | Number of wins by players who have won the award multiple times |
| ^ | Indicates multiple award winners in the same year |
Winners :
| Year | Winner | Team | Organization | Position |
| 1936 | Red Nonnenkamp | Little Rock Travelers | Boston Red Sox | Outfielder |
| 1937 | Coaker Triplett | Memphis Chicks | Unaffiliated | Outfielder |
| 1938 | Red Evans | New Orleans Pelicans | Cleveland Indians | Pitcher |
| 1939 | Babe Young | Knoxville Smokies | Pittsburgh Pirates | First baseman |
| 1940^ | Greek George | Nashville Vols | Brooklyn Dodgers | Catcher |
| 1940^ | Emil Mailho | Atlanta Crackers | Unaffiliated | Outfielder |
| 1941 | Les Burge | Atlanta Crackers | Pittsburgh Pirates | First baseman |
| 1942 | Roy Schalk | Little Rock Travelers | Unaffiliated | Second baseman |
| 1943 | Ed Sauer | Nashville Vols | Chicago Cubs | Outfielder |
| 1944 | Pete Gray | Memphis Chicks | St. Louis Browns | Outfielder |
| 1945 | Ted Cieslak (1) | Atlanta Crackers | Unaffiliated | Third baseman |
| 1946 | Ted Cieslak (2) | Atlanta Crackers | Unaffiliated | Third baseman |
| 1947 | Cliff Dapper | Mobile Bears | Brooklyn Dodgers | Catcher |
| 1948 | Chuck Workman | Nashville Vols | Chicago Cubs | Outfielder |
| 1949 | Carl Sawatski | Nashville Vols | Chicago Cubs | Catcher |
| 1950 | Bob Schultz | Nashville Vols | Chicago Cubs | Pitcher |
| 1951 | Halbert Simpson | Little Rock Travelers | Detroit Tigers | Outfielder |
| 1952 | Ellis Clary | Chattanooga Lookouts | Washington Senators | Second baseman |
| 1953 | Jack Harshman | Nashville Vols | New York Giants | Pitcher |
| 1954 | Bob Lennon | Nashville Vols | New York Giants | Outfielder |
| 1955 | Ed White | Memphis Chicks | Chicago White Sox | Outfielder |
| 1956 | Gene Lary | Mobile Bears | Cleveland Indians | Pitcher |
| 1957 | Stan Palys (1) | Nashville Vols | Cincinnati Reds | Outfielder |
| 1958 | Bill Harrington | Birmingham Barons | Detroit Tigers | Pitcher |
| 1959 | Gordy Coleman | Mobile Bears | Cleveland Indians | First baseman |
| 1960 | Stan Palys (2) | Birmingham Barons | Detroit Tigers | Outfielder |
| 1961 | Howie Koplitz | Birmingham Barons | Detroit Tigers | Pitcher |

## Wins by team

| Team | Award(s) | Year(s) |
| Nashville Vols | 8 | 1940, 1943, 1948, 1949, 1950, 1953, 1954, 1957 |
| Atlanta Crackers | 4 | 1940, 1941, 1945, 1946 |
| Birmingham Barons | 3 | 1958, 1960, 1961 |
| Little Rock Travelers | 3 | 1936, 1942, 1951 |
| Memphis Chicks | 3 | 1937, 1944, 1955 |
| Mobile Bears | 3 | 1947, 1956, 1959 |
| Chattanooga Lookouts | 1 | 1952 |
| Knoxville Smokies | 1 | 1939 |
| New Orleans Pelicans | 1 | 1939 |

## Wins by organization

| Organization | Award(s) | Year(s) |
| Chicago Cubs | 4 | 1943, 1948, 1949, 1950 |
| Detroit Tigers | 4 | 1951, 1958, 1960, 1961 |
| Cleveland Indians | 3 | 1938, 1956, 1959 |
| Brooklyn Dodgers | 2 | 1940, 1947 |
| New York Giants | 2 | 1953, 1954 |
| Pittsburgh Pirates | 2 | 1939, 1941 |
| Boston Red Sox | 1 | 1936 |
| Chicago White Sox | 1 | 1955 |
| Cincinnati Reds | 1 | 1957 |
| St. Louis Browns | 1 | 1944 |
| Washington Senators | 1 | 1952 |