# South Atlantic League (1904–1963)

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.

## History

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. 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. The Great Depression caused the league to shut down from 1931 to 1935, but it returned at Class B from 1936 to 1942. 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.
In 1963, it was reclassified as a Double-A league along with the other Class A leagues. The circuit reorganized as the Southern League in 1964. To distance itself from its history at lower classifications, the newly-named league elected to start with a clean slate and not maintain records prior to the 1964 season. Thusly, the 51-year history of the league was retired with the South Atlantic League name.
In 1980, the Western Carolinas League resurrected the name as it became the current South Atlantic League.

## Cities represented 1904–1963

* Albany, Georgia: Albany Babies (1911–1916)
* Asheville, North Carolina: Asheville Tourists (1924–1930, 1959–1963)
* Augusta, Georgia: Augusta Tourists (1904-1910, 1914–1917); Augusta Dollies (1919); Augusta Georgians (1920–1921); Augusta Tygers (1922–1929); Augusta Wolves (1930); Augusta Tigers (1936–1942, 1946–1952); Augusta Rams (1953–1954); Augusta Tigers (1955–1958); Augusta Yankees (1962–1963)
* Charleston, South Carolina: 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)
* Charlotte, North Carolina: Charlotte Hornets (1919–1930, 1954–1963)
* Chattanooga, Tennessee: Chattanooga Lookouts (1963)
* Columbia, South Carolina: 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)
* Columbus, Georgia: Columbus Foxes (1909–1917); Columbus Red (1936–1942); Cardinals (1946–1955); Columbus Foxes (1956–1957); Columbus Pirates (1959)
* Gastonia, North Carolina: Gastonia Comers (1923); Gastonia Pirates (1959)
* Greenville, South Carolina: Greenville Spinners (1919–1930, 1938-1942, 1946–1950, 1961–1962)
* Jacksonville, Florida: Jacksonville Jays (1904–1910); Jacksonville Tarpons (1911–1916); Jacksonville Roses (1917); Jacksonville Tars (1936–1942, 1946–1952); Jacksonville Braves (1953–1960); Jacksonville Jets (1961)
* Knoxville, Tennessee: Knoxville Appalachians (1909); Knoxville Smokies (1925–1929, 1956–1963)
* Lynchburg, Virginia: Lynchburg White Sox (1962–1963)
* Macon, Georgia: Macon Highlanders (1904); Macon Brigands (1905–1907); Macon Peaches (1908–1915); Macon Tigers (1916–1917); Macon Peaches (1923–1930, 1936–1942, 1946–1955); Macon Dodgers (1956–1960); Macon Peaches (1962–1963)
* Montgomery, Alabama: Montgomery Rebels (1916, 1951, 1954–1956); Montgomery Grays (1952–1953)
* Nashville, Tennessee: Nashville Vols (1963)
* Portsmouth, Virginia & Norfolk, Virginia: Portsmouth-Norfolk Tides (1961–1962)
* Savannah, Georgia: Savannah Pathfinders (1904–1905); Savannah Indians (1906–1912); Savannah Colts (1913–1915) Savannah Indians (1936–1942, 1946–1953); Savannah Athletics (1954–1955); Savannah Redlegs (1956–1958); Savannah Reds (1959); Savannah Pirates (1960); Savannah White Sox (1962)
* South Atlantic League Orphans
* Spartanburg, South Carolina: Spartanburg Pioneers (1919–1921); Spartanburg Spartans (1922–1929, 1938–1940)

## Champions

League champions were determined by different means throughout the league's history. Playoffs were held in most seasons, while in others the champions were simply the regular season pennant winners.
| Year | Champion | Score | Runner-up |
| 1904 | Macon Peaches | — | — |
| 1905 | Macon Peaches | — | — |
| 1906 | Savannah Indians | — | — |
| 1907 | Charleston Sea Gulls | — | — |
| 1908 | Jacksonville Jays | — | — |
| 1909 | Chattanooga Lookouts | 4–3 | Augusta Tourists |
| 1910 | Columbus Foxes | — | — |
| 1911 | Columbus Foxes | 4–2 | Columbia Commies |
| 1912 | Jacksonville Tarpons | 4–1 | Columbus Foxes |
| 1913 | Savannah Colts | — | — |
| 1914 | Savannah Colts | 4–2 | Albany Babies |
| 1915 | Columbia Comers | 4–1–2 | Macon Peaches |
| 1916 | Augusta Tourists | 4–0 | Columbia Comers |
| 1917 | Columbia Comers | 4–2 | Charleston Sea Gulls |
| 1918 | Not in operation | Not in operation | Not in operation |
| 1919 | Columbia Comers | — | — |
| 1920 | Columbia Comers | — | — |
| 1921 | Columbia Comers | — | — |
| 1922 | Charleston Pals | — | — |
| 1923 | Charlotte Hornets | 4–1 | Macon Peaches |
| 1924 | Augusta Tygers | — | — |
| 1925 | Spartanburg Spartans | — | — |
| 1926 | Greenville Spinners | — | — |
| 1927 | Greenville Spinners | — | — |
| 1928 | Asheville Tourists | — | — |
| 1929 | Knoxville Smokies | — | Asheville Tourists |
| 1930 | Greenville Spinners | 4–2 | Macon Peaches |
| 1931 | Not in operation | Not in operation | Not in operation |
| 1932 | Not in operation | Not in operation | Not in operation |
| 1933 | Not in operation | Not in operation | Not in operation |
| 1934 | Not in operation | Not in operation | Not in operation |
| 1935 | Not in operation | Not in operation | Not in operation |
| 1936 | Columbus Red Birds | 4–2 | Jacksonville Tars |
| 1937 | Savannah Indians | 3–1 | Macon Peaches |
| 1938 | Macon Peaches | 4–3 | Savannah Indians |
| 1939 | Augusta Tigers | 4–0 | Savannah Indians |
| 1940 | Columbus Red Birds | 4–2 | Macon Peaches |
| 1941 | Columbia Reds | 4–2 | Macon Peaches |
| 1942 | Augusta Tigers | 4–0 | Columbia Reds |
| 1943 | Not in operation | Not in operation | Not in operation |
| 1944 | Not in operation | Not in operation | Not in operation |
| 1945 | Not in operation | Not in operation | Not in operation |
| 1946 | Augusta Tigers | — | — |
| 1947 | Savannah Indians | 4–1 | Augusta Tigers |
| 1948 | Greenville Spinners | 4–1 | Columbia Reds |
| 1949 | Macon Peaches | 4–1 | Greenville Spinners |
| 1950 | Macon Peaches | 4–0 | Columbia Reds |
| 1951 | Montgomery Rebels | 4–0 | Jacksonville Tars |
| 1952 | Montgomery Grays | 4–2 | Macon Peaches |
| 1953 | Columbia Reds | 4–3 | Jacksonville Braves |
| 1954 | Savannah Athletics | 4–3 | Jacksonville Braves |
| 1955 | Augusta Tigers | 2–1 | Montgomery Rebels |
| 1956 | Jacksonville Braves | 2–0 | Columbus Foxes |
| 1957 | Charlotte Hornets | 2–1 | Augusta Tigers |
| 1958 | Macon Dodgers | 2–0 | Jacksonville Braves |
| 1959 | Gastonia Pirates | 3–0 | Charleston ChaSox |
| 1960 | Savannah Pirates | 3–0 | Knoxville Smokies |
| 1961 | Asheville Tourists | — | — |
| 1962 | Macon Peaches | 3–1 | Knoxville Smokies |
| 1963 | Augusta Yankees | — | — |