# 1936 South Atlantic League season

The 1936 South Atlantic League was a Class B baseball season played between April 20 and September 7. Six teams played a 152-game schedule, with the winner of each half of the season qualifying for the playoffs.
The Columbus Red Birds won the South Atlantic League championship, defeating the Jacksonville Tars in the playoffs.

## League changes

* At the end of the 1930 season, the South Atlantic Association announced that the league would shut down due to the Great Depression. The league returned in 1936 with six teams.
Following the 1930 season:
* The Asheville Tourists joined the Piedmont League in 1931.
* The Augusta Wolves joined the Palmetto League in 1931.
* The Charlotte Hornets joined the Piedmont League in 1931.
* The Columbia Comers disbanded in 1931.
* The Greenville Spinners joined the Palmetto League in 1931.
* The Macon Peaches disbanded in 1931, however, the club was reactivated and joined the Southeastern League in 1932 before disbanding once again.

## Team changes

* The Augusta Wolves returned to the South Atlantic League after disbanding following the 1931 season in the Palmetto League. The club would be renamed the Augusta Tigers and became an affiliate for the Detroit Tigers.
* The Columbia Senators joined the league as a new team and became an affiliate with the Boston Bees.
* The Columbus Red Birds joined the league after last playing in the Southeastern League during the 1932 season before disbanding. The club became an affiliate for the St. Louis Cardinals. The club previously played in the South Atlantic League from 1909–1917 as the Columbus Foxes.
* The Jacksonville Tars joined the league after last playing in the Southeastern League during the 1930 season before disbanding.
* The Macon Peaches returned to the South Atlantic League after disbanding following the 1932 season in the Southeastern League. The club became an affiliate for the Cincinnati Reds.
* The Savannah Indians joined the league after last playing in the Southeastern League during the 1928 season before disbanding. The club became an affiliate for the Pittsburgh Pirates. The club previously played in the South Atlantic League from 1904–1915.

## Teams

1936 South Atlantic League :
| Team | City | MLB Affiliate | Stadium |
| Augusta Tigers | Augusta, Georgia | Detroit Tigers | Municipal Stadium |
| Columbia Senators | Columbia, South Carolina | Boston Bees | Dreyfus Park |
| Columbus Red Birds | Columbus, Georgia | St. Louis Cardinals | Golden Park |
| Jacksonville Tars | Jacksonville, Florida | None | Durkee Field |
| Macon Peaches | Macon, Georgia | Cincinnati Reds | Luther Williams Field |
| Savannah Indians | Savannah, Georgia | Pittsburgh Pirates | Grayson Stadium |

## Regular season
### Summary

* The Columbus Red Birds finish the season with the best record for the first time since 1916.

### Standings

South Atlantic Association :
| Team | Win | Loss | % | GB |
| Columbus Red Birds | 97 | 53 | .647 | – |
| Jacksonville Tars | 88 | 57 | .607 | 6.5 |
| Macon Peaches | 87 | 64 | .576 | 10.5 |
| Savannah Indians | 64 | 84 | .432 | 32 |
| Augusta Tigers | 56 | 94 | .373 | 41 |
| Columbia Senators | 55 | 95 | .367 | 42 |

## League Leaders
### Batting leaders

| Stat | Player | Total |
| AVG | William Prout, Macon Peaches | .342 |
| H | Lee Gamble, Macon Peaches | 216 |
| R | James Gruzdis, Columbus Red Birds | 147 |
| 2B | James Gruzdis, Columbus Red Birds | 36 |
| 3B | Enos Slaughter, Columbus Red Birds | 20 |
| HR | Dee Moore, Macon Peaches | 18 |
| RBI | Stanley Tutaj, Columbus Red Birds | 129 |
| SB | Lee Gamble, Macon Peaches | 51 |

### Pitching leaders

| Stat | Player | Total |
| W | Arthur Evans, Macon Peaches | 21 |
| ERA | John Sims, Columbus Red Birds | 2.44 |
| CG | Arthur Evans, Macon Peaches Jake Levy, Savannah Indians | 26 |
| SHO | Arthur Evans, Macon Peaches | 6 |
| IP | Jake Levy, Savannah Indians | 284.0 |
| SO | Ralph Braun, Jacksonville Tars | 172 |

## Playoffs

* The Columbus Red Birds won their fourth South Atlantic League championship, defeating the Jacksonville Tars in six games.

### Playoff bracket

| Finals | Finals | Finals |
| 1 | Columbus | 4 |
| 2 | Jacksonville | 2 |