# 1961 South Atlantic League season

The 1961 South Atlantic League was a Class A baseball season played between April 17 and September 5. Eight teams played a 140-game schedule, with the top team winning the league pennant and championship.
The Asheville Tourists won the South Atlantic League pennant and championship, as they had the best record in the league.

## Team changes

* The Macon Dodgers leave the league and join the Southern Association.
* The Savannah Pirates disbanded.
* The Greenville Spinners are reactivated and the club rejoins the league, last playing in the Tri-State League in 1955. The Spinners last played in the South Atlantic League in 1950. The team begins an affiliation with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
* The Portsmouth-Norfolk Tides join the league as an expansion team. The club begins an affiliation with the Kansas City Athletics.
* The Asheville Tourists ended their affiliation with the Philadelphia Phillies and began a new affiliation with the Pittsburgh Pirates.
* The Jacksonville Braves ended their affiliation with the Milwaukee Braves and began a new affiliation with the Houston Colt .45s. The club was renamed the Jacksonville Jets.

## Teams

1961 South Atlantic League :
| Team | City | MLB Affiliate | Stadium |
| Asheville Tourists | Asheville, North Carolina | Pittsburgh Pirates | McCormick Field |
| Charleston White Sox | Charleston, South Carolina | Chicago White Sox | Hampton Park |
| Charlotte Hornets | Charlotte, North Carolina | Minnesota Twins | Clark Griffith Park |
| Columbia Reds | Columbia, South Carolina | Cincinnati Reds | Capital City Stadium |
| Greenville Spinners | Greenville, South Carolina | Los Angeles Dodgers | Meadowbrook Park |
| Jacksonville Jets | Jacksonville, Florida | Houston Colt .45s | Jacksonville Baseball Park |
| Knoxville Smokies | Knoxville, Tennessee | Detroit Tigers | Knoxville Municipal Stadium |
| Portsmouth-Norfolk Tides | Portsmouth, Virginia Norfolk, Virginia | Kansas City Athletics | Frank D. Lawrence Stadium High Rock Park |

## Regular season
### Summary

* The Asheville Tourists finish the season with the best record in the league for the first time since 1928.

### Standings

South Atlantic League :
| Team | Win | Loss | % | GB |
| Asheville Tourists | 87 | 50 | .635 | – |
| Knoxville Smokies | 75 | 64 | .540 | 13 |
| Greenville Spinners | 72 | 66 | .522 | 15.5 |
| Columbia Reds | 70 | 65 | .519 | 16 |
| Charleston White Sox | 70 | 68 | .507 | 17.5 |
| Portsmouth-Norfolk Tides | 66 | 72 | .478 | 21.5 |
| Charlotte Hornets | 61 | 79 | .436 | 27.5 |
| Jacksonville Jets | 51 | 88 | .367 | 37 |

## League Leaders
### Batting leaders

| Stat | Player | Total |
| AVG | Teolindo Acosta, Columbia Reds | .343 |
| H | Teolindo Acosta, Columbia Reds Bill Roman, Knoxville Smokies | 167 |
| R | Gary Rushing, Asheville Tourists | 108 |
| 2B | Wendell Antoine, Charlotte Hornets | 37 |
| 3B | Bill Roman, Knoxville Smokies | 17 |
| HR | Gary Rushing, Asheville Tourists | 25 |
| RBI | Gary Rushing, Asheville Tourists | 99 |
| SB | Teolindo Acosta, Columbia Reds | 40 |

### Pitching leaders

| Stat | Player | Total |
| W | Jack Taylor, Charlotte Hornets | 17 |
| ERA | Nick Willhite, Greenville Spinners | 1.80 |
| CG | Nick Willhite, Greenville Spinners | 23 |
| SHO | Nick Willhite, Greenville Spinners | 6 |
| IP | Nick Willhite, Greenville Spinners | 230.0 |
| SO | Nick Willhite, Greenville Spinners | 161 |