# 1962 South Atlantic League season

The 1962 South Atlantic League was a Class A baseball season played between April 13 and September 1. Eight teams played a 140-game schedule, with the top four teams qualifying for the playoffs.
The Macon Peaches won the South Atlantic League championship, defeating the Knoxville Smokies in the final round of the playoffs.

## Team changes

* The Charleston White Sox relocated to Savannah, Georgia and were renamed to the Savannah White Sox.
* The Columbia Reds disbanded.
* The Jacksonville Jets disbanded.
* The Augusta Tigers rejoined the league, having last played in 1958. The club began an affiliation with the New York Yankees and were renamed to the Augusta Yankees.
* The Macon Dodgers rejoined the league after playing the 1961 season in the Southern Association and last played in the South Atlantic League in 1960. The club began an affiliation with the Cincinnati Reds and were renamed to the Macon Peaches.
* The Portsmouth-Norfolk Tides ended their affiliation with the Kansas City Athletics and began a new affiliation with the St. Louis Cardinals.

## Teams

1962 South Atlantic League :
| Team | City | MLB Affiliate | Stadium |
| Asheville Tourists | Asheville, North Carolina | Pittsburgh Pirates | McCormick Field |
| Augusta Yankees | Augusta, Georgia | New York Yankees | Jennings Stadium |
| Charlotte Hornets | Charlotte, North Carolina | Minnesota Twins | Clark Griffith Park |
| Greenville Spinners | Greenville, South Carolina | Los Angeles Dodgers | Meadowbrook Park |
| Knoxville Smokies | Knoxville, Tennessee | Detroit Tigers | Knoxville Municipal Stadium |
| Macon Peaches | Macon, Georgia | Cincinnati Reds | Luther Williams Field |
| Portsmouth-Norfolk Tides | Portsmouth, Virginia Norfolk, Virginia | St. Louis Cardinals | Frank D. Lawrence Stadium High Rock Park |
| Savannah White Sox Lynchburg White Sox | Savannah, Georgia Lynchburg, Virginia | Chicago White Sox | Grayson Stadium City Stadium |

## Regular season
### Summary

* The Lynchburg White Sox finish the season with the best record in the league for the first time in team history.
* On August 26, the Savannah White Sox relocated to Lynchburg, Virginia due to racial conflict. The club was renamed to the Lynchburg White Sox.

### Standings

South Atlantic League :
| Team | Win | Loss | % | GB |
| Savannah White Sox / Lynchburg White Sox | 92 | 47 | .662 | – |
| Knoxville Smokies | 86 | 54 | .614 | 6.5 |
| Macon Peaches | 80 | 59 | .576 | 12 |
| Asheville Tourists | 70 | 70 | .500 | 22.5 |
| Greenville Spinners | 65 | 75 | .464 | 27.5 |
| Augusta Yankees | 57 | 83 | .407 | 35.5 |
| Portsmouth-Norfolk Tides | 55 | 85 | .393 | 37.5 |
| Charlotte Hornets | 54 | 86 | .386 | 38.5 |

## League Leaders
### Batting leaders

| Stat | Player | Total |
| AVG | Tony Oliva, Charlotte Hornets | .350 |
| H | Tommy Helms, Macon Peaches | 195 |
| R | Pete Rose, Macon Peaches | 136 |
| 2B | Tommy Helms, Macon Peaches | 38 |
| 3B | Pete Rose, Macon Peaches | 17 |
| HR | Duncan Campbell, Asheville Tourists Elmo Plaskett, Asheville Tourists | 27 |
| RBI | Deacon Jones, Savannah / Lynchburg | 101 |
| SB | Chico Salmon, Knoxville Smokies | 25 |

### Pitching leaders

| Stat | Player | Total |
| W | Camilo Estevis, Greenville Spinners | 18 |
| ERA | Dick Lines, Asheville Tourists | 2.11 |
| CG | Camilo Estevis, Greenville Spinners | 23 |
| SHO | Dick Lines, Asheville Tourists | 9 |
| IP | Leo Marentette, Knoxville Smokies | 221.0 |
| SO | Leo Marentette, Knoxville Smokies | 205 |

## Playoffs

* The playoffs returned in 1962, with a best-of-five series for the semi-finals and the finals.
* The Macon Peaches won their ninth South Atlantic League championship, defeating the Knoxville Smokies in four games.

### Playoff bracket

| Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Finals | Finals | Finals |
| 1 | Lynchburg | 0 | | | |
| 3 | Macon | 3 | | | |
| 3 | Macon | 3 | 3 | Macon | 3 |
| | | | 2 | Knoxville | 1 |
| 2 | Knoxville | 3 | 2 | Knoxville | 1 |
| 4 | Asheville | 1 | | | |