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South Atlantic League

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For the league of the same name that operated from 1904 to 1963, see South Atlantic League (1904–1963).
South Atlantic League
ClassificationHigh-A (2021–present)
Class A (1946–2020)
SportBaseball
Founded1963 (61 years ago) (1963)
No. of teams12
CountryUnited States
Most recent
champion(s)		Greenville Drive (2023)
Most titlesGreenville Drive (5)
Official websitewww.southatlanticleague.com

The South Atlantic League, often informally called the Sally League, is a Minor League Baseball league with teams predominantly in states along the Atlantic coast of the United States from New York to Georgia. A Class A league for most of its history, the league was promoted to High-A as part of Major League Baseball's 2021 reorganization of the minor leagues. The league temporarily operated for the 2021 season as the High-A East before reassuming its original moniker in 2022.

A number of different leagues known as the South Atlantic League (SAL) have existed since 1904. The most recent SAL adopted the moniker in 1980, having previously been the Western Carolinas League, founded in 1963. All of these have been nicknamed "Sally League".

History

File:John Henry Moss.png
Portion of plaque displaying likeness of John Henry Moss at Municipal Stadium, Hagerstown, Maryland

There have been several South Atlantic Leagues in the history of minor league baseball, spanning from 1904 to the present with a few breaks. The league ran from 1904 to 1917 as a class C league, then started up again in 1919, also class C. This time it ran from 1919 to 1930, moving up to class B beginning in 1921. William G. Bramham became league president in mid-1924 and served until 1930. The league was restarted again as a class B from 1936 to 1942, shut down as a result of World War II, and returned in 1946 as a class A league. The AA Southern Association (which never integrated) died after the 1961 season and so the SAL was promoted to AA in 1963 to take its place; a year later the name was changed to the Southern League. Out of the 51 seasons of operation, Augusta, Georgia competed in 46, Macon, Georgia was around for 46, and Columbia, South Carolina was in 45. Charleston, South Carolina; Jacksonville, Florida; Savannah, Georgia; and Columbus, Georgia; each competed for at least 29 years also, making for a relatively stable lineup.

The South Atlantic League name went unused for 16 years, but in 1980 the Western Carolinas League brought back the name when it sought to change its identity. For nearly 60 years, 1948 through 2007, the dominant figure in the WCL/SAL was league founder and president John Henry Moss, who started the WCL as a young man in 1948, refounded it in 1960 and then led it into the new century. Moss retired at the close of the 2007[1] South Atlantic League season. He died at age 90 on July 1, 2009, at Kings Mountain, North Carolina—a town where he had also been mayor for 23 years.[2]

In 2005, the SAL had the highest attendance in 101 years with over 3,541,992 fans (while minor league baseball set a second straight record with 41,333,279 attendees). When the league last played a season, in 2019, it had 14 teams, divided into two divisions of seven clubs.

The start of the 2020 season was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic before ultimately being cancelled on June 30.[3][4]

As part of Major League Baseball's 2021 reorganization of the minor leagues, the South Atlantic League was promoted to High-A and temporarily renamed the "High-A East" for the 2021 season.[5] Following MLB's acquisition of the rights to the names of the historical minor leagues, the High-A East was renamed the South Atlantic League effective with the 2022 season.[6]

Current teams

South Atlantic League teams (1980–present)

Notes: • An "^" indicates that team's article redirects to an article of an active team in a different league

League timeline

Winston-Salem DashWilmington Blue RocksHudson Valley RenegadesBrooklyn CyclonesAberdeen IronbirdsBowling Green Hot RodsBowling Green Hot RodsGreenville DriveRome BravesLake County CaptainsSouth Georgia WavesLexington LegendsJersey Shore BlueClawsDelmarva ShorebirdsKannapolis Cannon BallersHickory CrawdadsHagerstown SunsAlbany PolecatsColumbus CatfishAugusta GreenJacketsMyrtle Beach Blue JaysCape Fear CrocsWest Virginia PowerSumter BravesSavannah Sand GnatsColumbia FirefliesGreenville DriveGreenwood PiratesFlorence Blue JaysKannapolis Cannon BallersShelby RedsMacon BravesMacon PeachesGreensboro GrasshoppersGastonia RangersCharleston RiverDogsAsheville TouristsAnderson Braves

2021-2022 team Earlier team

League champions

Main article: List of South Atlantic League champions

South Atlantic League Hall of Fame

Main article: South Atlantic League Hall of Fame

The South Atlantic League Hall of Fame was started in 1994.

References

  1. ^ Baseball America, December 15, 2007
  2. ^ Weber, Bruce (13 July 2009). "John Henry Moss, 90, Head of South Atlantic League for 50 Years, , Dies". The New York Times. Retrieved 20 March 2018 – via NYTimes.com.
  3. ^ "A Message From Pat O'Conner". Minor League Baseball. March 13, 2020. Retrieved May 5, 2020.
  4. ^ "2020 Minor League Baseball Season Shelved". Minor League Baseball. June 30, 2020. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
  5. ^ Mayo, Jonathan (February 12, 2021). "MLB Announces New Minors Teams, Leagues". Major League Baseball. Retrieved February 12, 2021.
  6. ^ "Historical League Names to Return in 2022". Minor League Baseball. March 16, 2022. Retrieved March 16, 2022.
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