Tombstone
Formed:
Re-Branded: 1964 (Southern League)
Level:
First Game:
Last Game:
Seasons:
States & Provinces: 7
(AL, FL, GA, NC, SC, TN and VA)
Leadership
Trophy Case
Background
For our purposes, the original South Atlantic League was a collection of Southern minor league baseball loops that played from 1904 to 1963 with several interruptions:
- The South Atlantic League was inactive in the summer of 1918
- League returned in 1919 as the “South Atlantic Association” playing under that name through the summer of 1930.
- The league went dark again at the height of the Great Depression, sitting out five summers from 1931 to 1935.
- Returned as the South Atlantic League from 1936 to 1942, before shutting down for three summers during WWII.
- Revived again in 1946 and played under the South Atlantic League banner until 1963.
During the league’s final season of play under the South Atlantic League name in 1963, baseball reorganized its minor league system. Officials implemented the AAA, AA, A and Rookie classifications familiar to modern fans. (Previously, leagues were ranked as Class A, B, C and D). The South Atlantic League was ranked as a “AA” league – two steps below the Major Leagues – in 1963.
Prior to the 1964 season, the South Atlantic League re-branded itself as the Southern League. In that sense, the league still exists, as the Southern League thrives to this day as a AA circuit. For information on Southern League franchises from 1964 onwards, visit our Southern League page here.
In 1980, the former Western Carolinas League changed its name to the South Atlantic League, reviving the old name which had been dormant for 16 years. The modern-day South Atlantic League is a single-A league which does not include old South Atlantic League of 1904-1963 in its official history. For the modern day South Atlantic League, click here.
South Atlantic League Franchise List
[etable]
Franchise, Years Active, South Atlantic League Champions
Albany Babies, 1911-1916, None
Asheville Tourists, 1924-1930, 1928
Ashville Tourists, 1959-1963, 1961
Augusta Dollies, 1919, None
Augusta Georgians, 1920-1921, None
Augusta Orphans, 1911, None
Augusta Rams, 1953-1954, None
Augusta Tigers, 1936-1942 & 1946-1952 & 1955-1958, 1939-1946-1955
Augusta Tourists, 1904-1911 & 1914-1917, 1916
Augusta Tygers, 1922-1929, 1924
Augusta Wolves, 1930, None
Augusta Yankees, 1962-1963, 1963
Charleston ChaSox, 1959, None
Charleston Gulls, 1919, None
Charleston Palmettos, 1920, None
Charleston Pals, 1921-1923, 1922
Charleston Rebels, 1940-1942 & 1946-1953, None
Charleston Seagulls, 1904-1909 & 1911 & 1913-1917, 1907
Charleston White Sox, 1960-1961, None
Charlotte Hornets, 1919-1930, 1923
Charlotte Hornets, 1954-1963, 1957
Chattanooga Lookouts, 1909, 1909
Chattanooga Lookouts, 1963, None
Columbia Comers, 1912 & 1914-1917 & 1919-1923 & 1925-1930, 1915-1917-1919-1920-1921
Columbia Commies, 1911, None
Columbia Gamecocks, 1905-1910, None
Columbia Gems, 1956-1957, None
Columbia Reds, 1938-1942 & 1946-1955, 1941-1953
Columbia Reds, 1960-1961, None
Columbia Senators, 1936-1937, None
Columbia Skyscrapers, 1904, None
Columbus Cardinals, 1946-1955, None
Columbus Foxes, 1909-1917, 1910-1911
Columbus Foxes, 1956-1957, None
Columbus Pirates, 1959, None
Columbus Redbirds, 1936-1942, 1936-1940
Gastonia Comets, 1923, None
Gastonia Pirates, 1959, 1959
Greenville Spinners, 1919-1930, 1926-1927-1930
Greenville Spinners, 1938-1942 & 1946-1950, 1948
Greenville Spinners, 1961-1962, None
Jacksonville Braves, 1953-1960, 1956
Jacksonville Jays, 1904-1910, 1908
Jacksonville Jets, 1961, None
Jacksonville Roses, 1917, None
Jacksonville Tarpons, 1911-1916, 1912
Jacksonville Tars, 1936-1942 & 1946-1952, None
Knoxville Appalachians, 1909, None
Knoxville Smokies, 1925-1929, 1929
Knoxville Smokies, 1956-1963, None
Lynchburg White Sox, 1962-1963, None
Macon Brigands, 1905-1907, 1905
Macon Dodgers, 1956-1960, 1958
Macon Highlanders, 1904, 1904
Macon Peaches, 1908-1915, None
Macon Peaches, 1923-1930, None
Macon Peaches, 1936-1942 & 1946-1955, 1938-1949-1950
Macon Peaches, 1962-1963, 1962
Macon Tigers, 1915-1917, None
Montgomery Grays, 1952-1953, 1952
Montgomery Rebels, 1916, None
Montgomery Rebels, 1951, 1951
Montgomery Rebels, 1954-1956, None
Nashville Volunteers, 1963, None
Portsmouth-Norfolk Tides, 1961-1962, None
Savannah A’s, 1954-1955, 1954
Savannah Colts, 1913-1915, 1913-1914
Savannah Indians, 1906-1912, 1906
Savannah Indians, 1936-1942 & 1946-1953, 1937-1947
Savannah Pathfinders, 1904-1905, None
Savannah Pirates, 1960, 1960
Savannah Redlegs, 1956-1958, None
Savannah Reds, 1959, None
Savannah White Sox, 1962, None
Spartanburg Pioneers, 1919-1921, None
Spartanburg-Charleston Rebels, 1940, None
Spartanburg Spartans, 1922-1929, 1925
Spartanburg Spartans, 1938-1939, None
[/etable]
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2 Responses
I would like to know the original source for the name Columbia Commies in 1911. I’ve seen other modern books, articles, and web sites that listed that team name but no references from the 1910s. The newspapers around South Carolina during that time referred to the 1911 Columbia SAL team as the “Comers” which was originally a shortened form of “Commissioners”. The “Columbia Comers” was the name of Columbia professional baseball teams from 1911 through the 1930 season.
Also,the Columbia team was called the Gamecocks for only three and one half years. The name “Skyscrapers” was changed to “Gamecocks” mid-season in June of 1904, and that was the team name through the 1907 season. The 1908 team was referred to as the “Chicks” and the 1909-1910 teams were called the “Palmettos”.
Hi Paul,
BaseballReference.com is the source for most of the league directory research. Based on what you’ve said here, it’s worth doing some extra digging on this one when time permits.
Drew