The Southern Association in Baseball, 1885-1961

Ranking just below the top major and minor leagues in the first half of the twentieth century was another group of quality circuits. The Southern Association, which was formed in 1901 and had teams in several prominent Southern cities, was part of that group. In the mid 1930s, league directors decided to make the old Southern League, which had enjoyed an off-and-on existence since 1885, part of the Southern Association. This work is a complete history of the Southern Association, beginning with 1885, the year the Southern League began, and ending with 1961, the year it went out of business. Each chapter covers one year of the Southern Association's history and contains an essay describing a team, player, or trend in that particular year, and a list of teams in order of winning percentage. Details provided for each team include its record, winning percentage, the number of games it finished behind first place, its manager, and a list of its known players, their positions and statistics. The statistics for hitters include games played, at bats, runs, hits, RBIs, doubles, triples, home runs, walks, strikeouts, stolen bases, and batting average. Pitchers are listed separately and listed in order of games won. Statistics for pitchers include wins, losses, winning percentage, games played and started, complete games, shutouts, innings pitched, hits allowed, walks, strikeouts, and ERAs.

Table of Contents:
Table of Contents Acknowledgments     Introduction     Prelude—Baseball Down South     1885—First Pitch     1886—Failed Franchises     1887—The Pelicans Arrive     1888—Two League Team     1889—Fourth of July League     1892—Second Season     1893—Expansion     1894—Broken Promise     1895—Atlanta Crackers     1896—Abner Powell     1898—Complete Collapse     1899—Western Assistance     1901—Rebirth     1902—Second Look     1903—Thrice a Bridesmaid     1904—The Ragged Regiment     1905—Quarantine     1906—30–Game Winner     1907—Double Shutout     1908—Percentage Points     1909—Dixie Championship     1910—New Orleans Pelicans     1911—Good Field, No Hit     1912—Second Tier     1913—Photo Finish     1914—Postseason Challenge     1915—The Travelers Return     1916—Tom Rogers and Johnny Dodge     1917—Tailender     1918—First Casualty     1919—Hub Perdue     1920—Dixie Series     1921—Memphis Chicks     1922—Rube Robinson     1923—Tie Game     1924—Edged Out     1925—Minor League Legend     1926—Larry Gilbert     1927—Elliott Bigelow     1928—Barons’ Barrage     1929—Released     1930—Let There Be Light     1931—Publicity Stunt     1932—Overruled     1933—Losing Pitcher     1934—Promoted     1935—Contact Hitter     1936—Special Status     1937—Little Rock Travelers     1938—All Star Classic     1939—Four-Way Finish     1940—Nashville Vols     1941—Les Fleming     1942—Dixie Kings     1943—Pete Gray     1944—Relocated     1945—Three-Base Hit     1946—Nine in a Row     1947—Mobile Bears     1948—Sulphur Dell     1949—Tussle with Tulsa     1950—Narrow Decisions     1951—Turnaround     1952—Chattanooga Lookouts     1953—Field to Hill     1954—Robert Lennon     1955—Star of Stars     1956—Ten Plus Ten     1957—Lack of Support     1958—Dixie's Last Dance     1959—Birmingham Barons     1960—Near Collapse     1961—Lights Out     Postlude—The New Southern     Selected Bibliography     Index    

About the Author :
Award-winning author Marshall D. Wright is a sports statistician and archivist. He lives in Quincy, Massachusetts and is a member of the Society for American Baseball Research and Society International of Hockey Research.

Review :
“recommended”—Choice.