1997 Southern League season
| 1997 Southern League season | |
|---|---|
| League | Southern League |
| Sport | Baseball |
| Duration | April 3 – September 1 |
| Games | 140 |
| Teams | 10 |
| Regular season | |
| League champions | Huntsville Stars |
| Season MVP | Ben Grieve, Huntsville Stars |
| Playoffs | |
| League champions | Greenville Braves |
| Runners-up | Huntsville Stars |
The 1997 Southern League was a Class AA baseball season played between April 3 and September 1. Ten teams played a 140-game schedule, with the top team in each division in each half of the season qualifying for the post-season.
The Greenville Braves won the Southern League championship, as they defeated the Huntsville Stars in the playoffs.
Team changes
- The Port City Roosters relocated to Mobile, Alabama and were renamed to the Mobile BayBears. The team moved from the East Division to the West Division. The club ended their affiliation with the Seattle Mariners and began a new affiliation with the San Diego Padres.
- The Knoxville Smokies moved from the West Division to the East Division.
- The Memphis Chicks ended their affiliation with the San Diego Padres and began a new affiliation with the Seattle Mariners.
- The Orlando Cubs are renamed to the Orlando Rays. The club remained affiliated with the Chicago Cubs.
Teams
Map of teams
East Division 
West Division
Regular season
Summary
- The Huntsville Stars finished the season with the best record in the league for the first time since 1994.
Standings
| East Division | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | Win | Loss | % | GB |
| Knoxville Smokies | 75 | 63 | .543 | – |
| Greenville Braves | 74 | 66 | .529 | 2 |
| Jacksonville Suns | 66 | 73 | .475 | 9.5 |
| Orlando Rays | 63 | 75 | .457 | 12 |
| Carolina Mudcats | 55 | 82 | .401 | 19.5 |
| West Division | ||||
| Huntsville Stars | 77 | 62 | .554 | – |
| Birmingham Barons | 76 | 62 | .551 | 0.5 |
| Chattanooga Lookouts | 70 | 69 | .504 | 7 |
| Mobile BayBears | 69 | 68 | .504 | 7 |
| Memphis Chicks | 67 | 72 | .482 | 10 |
League Leaders
Batting leaders
| Stat | Player | Total |
|---|---|---|
| AVG | Mike Neill, Huntsville Stars | .340 |
| H | D. T. Cromer, Huntsville Stars | 176 |
| R | Mike Neill, Huntsville Stars | 129 |
| 2B | D. T. Cromer, Huntsville Stars | 40 |
| 3B | Brian Simmons, Birmingham Barons | 12 |
| HR | Mike Coolbaugh, Huntsville Stars Luis Raven, Birminghan Barons Kevin Witt, Knoxville Smokies | 30 |
| RBI | Mike Coolbaugh, Huntsville Stars | 132 |
| SB | Earl Johnson, Mobile / Jacksonville | 42 |
Pitching leaders
| Stat | Player | Total |
|---|---|---|
| W | Scott Eyre, Birmingham Barons Russ Herbert, Birmingham Barons | 13 |
| ERA | Russ Herbert, Birmingham Barons | 3.63 |
| CG | Brett Hinchliffe, Memphis Chicks | 5 |
| SHO | Ken Cloude, Memphis Chicks Ryan Franklin, Memphis Chicks Jason Stevenson, Knoxville Smokies | 2 |
| SV | Todd Williams, Chattanooga Lookouts | 31 |
| IP | Bill King, Huntsville Stars Brandon Reed | 176.0 |
| SO | Earl Byrne, Orlando Rays | 128 |
Playoffs
- The Greenville Braves won their second Southern League championship, defeating the Huntsville Stars in five games.
Playoff bracket
| Division finals | Finals | ||||||||
| E1 | Knoxville | 1 | |||||||
| E2 | Greenville | 3 | |||||||
| E2 | Greenville | 3 | |||||||
| W1 | Huntsville | 2 | |||||||
| W1 | Huntsville | 3 | |||||||
| W2 | Mobile | 2 | |||||||
Awards
| Southern League awards | |
|---|---|
| Award name | Recipient |
| Most Valuable Player | Ben Grieve, Huntsville Stars |
| Pitcher of the Year | Scott Eyre, Birmingham Barons |
| Manager of the Year | Randy Ingle, Greenville Braves |
See also
References
- ↑ 1997 SOUL Standings at stats-crew.com, URL accessed March 14, 2025
- ↑ 1997 SL Batting Leaders at baseball-reference.com, URL accessed March 14, 2025
- ↑ 1997 SL Pitching Leaders at baseball-reference.com, URL accessed March 14, 2025