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56-689: In 2005, the Southern League 's Greenville Braves relocated to Pearl, Mississippi , from Greenville, South Carolina , due to the poor condition of Greenville Municipal Stadium , and the failure to reach an agreement with the Greenville County council for a new ballpark. The M-Braves' first season began on April 18, 2005 at Trustmark Park with a loss to the Montgomery Biscuits . In conjunction with Major League Baseball 's restructuring of Minor League Baseball in 2021,

112-661: A Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Miami Marlins . They are located in Jacksonville, Florida , and are named for shrimp caught in the area. The team plays their home games at 121 Financial Ballpark , which opened in 2003. They previously played at Sam W. Wolfson Baseball Park from 1962 until the end of the 2002 season. A team known as

168-451: A split season format from 1976 to 2020. Under this format, the winners of each half within each division played for the division championship, and the division winners met to play for the SL title. The 2021 winner was crowned via a series between the two teams with the best full-season records. The 2022 championship will be decided through the same split-season divisional format used for most of

224-495: A 69–51 record. No playoffs were held to determine a league champion; instead, the team with the best regular-season record was declared the winner. However, 10 games that had been postponed from the start of the season were reinserted into the schedule as a postseason tournament called the Triple-A Final Stretch in which all 30 Triple-A clubs competed for the highest winning percentage. Jacksonville finished

280-479: A clean slate and not maintain records prior to the 1964 season. The newly minted league wanted to distance itself from the SALLY League's past history in the low minors (Class C was roughly equivalent to an Advanced Rookie league in the pre-2021 classification system, while Class B was roughly equivalent to short-season Class A). Additionally, many leagues had contributed to its legacy. In its inaugural campaign,

336-866: A predecessor to the modern Southern League . Jacksonville was also home to the Red Caps of the Negro leagues . The first team from the Sunshine State of Florida known as the Jacksonville Suns arrived in the city by way of Havana, Cuba , and Jersey City, New Jersey . Following the Cuban Revolution in 1959, the Havana Sugar Kings of the Triple-A International League (IL) relocated to become

392-754: Is a Minor League Baseball league that has operated in the Southern United States since 1964. Along with the Eastern League and Texas League , it is one of three circuits playing at the Double-A level, which is two grades below Major League Baseball (MLB). The league traces its roots to the original Southern League (1885–1899), the Southern Association (1901–1961), and the original South Atlantic League (1904–1963). The later circuit dissolved and refounded itself as

448-657: The COVID-19 pandemic before being cancelled on June 30. Since the move to 121 Financial Ballpark, the Suns have consistently been at or near the top of their league in attendance. This success led to speculation that the team could return to the Triple-A level in the future. In conjunction with Major League Baseball 's reorganization of the minor leagues after the 2020 season, the Jumbo Shrimp were selected to move up to

504-776: The Jacksonville Suns competed in the Triple-A International League from 1962 to 1968. The franchise was relocated to Norfolk, Virginia , as the Tidewater Tides in 1969. After one season without professional baseball , a different Suns team came to the city in 1970 as members of the Double-A Southern League (SL). From 1985 to 1990, the team was known as the Jacksonville Expos during an affiliation with

560-615: The Jersey City Jerseys during the 1960 season. The franchise folded after the 1961 campaign and was bought by a local group headed by Samuel W. Wolfson, previously the owner of the Jacksonville Braves. The Suns played their home games at Jacksonville Baseball Park, which was renamed Sam W. Wolfson Baseball Park after Wolfson's death in 1963. As the Triple-A affiliate of the Cleveland Indians ,

616-680: The Montreal Expos , but they returned to the Suns moniker in 1991. The club rebranded as the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp before the 2017 season. In conjunction with Major League Baseball 's reorganization of Minor League Baseball in 2021, the Jumbo Shrimp were elevated to the Triple-A East, which was renamed the International League in 2022. Jacksonville won their only IL championship in 1968 as

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672-727: The Most Valuable Pitcher Award . In 1964, Jacksonville became the top farm club of the St. Louis Cardinals . The team won a second IL pennant that year under manager Harry Walker with an 89–62 season, but they were eliminated in the postseason semifinals by Rochester. Shortstop Joe Morgan was selected as the 1964 league MVP. The Suns switched affiliations to the New York Mets in 1966. During this period, pitchers Tom Seaver (1966) and Nolan Ryan (1967), both future Baseball Hall of Fame inductees, played for

728-401: The Southern United States . It operated at various times as a Class B league. Fraught with financial problems, teams regularly dropped out before the season's end. After being nonoperational in 1891, 1892, and 1897, it disbanded permanently after halting play during the 1899 season. The Southern Association was formed in 1901 as a Class B circuit operating in nearly the same footprint as

784-696: The 1987 Most Outstanding Pitcher Award . Two other notable players to appear for Jacksonville in 1987 were future National League MVP Larry Walker and future Hall of Famer Randy Johnson . In 1990, starter Brian Barnes was the Most Outstanding Pitcher, and Jerry Manuel was the Manager of the Year. Upon switching affiliation to the Seattle Mariners in 1991, the team reverted to its Suns moniker. Over four seasons with Seattle,

840-698: The 1996 Suns won both halves of the season and then the Eastern Division title over the Carolina Mudcats . They went on to defeat the Chattanooga Lookouts , 3–1, to win their first Southern League championship and first league title since 1968. The Detroit-affiliated Suns reached the championship finals twice more but lost to the Mobile BayBears in 1998 and West Tenn Diamond Jaxx in 2000. Outfielder Gabe Kapler won

896-590: The 1998 MVP Award after leading the league in home runs (28), hits (176), runs (113), doubles (47), RBI (146), total bases (319, and sacrifice flies (11). Closer Francisco Cordero , the league's saves leader (27), was 1999's Most Outstanding Pitcher. Jacksonville affiliated with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2001. Manager of the Year John Shoemaker 's 2001 club paced the league with an 83–56 mark, winning both halves of

952-714: The Asheville Tourists, 2–1, and then defeated the Texas League champion Arkansas Travelers , 3–0, to win the Dixie Association championship. The partnership was dissolved after the season. President Smith died suddenly in April 1971, and Billy Hitchcock became the new president that August. Hitchcock introduced a number of changes that are still in use today. In 1972, the Southern League

1008-582: The Braves were organized into the Double-A South . They won the 2021 Southern Division title with a first-place 67–44 record. They qualified for the playoffs by having the best record in the league. The Braves defeated the Montgomery Biscuits , 3–2, in the best-of-five series to win the Double-A South championship. Shea Langeliers was selected as the league's Top MLB Prospect and Dan Meyer as

1064-671: The Double-A affiliate of both the Milwaukee Brewers and Montreal Expos for their first Southern League season. They became a Cleveland Indians farm club in 1971, and then began a much longer affiliation with the Kansas City Royals in 1972. The Suns made their first Southern League playoff appearance in 1973 behind Manager of the Year Billy Gardner . They won the Eastern Division title but lost

1120-508: The Eastern Division series on each occasion (1986, 1987, 1988, and 1990). Individual players and managers, however, garnered several league awards during this period. First baseman Andrés Galarraga was the 1984 Southern League MVP, and skipper Rick Renick was the season's Manager of the Year. Tommy Thompson was recognized as the top manager for 1987 after leading the Expos to a league-best 85–59 record. Starting pitcher Brian Holman won

1176-551: The Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp. The name combines shrimping , which is popular on Jacksonville's St. Johns River , with the sentiment that Jacksonville, Florida's largest city, still has a small-town feel, hinting at the moniker's oxymoronic nature. The 2017 team won a second half title, but they lost the Southern Division to the Pensacola Blue Wahoos . The start of the 2020 season was postponed due to

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1232-539: The MLB team became the Miami Marlins in 2012. The relationship got off to an auspicious start as the Suns won back-to-back Southern League championships. Brandon Hyde 's 2009 second-half winners swept Birmingham for the Southern Division title then defeated the Tennessee Smokies , 3–1, in the finals for the championship win. Tim Leiper took over managerial duties for the 2010 season. After winning both halves of

1288-586: The Manager of the Year. In December 2021, Diamond Baseball Holdings bought the Mississippi Braves from Atlanta Braves owner Liberty Media . In 2022, the Double-A South became known as the Southern League, the name historically used by the regional circuit prior to the 2021 reorganization. In 2024, the Braves announced that the 2024 season would be their final season in Mississippi, and that they would be relocating to Columbus, Georgia , for

1344-533: The Southern Division series. They went on to win their third Southern League championship over West Tenn, 3–1. Though the 2006 club was eliminated by the Montgomery Biscuits in the division series, Shoemaker won his second Manager of the Year Award, and Spike Lundberg was selected as the league's Most Outstanding Pitcher. Jacksonville entered into a new affiliation with the Florida Marlins in 2009;

1400-561: The Southern League and the other two Double-A leagues, the Eastern League and Texas League , participated in the Double-A All-Star Game instead. League members Dixie Association Other active league Other Defunct League A "^" indicates that team's article redirects to an article of an active team formerly of the Southern League League champions have been determined by different means since

1456-431: The Southern League in 1964, maintaining a new set of records. Following MLB's reorganization of the minor leagues in 2021, it operated as the Double-A South for one season before switching back to its previous moniker in 2022. In its inaugural 1964 season, the Southern League consisted of eight teams from Alabama , Georgia , North Carolina , Tennessee , and Virginia . Following contractions, expansions, and relocations,

1512-603: The Southern League joined forces with the Double-A Texas League as the Dixie Association in 1971. The two leagues played an interlocking schedule with individual league champions determined at the end of the season. Up to this point, the Southern League champions had been simply the regular season pennant winners. For the first time, the top two Southern League teams met in a best-of-three series to determine champions. The Charlotte Hornets defeated

1568-411: The Southern League's formation in 1964. Through 1970, champions were the regular-season pennant winners—the team with the best win–loss record at the conclusion of the regular season. The 1971 title was decided in a postseason series between the two teams with the best records. From 1972 to 1975, the winners of each of two divisions competed in a series to determine champions. The league operated using

1624-436: The Southern League, attendance continued to grow as several cities built new ballparks. In 1994, Arnie Fielkow succeeded Bragan as president, and Don Mincher took over in 2000. Lori Webb became president in 2012 after Mincher's death that March. The start of the 2020 season was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic before ultimately being cancelled on June 30. As part of Major League Baseball's 2021 reorganization of

1680-772: The Suns ended their first season by winning the 1962 International League pennant with a league-best 94–60 record under manager Ben Geraghty . In the Governors' Cup playoffs for the IL championship , they won the semifinals over the Rochester Red Wings but lost the finals to the Atlanta Crackers , 4–3. Shortstop / second baseman Tony Martínez was selected for the IL Most Valuable Player (MVP) Award , and right-hander Joe Schaffernoth won

1736-509: The Suns never qualified for the playoffs. Right-hander Jim Converse won the 1992 Most Outstanding Pitcher Award after leading the Southern League with 157  strikeouts . Future major league All-Stars Alex Rodriguez (1994) and Bret Boone (1991) came through Jacksonville during the Mariners affiliation. The Detroit Tigers became the parent club of the Suns in 1995. Behind the leadership of managers Bill Plummer and Larry Parrish ,

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1792-658: The Suns. Skipper Clyde McCullough led the 1968 Suns to win their only IL playoff championship. After defeating the Toledo Mud Hens , 3–1, in the semifinals, they won the league crown over the Columbus Jets , 4–0, in the finals. When the Milwaukee Braves moved to Atlanta in 1966, the Atlanta Crackers relocated to Richmond, Virginia . This left Jacksonville as the southernmost team in

1848-639: The Triple-A affiliate of the New York Mets . They won the SL championship six times. The first came in 1996 as the Double-A affiliate of the Detroit Tigers . As a farm club for the Los Angeles Dodgers , they won in 2001 and 2005. Three SL titles were won as the Double-A affiliate of the Miami Marlins, including back-to-back championships in 2009 and 2010 and most recently in 2014. Jacksonville, Florida , has hosted professional baseball teams since

1904-535: The Triple-A classification—making them the only active Florida-based team at that level—and continue as affiliates of the Miami Marlins in 2021. They were placed in the 20-team Triple-A East . Jacksonville began competition in the new league on May 4 with an 11–5 victory over the Norfolk Tides at 121 Financial Ballpark. They ended the season in second place in the Southeastern Division with

1960-497: The Year Award , originally known as the Most Outstanding Pitcher Award, serves to recognize the league's best pitcher. The Manager of the Year Award is given to the league's top manager. The Top MLB Prospect Award, created in 2021, is given to the league's top rookie prospect. Six presidents led the Southern League since its formation: Jacksonville Suns The Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp are

2016-530: The championship finals versus the Montgomery Rebels , 3–1. Jacksonville returned to the playoffs in 1974 via another Eastern Division title but were again denied a championship by the Knoxville Sox , 3–2. By 1977, the SL had begun using a split-season schedule wherein the division winners from each half qualified for the postseason. The Suns won 1977's Second Half Eastern Division title, won

2072-581: The current South Atlantic League (formerly the Western Carolinas League ), was formed in 1904. It operated at Class C until it was elevated to Class B in 1921 and Class A in 1946. A year after the Southern Association's disbandment, the SALLY League took its place at the Double-A level in 1963. The Double-A SALLY League dissolved after the 1963 season and refounded itself as the Southern League. It elected to start with

2128-630: The division title over the Savannah Braves , but lost to Montgomery, 2–0, in the finals. Jacksonville made two more appearances in the playoffs with Kansas City but lost in the finals each time. The 1982 team won both halves of the season with a league-best 83–61 record under Manager of the Year Gene Lamont , but they ultimately lost the championship to the Nashville Sounds , 3–1. The 1983 second-half champion Suns lost in

2184-642: The finals, 3–1, to the Birmingham Barons . Outfielder John Morris was selected as the 1983 Southern League MVP . Jacksonville became the Double-A affiliate of the Montreal Expos in 1984. After being purchased by Peter Bragan Sr. and his family in 1985, the team was renamed the Jacksonville Expos. Much like in the previous affiliation, the Expos made four playoff appearances in seven seasons with Montreal but were eliminated in

2240-405: The first Southern League. It was elevated to Class A in 1902, Class A1 in 1936, and Double-A in 1946. The Southern Association remained a premier Southern baseball league until Major League Baseball radio and television broadcasts began to undercut attendance in the 1950s. The league disbanded after 1961. The original South Atlantic League , nicknamed the "SALLY League" and not related to

2296-425: The late 19th century. Six teams of the Southern League of Colored Base Ballists were based in the city in 1886. An unnamed team played in an early iteration of the Florida State League in 1892. With only a few interruptions from 1904 to 1961, the city was home to such Minor League Baseball teams as the Jays , Tars , and Braves , which played predominantly in the original South Atlantic League ("Sally League"),

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2352-441: The league consists of eight teams in Alabama, Florida , Georgia, Mississippi , and Tennessee. A league champion is determined at the end of each season. The Birmingham Barons have won 8  Southern League titles , the most among all teams in the league, followed by the Jacksonville Suns (6) and the Montgomery Rebels (5). The original Southern League was formed prior to the 1885 season as an eight-team circuit playing in

2408-412: The league was split into Eastern and Western divisions. There were no divisions in place from 1964 to 1970. As of 2020, each club had 140 games scheduled per season. Utilizing a split-season schedule, each half consisted of 70 games. The season typically began during the first or second week of April and concluded in the first week of September on Labor Day . The Southern League All-Star Game

2464-405: The league's existence. The Birmingham Barons have won 8 Southern League championships, the most among all teams in the league, followed by the Jacksonville Suns (6) and the Montgomery Rebels (5). The SL recognizes outstanding players and team personnel annually near the end of each season. The Most Valuable Player Award is given to honor the best player in the league. The Pitcher of

2520-406: The league, far away from the nearest clubs in Richmond and Louisville, Kentucky . After the 1968 season, the team was relocated to Norfolk, Virginia , as the Tidewater Tides . Jacksonville went without a minor league team in 1969. A new Suns team began play in 1970 when the Double-A Southern League (SL) added expansion franchises in Jacksonville, and Mobile, Alabama . Jacksonville became

2576-436: The minor leagues, the Southern League was reduced to eight teams and temporarily renamed the "Double-A South" for the 2021 season. Following MLB's acquisition of the rights to the historical names of the minor leagues, the Double-A South was renamed the Southern League effective with the 2022 season. The Southern League is currently divided into two divisions, North and South, of four teams each. Previously, from 1972 to 2004,

2632-531: The playoffs to two rounds with the winners of each half competing for each division's championship and those winners meeting for the league championship. With the addition of two teams in 1978, the Southern League grew to 10 teams. Other improvements under Hitchcock's presidency included stadium refurbishments and efforts to make the league more family-friendly. Attendance figures rose dramatically during his tenure. Jim Bragan became president in 1981 after Hitchcock's retirement. Over his 14 years leading

2688-415: The playoffs, the Suns won 16 of their final 17 games en route to winning the Southern Division title over Mobile and their sixth and final Southern League championship over Chattanooga, 3–0. Justin Nicolino was recognized as the league's Most Outstanding Pitcher. The Bragan family sold the franchise to Ken Babby of Fast Forward Sports Group in 2015. The Suns rebranded after the 2016 season, becoming

2744-410: The season with an 81–59 record, Jacksonville bested Mobile, 3–1, in the division series before knocking off Tennessee, 3–1, for the second-straight year in the championship round. Tom Koehler won that season's Most Outstanding Pitcher Award. In 2014, the Suns finished the regular season on a ten-game winning streak, edging out the Mississippi Braves by one game to win the second half title. Including

2800-428: The season. They bested Chattanooga, 3–2, to advance to the finals against the Huntsville Stars , but the September 11 terrorist attacks brought a halt to the championship series before it began. Jacksonville and Huntsville were declared co-champions. The 2002 season was the Suns' last year at Wolfson Park. They moved into the newly constructed Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville, later renamed 121 Financial Ballpark , at

2856-471: The six-team Southern League consisted of the Asheville Tourists , Birmingham Barons , Charlotte Hornets , Chattanooga Lookouts , Columbus Confederate Yankees , Knoxville Smokies , Lynchburg White Sox , and Macon Peaches . Sam C. Smith, previously president of the SALLY League, served as its president. From 1967 to 1969, the league was reduced to six teams. It went back to eight clubs in 1970, but dropped to seven in 1971. With an odd number of teams,

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2912-404: The start of the 2003 season. The 11,000-seat, US$ 34-million venue was created as part of the Better Jacksonville Plan . The 2002 team made a bid to win the championship outright but was swept by Birmingham in the best-of-five finals. Starter Joel Hanrahan was 2003's Most Outstanding Pitcher. With Shoemaker still at the helm, the Suns won the first half title before sweeping Birmingham, 3–0, in

2968-782: The start of the 2025 season as the Columbus Clingstones . On September 13, 2008, the Mississippi Braves beat the Carolina Mudcats , 3–2, in the 10th inning of the decisive Game 5 of the Southern League Championship Series. This was the M-Braves first championship and the first Southern League title for Atlanta's Double-A franchise since 1997. The M-Braves' second title came in 2021 in the Double-A South. All Mississippi Braves games were televised live on MiLB.TV . Since 2023, all regular and post-season Mississippi Braves games aired on 102.1 The Box . The broadcasters were Chris Harris and Jack Sadighian. From 2009 to 2022, games aired on WYAB 103.9 FM . * Promoted directly to Atlanta . Southern League (1964%E2%80%932020) The Southern League

3024-450: The tournament tied for seventh place with a 6–4 record. In 2022, the Triple-A East became known as the International League, the name historically used by the regional circuit prior to the 2021 reorganization. Scott Kornberg has been the play-by-play announcer for Jumbo Shrimp games since 2020. Live audio broadcasts are available online through the team's website, on WOKV 690 AM, and the MiLB First Pitch app. Games can be viewed through

3080-428: Was an annual midsummer game between two teams of the league's players, one made up of All-Stars from North Division teams and the other from South Division teams. First held in 1964, the event predominantly consisted of a single team of the league's All-Stars versus a Major League Baseball team through 1998. The division versus division format was used continuously from 1999 to 2019. No game was held from 1991 to 1995 as

3136-487: Was split into two divisions, Eastern and Western. The playoffs, which began in the Dixie Association, were continued and expanded to a best-of-five series. The league also began selecting postseason All-Star teams and issuing awards for the Most Valuable Player , Most Outstanding Pitcher , and Manager of the Year . In 1976, it introduced a split-season format with the schedule divided in half and first and second half champions from each division being crowned. This expanded

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