Southern Association Most Valuable Player Award Explained

Southern Association
Most Valuable Player Award
Sport:Baseball
League:Southern Association
Givenfor:Regular-season most valuable player of the Southern Association
Country:United States
Presenter:Southern Association
First:Red Nonnenkamp (1936)
Last:Howie Koplitz (1961)
Mostwins:Ted Cieslak (2)
Stan Palys (2)

The Southern Association Most Valuable Player Award (MVP) was an annual award given to the best player in Minor League Baseball's Southern Association based on their regular-season performance as voted on by league sportswriters.[1] Early iterations of the honor were voted on by league managers.[2] Though the league was established in 1901,[3] the award was not created until 1936.[4] It continued to be issued through the 1961 season,[1] after which the league disbanded.[3]

Two players won the award twice: Ted Cieslak, who won back-to-back in 1945 and 1946, and Stan Palys, the winner in 1957 and 1960.

Eleven outfielders won the MVP Award, the most of any position. Catchers and first basemen, each with three winners, won the most among infielders, followed by second baseman and third baseman (2). Six pitchers also won the award.

Eight players from the Nashville Vols were selected for the MVP Award, more than any other team in the league, followed by the Atlanta Crackers (4); the Birmingham Barons, Little Rock Travelers, Memphis Chicks, and Mobile Bears (3); and the Chattanooga Lookouts, Knoxville Smokies, and New Orleans Pelicans (1).

Four players from the Chicago Cubs Major League Baseball (MLB) organization won the MVP Award, more than any other, followed by the Cleveland Indians and Detroit Tigers organizations (3); the Brooklyn Dodgers, New York Giants, and Pittsburgh Pirates organizations (2); the Boston Red Sox, Chicago White Sox, Cincinnati Reds, St. Louis Browns, and Washington Senators organizations (1). Five players were from teams unaffiliated with any MLB organization.

Winners

Position
Indicates the player's primary position
Number of wins by players who have won the award multiple times
^Indicates multiple award winners in the same year
Year!scope="col"
WinnerTeamOrganizationPosition
1936Little Rock TravelersBoston Red SoxOutfielder[5]
1937Memphis ChicksUnaffiliated[6]
1938New Orleans PelicansCleveland IndiansPitcher[7]
1939Knoxville SmokiesPittsburgh PiratesFirst baseman[8]
1940^Nashville VolsBrooklyn DodgersCatcher[9]
1940^Atlanta CrackersUnaffiliatedOutfielder[10]
1941Pittsburgh PiratesFirst baseman[11]
1942Little Rock TravelersUnaffiliatedSecond baseman[12]
1943Nashville VolsChicago CubsOutfielder[13]
1944Memphis ChicksSt. Louis Browns[14]
1945Atlanta CrackersUnaffiliatedThird baseman[15]
1946
1947Mobile BearsBrooklyn DodgersCatcher[16]
1948Nashville VolsChicago CubsOutfielder[17]
1949Catcher[18]
1950Pitcher[19]
1951Little Rock TravelersDetroit TigersOutfielder[20]
1952Chattanooga LookoutsWashington SenatorsSecond baseman[21]
1953Nashville VolsNew York GiantsPitcher[22]
1954Outfielder[23]
1955Memphis ChicksChicago White Sox[24]
1956Mobile BearsCleveland IndiansPitcher[25]
1957Nashville VolsCincinnati RedsOutfielder[26]
1958Birmingham BaronsDetroit TigersPitcher[27] [28]
1959Mobile BearsCleveland IndiansFirst baseman[29] [30]
1960Birmingham BaronsDetroit TigersOutfielder[31]
1961Pitcher[32]

Wins by team

TeamAward(s)Year(s)
Nashville Vols81940, 1943, 1948, 1949, 1950, 1953, 1954, 1957
Atlanta Crackers41940, 1941, 1945, 1946
Birmingham Barons31958, 1960, 1961
Little Rock Travelers1936, 1942, 1951
Memphis Chicks1937, 1944, 1955
Mobile Bears1947, 1956, 1959
Chattanooga Lookouts11952
Knoxville Smokies1939
New Orleans Pelicans1939

Wins by organization

OrganizationAward(s)Year(s)
Chicago Cubs41943, 1948, 1949, 1950
Detroit Tigers1951, 1958, 1960, 1961
Cleveland Indians31938, 1956, 1959
Brooklyn Dodgers21940, 1947
New York Giants1953, 1954
Pittsburgh Pirates1939, 1941
Boston Red Sox11936
Chicago White Sox1955
Cincinnati Reds1957
St. Louis Browns1944
Washington Senators1952

References

Specific
General

Notes and References

  1. News: Barons' Koplitz Selected Southern's Most Valuable. Newspapers.com. The Nashville Tennessean. Nashville. August 31, 1961. 26.
  2. News: Associated Press. All-Star Team Selected Today for Southern. Newspapers.com. The Jackson Sun. Jackson. September 1, 1937. 8.
  3. Web site: Southern Association (AA) Encyclopedia and History. Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. December 14, 2023.
  4. News: Palys Eighth Vol to Get Southern's MVP Accolade. Newspapers.com. The Nashville Banner. Nashville. January 23, 1958. 31.
  5. Web site: Red Nonnenkamp Minor League Statistics. Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. December 14, 2023.
  6. Web site: Coaker Triplett Minor League Statistics and History. Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. August 8, 2020.
  7. Web site: Red Evans Minor League Statistics and History. Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. August 8, 2020.
  8. Web site: Babe Young Minor League Statistics and History. Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. August 8, 2020.
  9. Web site: Greek George Minor League Statistics and History. Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. August 8, 2020.
  10. Web site: Emil Mailho Minor League Statistics and History. Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. August 8, 2020.
  11. Web site: Lester Burge Minor League Statistics and History. Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. August 8, 2020.
  12. Web site: Roy Schalk Minor League Statistics and History. Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. August 8, 2020.
  13. Web site: Ed Sauer Minor League Statistics and History. Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. August 8, 2020.
  14. Web site: Pete Gray Minor League Statistics and History. Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. August 8, 2020.
  15. Web site: Ted Cieslak Minor League Statistics and History. Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. August 8, 2020.
  16. Web site: Cliff Dapper Minor League Statistics and History. Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. August 8, 2020.
  17. Web site: Chuck Workman Minor League Statistics and History. Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. August 8, 2020.
  18. Web site: Carl Sawatski Minor League Statistics and History. Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. August 8, 2020.
  19. Web site: Bob Schultz Minor League Statistics and History. Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. August 8, 2020.
  20. Web site: Halbert Simpson Minor League Statistics and History. Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. August 8, 2020.
  21. Web site: Ellis Clary Minor League Statistics and History. Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. August 8, 2020.
  22. Web site: Jack Harshman Minor League Statistics and History. Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. August 8, 2020.
  23. Web site: Bob Lennon Minor League Statistics and History. Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. August 8, 2020.
  24. Web site: Ed White Minor League Statistics and History. Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. August 8, 2020.
  25. Web site: Gene Lary Minor League Statistics and History. Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. August 8, 2020.
  26. Web site: Stan Palys Minor & Japanese Leagues Statistics. Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. December 15, 2023.
  27. News: Barons' Pitcher is Most Valuable. Newspapers.com. The Commercial Appeal. Memphis. April 17, 1959. 64.
  28. Web site: Bill Harrington Minor League Statistics. Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. December 15, 2023.
  29. News: Logue. John. Bear's Coleman Southern's MVP. Newspapers.com. The Atlanta Journal. Atlanta. September 4, 1959. 16.
  30. Web site: Gordy Coleman Minor League Statistics. Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. December 15, 2023.
  31. News: Palys Selected Most Valuable Southern Player. Newspapers.com. The Nashville Tennessean. Nashville. September 2, 1960. 34.
  32. Web site: Howie Koplitz Minor League Statistics. Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. December 15, 2023.