Southern League Hall of Fame explained

Southern League Hall of Fame
Established:	2013
Type:	Professional sports hall of fame
Website:	Official website

The Southern League Hall of Fame is an American baseball hall of fame which honors players, managers, coaches, umpires, owners, executives, and media personnel of the Southern League of Minor League Baseball for their accomplishments and/or contributions to the league and its teams. The Hall of Fame inducted its first class in 2014. Through the elections for 2020, a total of 45 people have been inducted.^[1]

In July 2013, the Southern League Board of Directors met to determine the first members of the league's Hall of Fame, which was to be celebrated in 2014 in conjunction with the league's 50th anniversary. Former league presidents Billy Hitchcock, Jim Bragan, and Don Mincher were unanimously selected. They and ten others, one chosen by each of the league's ten teams, were recognized as the inaugural Hall of Fame class at the 2014 Southern League All-Star Game in Chattanooga.^[2]

For the 2015 class, each team nominated up to three individuals for consideration. A 31-person voting committee of Southern League and Minor League Baseball personnel then narrowed the list to just ten inductees, selecting one from each organization.^[3] A tie vote for the Birmingham Barons' nominees resulted in the election of both Rollie Fingers and Frank Thomas.^[4] A Special Consideration Ballot was introduced that year, which allows teams to nominate anyone who has made significant contributions to teams from the league's predecessors: the original Southern League (1885–1899) and Southern Association (1901–1961).^[4] Harmon Killebrew became the first inductee to be elected via the Special Consideration Ballot in 2015.^[4] A similar format was assumed in 2016, wherein each team submitted nominations but only the top three were chosen for induction by a 30-member voting committee.^[5] The size of the voting panel has since fluctuated: 20 members in 2017, ^[6] 23 in 2018,^[7] and 34 in 2019.^[8] For 2020, the Hall of Fame committee endorsed a special proposal by league president Lori Webb to induct Frances Crockett Ringley, baseball's first female general manager, in addition to three regular inductees and a Special Consideration Ballot Hall of Famer.^[9]

Sixteen Southern League Hall of Famers have also been inducted in the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. These are Sparky Anderson, Rollie Fingers, Tom Glavine, Roy Halladay, Trevor Hoffman, Reggie Jackson, Randy Johnson, Chipper Jones, Harmon Killebrew, Tony La Russa, Edgar Martínez, Willie Mays, Ryne Sandberg, Frank Thomas, Alan Trammell, and Larry Walker.

Table key

Year	Indicates the year of induction
Position(s)	Indicates the inductee's primary playing position(s) or role
Team(s)	Indicates the team(s) for which the individual has been recognized
§	Indicates a member elected via Special Consideration Ballot or special proposal
	Indicates a member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum^[10]

Inductees

Year	Name	Position(s)	Team(s)	Career
2020		Manager	Asheville Tourists	1968	^[11]
2018		Broadcaster	Huntsville Stars/Birmingham Barons	1991–present
2014		League president	Southern League	1981–1994	^[12]
2016		Team president/general manager/owner	Jacksonville Suns	1985–2015
2014		Team president/owner	Jacksonville Suns	1984–2012	^[13]
2015		Second baseman/shortstop	Huntsville Stars	1989–1990	^[14]
2014		Team general manager/owner	Chattanooga Lookouts	1995–2014	^[15]
2014		Outfielder	Mobile BayBears	1998	^[16]
2015		Catcher	Knoxville Smokies	1993	^[17]
2019		Team president	Chattanooga Lookouts	1929–1965	^[18]
2015		Pitcher	Birmingham A's	1967–1968	^[19]
2018		Outfielder/manager	Memphis Chicks/Birmingham Barons	1980–1981, 1993–1995	^[20]
2018		First baseman	Jacksonville Suns	1984	^[21]
2017		Pitcher	Greenville Braves	1986	^[22]
2019		Pitcher	Knoxville Smokies/Tennessee Smokies	1997, 2001	^[23]
2014		League president	Southern League	1971–1980	^[24]
2015		Pitcher	Chattanooga Lookouts	1991–1992	^[25]
2014		Team executive	Huntsville Stars	1985–2014	^[26]
2014		Outfielder	Memphis Chicks	1986	^[27]
2014		Outfielder	Birmingham A's	1967	^[28]
2015		Pitcher	Jacksonville Expos	1987	^[29]
2015		Shortstop	Greenville Braves	1992	^[30]
2017		Outfielder	Jacksonville Suns	1998	^[31]
2015		Catcher	Carolina Mudcats	1994–1995	^[32]
2015		Third baseman	Chattanooga Lookouts	1957–1958	^[33]
2017		Second baseman/manager	Birmingham Barons/Mobile A's/Knoxville Sox	1965–1967, 1978
2020		Third baseman	Chattanooga Lookouts	1985–1986	^[34]
2018		Outfielder	Birmingham Black Barons	1948–1950
2014		Team executive/owner/league president	Huntsville Stars/Southern League	1985–2011
2014		Catcher	Savannah Braves	1976	^[35]
2019		First baseman/manager	Chattanooga Lookouts/Memphis Chicks	1978–1982, 1987–1988
2020		Team general manager/owner	Charlotte O's	1976–1987
2014		Manager	Tennessee Smokies	2009	^[36]
2016		Team president/owner	Nashville Sounds/Huntsville Stars	1978–1996
2015		First baseman/manager	Memphis Chicks/Birmingham Barons/Chattanooga Lookouts	1981–1983, 2004–2005, 2014
2016		Manager	Jacksonville Suns	2001, 2005–2008	^[37]
2020		Manager	Greenville Braves/Mississippi Braves	2002–2005
2015		First baseman	Birmingham Barons	1990	^[38]
2014		Shortstop	Montgomery Rebels	1976–1977	^[39]
2020		Batboy	Mobile BayBears	1997–2019
2015		Manager	Mobile BayBears	2011–2012	^[40]
2014		Pitcher	Carolina Mudcats	1991	^[41]
2019		Outfielder	Jacksonville Expos	1987	^[42]
2016		Broadcaster	Chattanooga Lookouts	1989–present
2015		Second baseman	Montgomery Rebels	1977	^[43]

External links

• Official website

Notes and References

1. Web site: Southern League Hall of Fame. Southern League. Minor League Baseball. January 30, 2020.
2. Web site: Southern League Announces Hall Inductees. Southern League. Minor League Baseball. May 20, 2014. January 30, 2020.
3. Web site: Hill. Benjamin. Southern League Joins Hall of Fame Fray. Minor League Baseball. February 6, 2015. January 30, 2020.
4. Web site: Southern League Names 12 New Inductees Into Hall Of Fame. The Chattanoogan. March 6, 2015. January 30, 2020.
5. Web site: Southern League Announces 2016 Hall Class. Southern League. Minor League Baseball. February 16, 2016. January 30, 2020.
6. Web site: Southern League Announces 2017 Hall of Fame Class. Ballpark Digest. February 16, 2017. January 31, 2020.
7. Web site: Southern League Announces 2016 HOF Class. Southern League. Minor League Baseball. March 5, 2018. January 30, 2020.
8. Web site: Southern League 2019 Hall of Fame Class. Southern League. Minor League Baseball. February 11, 2019. January 30, 2020.
9. Web site: Southern League Unveils 2020 Hall of Fame Class. Ballpark Digest. February 7, 2020. February 7, 2020.
10. Web site: MLB Baseball Hall of Fame Inductees. Baseball Reference. Sports Reference. January 30, 2020.
11. Web site: Sparky Anderson Minor League Statistics and History. Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. February 7, 2020.
12. Web site: Peters 2014 Southern League Jimmy Bragan Executive of the Year. Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp. Minor League Baseball. September 4, 2014. January 31, 2020.
13. Web site: Reichard. Kevin. In Memoriam: Peter Bragan Sr.. Ballpark Digest. July 9, 2012. January 31, 2020.
14. Web site: Scott Brosius Minor League Statistics and History. Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. January 31, 2020.
15. Web site: $13 Million Lookouts Sale "a Relief" to Frank Burke. Chattanooga Times Free Press. December 11, 2014. January 31, 2020.
16. Web site: Mike Darr Minor League Statistics and History. Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. January 31, 2020.
17. Web site: Carlos Delgado Minor League Statistics and History. Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. January 31, 2020.
18. Web site: Haman. Ansley. Joe Engel's Legacy as Big as Engel Stadium. Chattanooga Times Free Press. April 1, 2012. January 31, 2020.
19. Web site: Rollie Fingers Minor League Statistics and History. Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. January 31, 2020.
20. Web site: Terry Francona Minor League Statistics and History. Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. January 31, 2020.
21. Web site: Andrés Galarraga Minor League Statistics and History. Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. January 31, 2020.
22. Web site: Tom Glavine Minor League Statistics and History. Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. January 31, 2020.
23. Web site: Roy Halladay Minor League Statistics and History. Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. January 31, 2020.
24. Web site: Southern League History. Southern League. Minor League Baseball. January 31, 2020.
25. Web site: Trevor Hoffman Minor League Statistics and History. Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. January 31, 2020.
26. Web site: McCarter. Mark. Rosemary Hovatter Represents Huntsville Stars in First Southern League Hall of Fame Class. Advance Local. May 20, 2014. January 31, 2020.
27. Web site: Bo Jackson Minor League Statistics and History. Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. January 31, 2020.
28. Web site: Reggie Jackson Minor League Statistics and History. Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. January 31, 2020.
29. Web site: Randy Johnson Minor League Statistics and History. Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. January 31, 2020.
30. Web site: Chipper Jones Minor League Statistics and History. Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. January 31, 2020.
31. Web site: Gabe Kapler Minor League Statistics and History. Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. January 31, 2020.
32. Web site: Jason Kendall Minor League Statistics and History. Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. January 31, 2020.
33. Web site: Harmon Killebrew Minor League Statistics and History. Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. January 31, 2020.
34. Web site: Edgar Martínez Minor League Statistics and History. Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. February 7, 2020.
35. Web site: Dale Murphy Minor League Statistics and History. Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. January 31, 2020.
36. Web site: Ryne Sandberg Minor League Statistics and History. Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. January 31, 2020.
37. Web site: John Shoemaker Minor League Statistics and History. Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. January 31, 2020.
38. Web site: Frank Thomas Minor League Statistics and History. Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. January 31, 2020.
39. Web site: Alan Trammell Minor League Statistics and History. Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. January 31, 2020.
40. Web site: Turner Ward Minor League Statistics and History. Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. January 31, 2020.
41. Web site: Tim Wakefield Minor League Statistics and History. Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. January 31, 2020.
42. Web site: Larry Walker Minor League Statistics and History. Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. January 31, 2020.
43. Web site: Lou Whitaker Minor League Statistics and History. Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. January 31, 2020.