Dixie Association
From BR Bullpen
After the 1970 season both the 8-team Texas League and the 8-team Southern League lost a member. With unbalanced numbers, they decided to join in 1971 to form the Dixie Association. The eastern division teams (all 6 from the SL) played each other and the central division teams. The western division teams (all 4 from the TL) played each other and the central division teams). The four central division teams (three from the TL plus the Birmingham A's from the SL) played each other and both other divisions. Then the top two SL and TL teams faced off in a playoff (the top two eastern teams met in the SL playoff, while the central and western teams met in the TL playoff) and finally the Charlotte Hornets beat the Arkansas Travelers in the only Dixie Association Championship. The TL and SL still maintained separate league leaders, All-Star teams and statistics despite some "interleague" play in the odd arrangement. The Dixie Association lasted just one year.
Contents |
[edit] Teams and Statistics
[edit] 1971 Southern Association
1971 AA Southern League (Dixie Association)
President: Sam C. Smith
| Team Standings | W | L | PCT | GB | Attend | Managers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charlotte Hornets | 92 | 50 | .648 | 0 | 69,132 | Harry Warner |
| Asheville Tourists | 90 | 51 | .638 | 1.5 | 46,976 | Larry Sherry |
| Montgomery Rebels | 73 | 69 | .514 | 19 | 45,110 | Dick Tracewski |
| Jacksonville Suns | 63 | 77 | .450 | 28 | 58,751 | Ray Hathaway |
| Savannah Braves | 57 | 84 | .404 | 34.5 | 60,712 | Eddie Haas |
| Columbus Astros | 51 | 91 | .359 | 41 | 19,950 | Cliff Davis |
| Birmingham A's | 48 | 93 | .340 | 43.5 | 33,275 | Phil Cavarretta |
Playoff: Charlotte 2 games, Asheville 1.
| Player | Team | Stat | Tot | Player | Team | Stat | Tot | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minnie Mendoza | Charlotte | BA | .316 | Jim MacDonnell | Asheville | W | 17 | |
| Ken Hottman | Asheville | Runs | 99 | Dick Rusteck | Charlotte | W | 17 | |
| Minnie Mendoza | Charlotte | Hits | 163 | Chris Floethe | Birmingham | SO | 225 | |
| Ken Hottman | Asheville | RBI | 116 | Dick Rusteck | Charlotte | ERA | 2.40 | |
| Ken Hottman | Asheville | HR | 37 |
[edit] Teams and Statistics
[edit] 1971 Texas League
1971 AA Texas League (Dixie Association)
President: Bobby Bragan
| East Standings | W | L | PCT | GB | Attend | Managers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arkansas Travelers | 75 | 64 | .540 | 0 | 101,000 | Jack Krol |
| Memphis Blues | 69 | 70 | .496 | 6 | 96,410 | John Antonelli |
| Shreveport Captains | 69 | 73 | .486 | 7.5 | 44,662 | Les Moss |
| West Standings | W | L | PCT | GB | Attend | Managers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amarillo Giants | 88 | 54 | .620 | 0 | 66,117 | Andy Gilbert |
| Dallas-Ft. Worth Spurs | 82 | 59 | .582 | 5.5 | 213,249 | Cal Ripken, Sr. |
| Albuquerque Dodgers | 67 | 75 | .472 | 21 | 165,308 | Monty Basgall |
| San Antonio Missions | 63 | 77 | .450 | 24 | 47,113 | Walt Dixon |
Playoff: Arkansas 2 games, Amarillo 0.
| Player | Team | Stat | Tot | Player | Team | Stat | Tot | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Enos Cabell | Dallas/Ft.Worth | BA | .311 | Wayne Garland | Dallas/Ft. Worth | W | 19 | |
| Billy North | San Antonio | Runs | 91 | Tommy Moore | Memphis | SO | 160 | |
| Enos Cabell | Dallas/Ft. Worth | Hits | 162 | Wayne Garland | Dallas/Ft. Worth | ERA | 1.71 | |
| Gary Matthews Sr. | Amarillo | RBI | 86 | Larry Fritz | Memphis | HR | 20 |
[edit] Championship Playoff
The Charlotte Hornets beat the Arkansas Travelers for the first and only Dixie Association Championship.
[edit] Source
The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball: Second Edition.
Image is user created not original.
