
Baseball is a game of numbers. These figures can be added, subtracted, divided, multiplied, bent, twisted and turned in any number of ways to tell a story about a player, a team or, in this case, a league. Here's a look at Southern League, by the numbers:
0 | Number of Southern League teams in the state where the league office is located (Georgia) |
0 | Number of .400 hitters in league history |
.17 | The average number of intentional walks per game by Southern League pitchers in 2005 -- the most in the Minors |
.882 | Montgomery's all-time playoff winning percentage (15-2 in five appearances) |
1 | Number of Southern League players who have hit four home runs in a game -- Montgomery's George Kalafatis on July 1, 1969 |
1 | Number of times a Southern League player has stolen 100 or more bases in a season (Donnell Nixon, 102, 1984) |
1 | Number of at-bats, hits and RBIs Southern League president Don Mincher had in the 1972 World Series for Oakland -- his one hit was the third of four consecutive singles that produced two runs in the ninth inning of the A's 3-2 comeback win over the Reds in Game 3 |
2 | Number of times Southern League president Don Mincher was an American League All-Star during his 13-year Major League Baseball career |
2 | Number of times the league's Championship Series has been cancelled -- the last time being in 2004 due to Hurricane Ivan |
2 | Number of live camels bought by Chattanooga Lookouts president J. Frank Burke for display at Engel Stadium |
3 | The number of games, on average, you'd have to watch in the Southern League before seeing a hit batsman -- the league averaged .34 per game in '05, the lowest in Minors |
3 | Number of times Mobile's Hank Aaron Stadium has hosted the Southern League All-Star Game in its 10 years of existence |
4 | The number of runs scored per game by Southern League teams in 2005 -- the lowest in the Minors |
4.6 | The average number of years of experience of Southern League umpires in 2005 |
5 | Number of states represented in the Southern League -- Tennessee, North Carolina, Florida, Alabama and Mississippi |
5 | The number of Southern League championships that both Montgomery and Birmingham have won -- tied for most in league history |
5 | Number of times Columbus' Ike Futch struck out in 536 at-bats in 1964 |
5 | The number of Southern League teams that joined the league at least 40 years ago |
6 | Number of members of the Hall of Fame who have played or managed in the modern Southern League (1964-present) |
6.5 | The average number of strikeouts per game by Southern League pitchers in 2005 -- the lowest in the Minors |
7 | Number of Minor League teams run by Birmingham Barons owners Elmore Sports Group -- Colorado Springs, San Antonio, Eugene, Helena, Idaho Falls and Inland Empire |
8 | Number of times Jacksonville has lost in the league championship series -- more than twice as many than any other team in league history |
8 | Number of different league champions in the past seven seasons, including co-champions in both 2001 and 2004 |
9.00 | The average price, in dollars, of box seats in the ten Southern League stadiums |
13 | The average number of runners left on base in Southern League games in 2005 -- the lowest in the Minors |
15 | Consecutive number of years that the Southern League has drawn over two million fans |
18 | Consecutive number of seasons Steve Bryant and Joe Kremer have been the owner and general manager, respectively, of the Carolina Mudcats |
19 | Number of triples hit by Montgomery's Alan Trammell in 1977 -- a league record |
21 | Number of years Greenville, S.C., hosted a Southern League team before relocating to Pearl, Miss., in 2004 |
21 | Number of seasons Peter Bragan Jr. has served as Jacksonville's general manager -- the longest tenure in the league |
23 | Number of years Montgomery had gone without a baseball team before the Biscuits joined the league in 2004 |
29.85 | Average age of Southern League umpires in 2005 |
32 | Number of times Birmingham's Carlos Lee grounded into a double play in 1998 -- most ever in the Southern League |
34.38 | Number of consecutive hours that Carolina Mudcats broadcaster Patrick Kinas bowled to raise money for the September 11 Fund -- a world record for marathon bowling |
37 | Number of years that West Tenn president Robert Lozinak has been a McDonalds franchisee |
39 | Number of years Tennessee has been in the Southern League -- the most of any team in league history |
42 | Number of home runs hit by Orlando's Tim Laudner in 1981 -- a league record |
57.66 | Consecutive number of scoreless innings thrown by Tennessee Smokies pitcher Brad Thompson in 2004 -- the second longest streak in Minor League history |
93 | Number of miles between Montgomery, Ala., and Birmingham, Ala. -- the shortest roadtrip in the league |
96 | Number of years since the inaugural game was played at Birmingham's Rickwood Stadium, where the Barons still play one game per year (the Rickwood Classic) |
300 | Percentage increase of Southern League attendance during Billy Hitchcocks reign as league president from 1971 through 1980 |
334 | Percentage increase of Jacksonville attendance between 1985 (owner Peter Bragan Sr.'s first season) and 2005 |
395 | The distance from home plate to the centerfield fence at West Tenn's Pringles Park -- the only park in the league without a centerfield fence of at least 400 feet |
839 | Number of miles between Pearl, Miss., and Zebulon, N.C. -- the longest roadtrip in the league |
6,946 | The average capacity of the Southern League's 10 stadiums |
11,000 | The capacity at the Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville -- over twice that of the league's smallest park, Joe W. Davis Stadium in Huntsville |
19,400,000 | Number of dollars spent to construct Tennessee's Smokies Stadium in 2000 |