| Sport | Minor League Baseball |
|---|---|
| President | Mendel L. Smith (1906–1908) |
| Inaugural | 1906 |
| Teams | 11 |
| Country | United States of America |
| Folded | 1908 |
| Most champs | 2 Sumter Gamecocks (1907, 1908) |
| Classification | Class D (1906–1908) |
The South Carolina League, also known as the South Carolina State League, was a minor league baseball league that played from 1906 to 1908. The Class D level South Carolina League consisted entirely of franchises based in South Carolina for its three seasons of play. The Sumter Gamecocks won league championships in 1907 and 1908.
History
The South Carolina League formed for the first time in the 1906 season as a six–team Class D level minor league. The 1906 charter league member teams were Camden, the Darlington Fiddlers, Georgetown, Manning, the Orangeburg Cotton Pickers and Sumter Gamecocks. The final 1906 South Carolina League records and standings are unknown.[1][2]
In 1907, the Class D level South Carolina League continued as a six–team league under league president Mendel L. Smith, beginning play on May 20, 1907. The league added the Anderson Electricians, Greenville Mountaineers and Spartanburg Spartans as new franchises. On July 27, 1907, Darlington moved to Florence and the Anderson and Greenville franchises both folded. Completing the 1907 season with four teams, the Sumter Game Cocks won the league championship with a 44–23 record. Sumner finished ahead of the Orangeburg Cotton Pickers (42–25), Spartanburg Spartans (36–24) and Darlington/Florence Fiddlers (23–45) in the standings and were champions as the league held no playoffs.[3][4][5][6]
In 1908, the South Carolina League played their final season as a four–team Class D level league, beginning play on May 4, 1908. The Sumter Gamecocks defended their title, posting a 41��27 regular season record, as the league held no playoffs. Sumter was followed by the Chester Collegians (40–30), Rock Hill Catawbas (28–40) and Orangeburg Edistoes (27–39). The South Carolina permanently folded following the 1908 season.[7][8][9]
South Carolina League teams
| Team name(s) | City represented | Ballpark | Year(s) active |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anderson Electricians | Anderson, South Carolina | Unknown | |
| Camden | Camden, South Carolina | Unknown | |
| Chester Collegians | Chester, South Carolina | Fairgrounds Ballpark[10] | |
| Darlington Fiddlers | Darlington, South Carolina | Unknown | to |
| Florence Fiddlers | Florence, South Carolina | Unknown | |
| Georgetown | Georgetown, South Carolina | Unknown | |
| Greenville Edistoes | Greenville, South Carolina | Furman Park[11] | |
| Manning | Manning, South Carolina | Unknown | |
| Orangeburg Cotton Pickers | Orangeburg, South Carolina | Unknown | to |
| Rock Hill Catawbas | Rock Hill, South Carolina | Unknown | |
| Spartanburg Spartans | Spartanburg, South Carolina | Unknown | |
| Sumter Gamecocks | Sumter, South Carolina | Unknown | to |
Standings & statistics
1906 to 1908
1906 South Carolina League
Standings and statistics not available
1907 South Carolina League
| Team name | W | L | PCT | GB | Managers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sumter Gamecocks | 44 | 23 | .657 | – | Guy Gunter |
| Orangeburg Cotton Pickers | 42 | 25 | .627 | 2 | J.P. Doyle |
| Spartanburg Spartans | 36 | 34 | .514 | 9½ | J.W. McMakin |
| Darlington Fiddlers/ Florence Fiddlers | 23 | 45 | .338 | 21½ | Crese Heismann / Clyde Russell / Schmitz |
| Greenville Edistoes | 25 | 28 | .472 | NA | Tom Stouch |
| Anderson Electricians | 21 | 36 | .368 | NA | Bagwell |
| Player | Team | Stat | Tot | Player | Team | Stat | Tot | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| J.C. Watson | Spartanburg | BA | .327 | Sam Lansford | Orangeburg | W | 18 | |
| Ralph McLaurin | Sumter | Hits | 88 | Sam Lansford | Orangeburg | Pct. | .783; 18–5 | |
| Walter Rikard | Orangeburg | SB | 37 |
1908 South Carolina League
| Team name | W | L | PCT | GB | Managers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sumter Gamecocks | 41 | 27 | .603 | – | Frank Dingle |
| Chester Collegians | 40 | 30 | .571 | 2 | H.P. Caldwell |
| Rock Hill Catawbas | 28 | 40 | .412 | 13 | Guy Gunter |
| Orangeburg Cotton Pickers | 27 | 39 | .409 | 13 | J.P. Doyle Roy Miller / Ed Sawyer |
| Player | Team | Stat | Tot | Player | Team | Stat | Tot | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| L. B. Simmons | Orangeburg | BA | .354 | Bill Temple | Chester | W | 15 | |
| Fred Prim | Orangeburg/Chester | Hits | 69 | Elmer Long | Sumter | PCT | .750 9–3 | |
| L. C. Drake | Chester | Runs | 38 |
References
- ^ "South Carolina League (D) Encyclopedia and History". Baseball-Reference.com
- ^ "1906 South Carolina League". Baseball-Reference.com
- ^ "1907 South Carolina League". Baseball-Reference.com
- ^ The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball. Third ed. Baseball America. 2007. ISBN 978-1932391176.
- ^ "1907 South Carolina League (SCL) on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com
- ^ "1907 South Carolina League (SCL) Standings on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com
- ^ "1908 South Carolina League". Baseball-Reference.com
- ^ "1908 South Carolina League (SCL) on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com
- ^ "1908 South Carolina League (SCL) Standings on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com
- ^ "Fairgrounds Ball Park in Chester, SC history and teams on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com
- ^ "Furman Park in Greenville, SC history and teams on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com