The 1908 Nashville Vols season was the 15th season of minor league baseball in Nashville, Tennessee , and the Nashville Vols ' 8th season in the Southern Association .[ 1] The Vols finished the previous season in last place, but this year won the league pennant , by defeating he New Orleans Pelicans 1-0 on the last day of the season in a game dubbed by Grantland Rice "The Greatest Game Ever Played In Dixie ."[ 2] [ 3] [ 4]
This is also the season Rice dubbed the ballpark Sulphur Dell .[ 5] The team's player-manager was Bill Bernhard .[ 6] [ 7] The team featured just two players from Tennessee: Pryor McElveen and Hub Perdue . First baseman Jake Daubert led the league in home runs with six.[ 8]
Before the season
The Vols finished last place in the Southern Association in 1907. A new group of men purchased the team, including Ferdinand E. Kuhn , James B. Carr, Thomas James Tyne, J. T. Connor, James A. Bowling, Robert L. Bolling, Rufus E. Fort, and William G. Hirsig . Well known attorney S. A. Champion supplied legal services. The group envisioned an ambitious project of stadium renovations at Sulphur Dell , and managed to cull $50,000. Kuhn was selected to head the Board of Directors.[ 9] He went on a trip to Ponce de Leon Park in Atlanta to observe a modern park and plan renovations.[ 10]
Kuhn hired Bill Bernhard as manager.
Schedule
Game log
1908 Game Log (75–56)
#
Date
Opponent
Score
Win
Loss
Save
Stadium
Attendance
Record
Streak
1
April 16
@ Atlanta
1–3
Ford (1–0)
Sorrell (0–1)
Ponce de Leon Park
6,000
0–1
L1
2
April 17
@ Atlanta
3–0
Duggan (1–0)
Castleton (0–1)
Ponce de Leon Park
3,000
1–1
W1
April 20
Montgomery
3–3
—
Sulphur Dell
4,400
1–1
W1
3
April 21
Montgomery
1–5
Van Ada
Sorrell (0–2)
—
Sulphur Dell
2,000
1–2
L1
4
April 22
Montgomery
5–6
Cristall
Duggan (1–1)
—
Sulphur Dell
1,500
1–3
L2
5
April 23
Montgomery
4–2
Perdue (1–0)
Helm
—
Sulphur Dell
1,500
2–3
W1
6
April 25
Birmingham
3–0
Hess (1–0)
Robitaille
—
Sulphur Dell
3,000
3–3
W2
7
April 27
Birmingham
7–6
Hunter (1–0)
McNeal
—
Sulphur Dell
1,500
4–3
W3
8
April 28
Birmingham
1–4
Fleharty
Duggan (1–2)
—
Sulphur Dell
1,500
4–4
L1
9
April 29
@ Montgomery
1–4
Thomas
Perdue (1–1)
—
4–5
L2
10
April 30
@ Montgomery
1–4
Stackpole
Hess (1–1)
—
4–6
L3
#
Date
Opponent
Score
Win
Loss
Save
Stadium
Attendance
Record
Streak
11
May 1
@ Montgomery
5–0
Kellum (1–0)
Merriman
5–6
W1
12
May 2
@ Montgomery
1–3
5–7
L1
13
May 4
@ Birmingham
3–1
Duggan (2–2)
McNeal
6–7
W1
14
May 7
@ Birmingham
1–4
Turner
Perdue (1–2)
450
6–8
L1
15
May 8
Atlanta
1–4
Ford
Hess (1–2)
—
Sulphur Dell
6–9
L2
16
May 9
Atlanta
2–1
Kellum (2–0)
McKenzie
—
Sulphur Dell
1,500
7–9
W1
17
May 11
Atlanta
4–2
Yerkes (1–0)
Cummings
—
Sulphur Dell
1,500
8–9
W2
18
May 12
Atlanta
5–6
Ford
Duggan (2–3)
—
Sulphur Dell
2.000
8–10
L1
19
May 14
@ Memphis
6–2
Duggan (3–3)
Chappelle
Russwood Park
9–10
W1
20
May 15
@ Memphis
5–1
Hess (2–2)
Savidge
Russwood Park
10–10
W2
21
May 16
@ Memphis
3–2
Hunter (2–1)
Garrity
Russwood Park
11–10
W3
22
May 18
@ Little Rock
5–3
Perdue (2–2)
Connelly
12–10
W4
23
May 19
@ Little Rock
1–3
Hart
Kellum (2–1)
12–11
L1
24
May 20
@ Little Rock
1–10
Eyler
Hess (2–3)
12–12
L2
May 21
@ New Orleans
0–0
Athletic Park
12–12
L2
25
May 22
@ New Orleans
1–4
Bartley
Hunter (2–2)
Athletic Park
12–13
L3
26
May 23
@ New Orleans
1–10
Guese
Perdue (2–3)
Athletic Park
12–14
L4
27
May 24
@ New Orleans
0–5
Bartley
Hess (2–4)
Athletic Park
12–15
L5
28
May 25
@ Mobile
2–1
Kellum (3–1)
Torrey
Monroe Park
13–15
W1
29
May 26
@ Mobile
10–4
Duggan (4–3)
Beeker
Monroe Park
14–15
W2
30
May 29
Memphis
9–1
Hunter (3–2)
Garrity
Sulphur Dell
3,000
15–15
W3
31
May 30
Memphis
0–1
Savidge
Duggan (4–4)
Sulphur Dell
4,000
15–16
L1
32
May 30
Memphis
2–5
Chappelle
Hess (2–5)
Sulphur Dell
15–17
L2
33
May 31
@ Memphis
1–4
Shields
Perdue (2–4)
Russwood Park
15–18
L3
#
Date
Opponent
Score
Win
Loss
Save
Stadium
Attendance
Record
Streak
34
June 1
Memphis
3–1
Kellum (4–1)
Garrity
—
Sulphur Dell
1,500
16–18
W1
35
June 2
New Orleans
2–5
Guese
Yerkes (1–2)
—
Sulphur Dell
1,800
16–19
L1
36
June 4
New Orleans
3–2
Duggan (5–4)
Clark
—
Sulphur Dell
1,500
17–19
W1
37
June 5
New Orleans
5–2
Duggan (6–4)
Bartley
—
Sulphur Dell
1,800
18–19
W2
38
June 6
Mobile
2–5
Beeker
Kellum (4–2)
—
Sulphur Dell
2,800
18–20
L1
39
June 8
Mobile
8–1
Perdue (3–4)
Torrey
—
Sulphur Dell
1,400
19–20
W1
40
June 9
Mobile
1–3
Stockdale
Yerkes (1–3)
—
Sulphur Dell
1,500
19–21
L1
41
June 10
Mobile
3–0
Duggan (7–4)
Beeker
—
Sulphur Dell
1,200
20–21
W1
42
June 11
Little Rock
2–8
Eyler
Bernhard (0–1)
—
Sulphur Dell
1,599
20–22
L1
43
June 12
Little Rock
7–0
Perdue (4–4)
Walters
—
Sulphur Dell
1,200
21–22
W1
44
June 13
Little Rock
1–8
Eastman
Kellum (4–3)
—
Sulphur Dell
1,500
21–23
L1
45
June 15
Birmingham
0–6
Robitaille
Duggan (7–5)
—
Sulphur Dell
1,100
21–24
L2
46
June 16
Birmingham
5–3
Perdue (5–4)
Turner
—
Sulphur Dell
1,300
22–24
W1
47
June 17
Birmingham
6–0
Kellum (5–3)
Robinson
—
Sulphur Dell
1,500
23–24
W2
48
June 18
Montgomery
5–1
Bernhard (1–1)
Cristall
—
Sulphur Dell
1,500
24–24
W3
49
June 19
Montgomery
7–2
Duggan (8–5)
Guese
—
Sulphur Dell
1,500
25–24
W4
50
June 20
Montgomery
8–0
Perdue (6–4)
Juul
—
Sulphur Dell
3,000
26–24
W5
51
June 22
@ Atlanta
5–4
Kellum (6–3)
Schopp
—
Ponce de Leon Park
27–24
W6
52
June 23
@ Atlanta
5–1
Perdue (7–4)
—
Ponce de Leon Park
28–24
W7
53
June 23
@ Atlanta
1–4
Castleton
Duggan (8–6)
—
Ponce de Leon Park
28–25
L1
54
June 24
@ Atlanta
0–5
Ford
Bernhard (1–2)
—
Ponce de Leon Park
28–26
L2
55
June 25
@ Montgomery
3–4
Guese
Kellum (6–4)
—
28–27
L3
56
June 26
@ Montgomery
1–2
Thomas
Perdue (7–5)
—
28–28
L4
57
June 27
@ Montgomery
3–2
Duggan (9–6)
McCafferty
—
29–28
W1
58
June 30
Atlanta
3–1
Duggan (10–6)
Ford
—
Sulphur Dell
1,500
30–28
W2
#
Date
Opponent
Score
Win
Loss
Save
Stadium
Attendance
Record
Streak
59
July 1
Atlanta
5–0
Perdue (8–5)
Schopp
—
Sulphur Dell
1,600
30–28
W3
60
July 3
@ Birmingham
5–2
Kellum (7–4)
—
31–28
W4
61
July 4
@ Birmingham
5–2
Duggan (11–6)
—
1,500
32–28
W5
62
July 5
@ New Orleans
1–2
Clark
Perdue (8–6)
—
Athletic Park
32–29
L1
63
July 6
@ New Orleans
2–0
Kellum (8–4)
Breitenstein
—
Athletic Park
33–29
W1
64
July 7
@ New Orleans
3–1
Duggan (12–6)
Bartley
—
Athletic Park
34–29
W2
July 9
@ Mobile
0–0
—
Monroe Park
34–29
W2
65
July 10
@ Mobile
3–2
Hunter (3–3)
Gaskill
—
Monroe Park
35–29
W3
66
July 11
@ Mobile
1–2
Hickman
Kellum (8–5)
—
Monroe Park
35–30
L1
67
July 12
@ Mobile
6–3
Bernhard (2–2)
Gaskill
—
Monroe Park
36–30
W1
July 13
@ Little Rock
3–3
—
36–30
W1
68
July 14
@ Little Rock
1–4
Hart
Hunter (4–3)
—
36–31
L1
69
July 15
@ Little Rock
1–2
Eastman
Duggan (12–7)
—
36–32
L2
70
July 15
@ Little Rock
5–4
Kellum (9–5)
Buchanan
—
37–32
W1
71
July 17
@ Memphis
3–2
Perdue (9–6)
Chappelle
—
Russwood Park
38–32
W2
72
July 18
@ Memphis
6–1
Bernhard (3–2)
Shields
—
Russwood Park
39–32
W3
73
July 20
Little Rock
2–1
Duggan (13–7)
Neuer
—
Sulphur Dell
3,000
40–32
W4
74
July 21
Little Rock
0–3
Buchanan
Perdue (9–7)
—
Sulphur Dell
40–33
L1
75
July 22
Little Rock
15–8
Hunter (5–3)
—
Sulphur Dell
41–33
W1
76
July 23
Mobile
0–2
Hickman
Kellum (9–6)
—
Sulphur Dell
41–34
L1
77
July 25
Mobile
4–2
Perdue (10–7)
Torrey
—
Sulphur Dell
1,800
42–35
W1
78
July 26
@ Memphis
2–1
Bernhard (4–2)
Garrity
—
43–35
W2
79
July 27
New Orleans
3–1
Kellum (10–6)
Bartley
—
Sulphur Dell
3,000
44–35
W3
80
July 28
New Orleans
5–7
Clark
Hunter (5–4)
—
Sulphur Dell
3,500
44–36
L1
81
July 29
New Orleans
2–0
Bernhard (5–2)
Fritz
—
Sulphur Dell
2,500
45–36
W1
82
July 30
Memphis
2–5
Perdue (10–8)
—
Sulphur Dell
2,000
45–37
L1
83
July 31
Memphis
0–1
Savidge
Duggan (13–8)
—
Sulphur Dell
1,800
45–38
L2
#
Date
Opponent
Score
Win
Loss
Save
Stadium
Attendance
Record
Streak
84
August 1
Memphis
3–0
Kellum (11–6)
Schwenk
Sulphur Dell
3,500
46–38
W1
85
August 3
Birmingham
2–6
Bauer
Perdue (10–9)
Sulphur Dell
1,400
46–39
L1
86
August 4
Birmingham
15–2
Hunter (6–4)
Robitaille
Sulphur Dell
2,000
47–39
W1
87
August 5
Birmingham
13–1
Kellum (12–6)
Ford
Sulphur Dell
2,000
48–39
W2
88
August 5
Birmingham
4–5
Turner
Duggan (13–9)
Sulphur Dell
48–40
L1
89
August 6
Atlanta
6–0
Bernhard (6–2)
Radabaugh
Sulphur Dell
2,000
49–40
W1
90
August 7
Atlanta
2–1
Sitton (1–0)
Maxwell
Sulphur Dell
3,500
50–40
W2
91
August 8
Atlanta
2–0
Hunter (7–4)
Viebahn
Sulphur Dell
51–40
W3
92
August 10
Montgomery
6–1
Duggan (14–9)
Bliss
Sulphur Dell
2,400
52–40
W4
93
August 11
Montgomery
1–3
Guese
Kellum (12–7)
Sulphur Dell
52–41
L1
94
August 12
Montgomery
1–0
Bernhard (7–2)
Thomas
Sulphur Dell
2,500
53–41
W1
95
August 13
@ Atlanta
2–5
Viebahn
Hunter (7–5)
Ponce de Leon Park
53–42
L1
96
August 14
@ Atlanta
5–1
Sitton (2–0)
Ford
Ponce de Leon Park
54–42
W1
97
August 14
@ Atlanta
2–3
Johns
Duggan (14–10)
Ponce de Leon Park
54–43
L1
98
August 15
@ Atlanta
3–1
Kellum (13–7)
Maxwell
Ponce de Leon Park
55–43
W1
99
August 17
@ Montgomery
3–8
Thomas
Sitton (2–1)
55–44
L1
100
August 18
@ Montgomery
11–6
Perdue (11–9)
Juul
56–44
W1
101
August 19
@ Montgomery
6–3
Bernhard (8–2)
Guese
57–44
W2
August 20
@ Birmingham
1–1
57–44
W2
102
August 21
@ Birmingham
2–6
Ford
Kellum (13–8)
57–45
L1
103
August 21
@ Birmingham
4–5
Thomas
Sitton (2–1)
57–46
L2
104
August 22
@ Birmingham
3–1
Perdue (12–9)
Robitaille
58–46
W1
105
August 22
@ Birmingham
0–7
Fleharty
Perdue (12–10)
58–47
L1
106
August 24
@ Little Rock
1–2
Eyler
Bernhard (8–3)
58–48
L2
107
August 25
@ Little Rock
5–3
Duggan (15–10)
Eastman
59–48
W1
108
August 26
@ Little Rock
4–0
Perdue (13–10)
Buchanan
60–48
W2
109
August 26
@ Little Rock
3–2
Kellum (14–8)
Hart
61–48
W3
110
August 28
@ Memphis
1–2
Schwenk
Sitton (2–3)
Russwood Park
61–49
L1
111
August 29
@ Memphis
1–5
Savidge
Bernhard (8–4)
Russwood Park
61–50
L2
August 30
@ Memphis
2–2
Russwood Park
5,000
61–50
L2
112
August 31
@ New Orleans
2–0
Kellum (15–8)
Bartley
—
Athletic Park
3,300
62–50
W1
#
Date
Opponent
Score
Win
Loss
Save
Stadium
Attendance
Record
Streak
113
September 1
@ New Orleans
1–0
Sitton (3–3)
Fritz
—
Athletic Park
3,500
63–50
W2
114
September 2
@ New Orleans
0–3
Breitenstein
Duggan (15–11)
—
Athletic Park
3,500
63–51
L1
September 2
@ New Orleans
0–0
—
Athletic Park
63–51
L1
115
September 3
@ Mobile
0–1
Hickman
Perdue (13–11)
—
Monroe Park
63–52
L2
116
September 3
@ Mobile
2–0
Perdue (14–11)
Hixon
—
Monroe Park
64–52
W1
117
September 5
@ Mobile
1–4
Fisher
Kellum (15–9)
—
Monroe Park
64–53
L1
118
September 5
@ Mobile
10–0
Hunter (8–5)
—
Monroe Park
65–53
W1
119
September 7
Memphis
1–4
Schwenk
Sitton (3–4)
Sulphur Dell
3,500
65–54
L1
120
September 7
Memphis
6–3
Duggan (16–11)
Garrity
Sulphur Dell
7,500
66–54
W1
121
September 8
Memphis
10–0
Perdue (15–11)
Savidge
Sulphur Dell
67–54
W2
122
September 9
Little Rock
2–3
Hart
Kellum (15–10)
Sulphur Dell
67–55
L1
123
September 10
Little Rock
1–0
Duggan (17–11)
Buchanan
Sulphur Dell
68–55
W1
124
September 11
Little Rock
20–1
Sitton (4–4)
Sulphur Dell
69–55
W2
125
September 12
Little Rock
11–1
Perdue (16–11)
Hart
Sulphur Dell
70–55
W3
126
September 14
Mobile
10–2
Duggan (18–11)
Beeker
Sulphur Dell
71–55
W4
127
September 15
Mobile
8–2
Sitton (5–4)
Fisher
Sulphur Dell
72–55
W5
128
September 16
Mobile
10–1
Perdue (17–11)
Sulphur Dell
73–55
W6
129
September 17
New Orleans
1–5
Bartley
Bernhard (8–5)
Sulphur Dell
5,000
73–56
L1
130
September 18
New Orleans
6–2
Duggan (19–11)
Phillips
Sulphur Dell
5,000
74–56
W1
131
September 19
New Orleans
1–0
Sitton (6–4)
Breitenstein
Sulphur Dell
10,700
75–56
W2
Legend: = Win = Loss = No decision Bold = Vols team member Reference :[ 11]
Game summaries
April
Opening day
Sportswriter and Vanderbilt baseball coach Grantland Rice accompanied the team to Atlanta. President Kuhn ordered a line score hung up on a slate board outside Sulphur Dell, for local fans to follow the game.[ 12]
June
Mike McCormick leaves
On June 15, team captain Mike McCormick had a heated exchange with fans and ultimately abandoned the team.[ 13]
Despite this, the Vols changed the team and went on a winning streak as a result. On June 20 in an 8–0 win over Montgomery, Butler hit a then-rare, outside-the-park home run.[ 14]
July
Seventeen inning contest
The seventeen-inning game on July 9 against Mobile was declared a tie. Both pitchers received praise, and Hamilton Love wrote Perdue "has done more than any one man to hold up the team."[ 15]
August
Carl Sitton's debut
On August 7, Southern Association rookie Sitton debuted against the Crackers, winning a close game 2–1 and striking out eight.[ 16]
September
On September 3, Hub Perdue pitched a shutout until the final inning, when he let a run across. He then insisted on pitching the second game of a doubleheader, and pitched a shut-out win.[citation needed ]
John Duggan's no-hitter
On September 10, Nashville's John Duggan pitched a no-hitter , the second in team history, against the Little Rock Travelers at Sulphur Dell . Only two Little Rock batters reached base, one via walk and another on a fielding error . Nashville's Pryor McElveen , who had earlier misplayed the ball at third, drove in Doc Wiseman in the sixth inning for the only run of the game, a 1–0 win.[ 17] [ 18]
Last game vs. New Orleans
According to one account, "By one run, by one point, Nashville has won the Southern League pennant, nosing New Orleans out literally by an eyelash . Saturday's game, which was the deciding one, between Nashville and New Orleans was the greatest exhibition of the national game ever seen in the south and the finish in the league race probably sets a record in baseball history".[ 19]
Carl Sitton 's spitball defeated Ted Breitenstein 1–0 in the "Greatest Game".[ 20] Sitton pitched a complete-game, nine-strikeout, four-hit, shutout.
Nashville scored in the bottom of the seventh inning. With two outs, catcher Ed Hurlburt hit a single . Then Sitton did too. Harry "Deerfoot" Bay bunted perfectly down the third base line to load the bases, Bay's fondest memory in his long baseball career.[ 21] Doc Wiseman then drove in the winning run. Sitton was thrown out at home after Hurlburt scored.[ 21] The time of the game was one hour and forty-two minutes.[ 2]
The decisive Nashville-New Orleans game
Standings
Season standings
File:Bill Bernhard, Nashville Team, baseball card portrait LCCN2008676892.jpg Bill Bernhard, the team's manager.
Source:[ 22]
Record vs. opponents
File:Sulphur Dell 1908.jpg A game at Sulphur Dell , 1908
Source:[ 23]
Roster
File:Docwiseman.png Doc Wiseman, "The Hero of the Dell".
Twenty-four players competed for the Vols over the course of the season.[ 24] Of these, Daubert, Butler, Wiseman, Perdue, and Sitton were named by Nashville Banner sportswriters Fred Russell and George Leonard to an all-time team consisting of top Nashville players from 1901 to 1919.[ 25]
1908 Nashville Vols
Roster
Pitchers
Catchers
Infielders
Outfielders
Manager
Player stats
Batting
Starters
File:Harry Bay, Nashville Team, baseball card portrait LCCN2008676891.jpg "Deerfoot" Bay was the team's leadoff hitter . Note: G = Games played ; AB = At bats ; R = Runs ; H = Hits ; AVG = Batting average ; SLG = Slugging percentage ; SB = Stolen bases
Others
Pitchers
Source:[ 24]
Pitching
Starting pitchers
File:Hub Perdue, Nashville Team, baseball card portrait LCCN2008676894.jpg Hub Perdue Note: G = Games pitched ; W = Wins ; L = Losses ; W% = Winning percentage
Other pitchers
Source:[ 24]
Notes
↑ By August, the team's batting lineup had been settled as follows:[ 26]
References
Specific
↑ "Nashville, Tennessee Encyclopedia" . Baseball-Reference . Sports Reference. Retrieved February 9, 2019 .
↑ 2.0 2.1 The Reach Official American League Base Ball Guide For 1908 . A.J. Reach Company. 1908. p. 215.
↑ Simpson, John A. (2007). The Greatest Game Ever Played In Dixie . ISBN 9780786430505 .
↑ Simpson, John A. (2013). Hub Perdue: Clown Prince of the Mound . ISBN 978-0786472253 .
↑ "Sports writer Grantland Rice credited with Sulphur Dell moniker" . The Tennessean .
↑ Nipper, Skip (February 10, 2007). Baseball in Nashville . Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 9780738543918 – via Google Books.
↑ "History of baseball at Sulphur Dell" . The Tennessean .
↑ "1908 Southern League (SL) minor league baseball Leaders on StatsCrew.com" .
↑ Simpson pp. 32, 180
↑ Grantland Rice (January 22, 1908). "In Sulphur Dell" . The Tennessean . p. 8. Retrieved January 9, 2016 – via Newspapers.com . Open access icon
↑ Simpson, pp. 237-248
↑ Simpson, p. 60
↑ Simpson, p. 96
↑ Ibid, p. 101
↑ Ibid, p. 112
↑ Ibid. p. 129
↑ McGill, Chuck. "Minor League No-Hitters" . Baseball-Reference . Sports Reference. Retrieved September 17, 2015 .
↑ "No Hit Game for J. Duggan" . Nashville Banner . Nashville. September 11, 1908. p. 12. Retrieved February 11, 2020 .
↑ Hamilton Love (October 10, 1908). "South Sayings" (PDF) . Sporting Life : 16. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 13, 2015. Retrieved February 10, 2020 .
↑ "Looking Back: Nashville's Baseball Championships" . MiLB.com .
↑ 21.0 21.1 Simpson 2013 , p. 62
↑ "1908 Southern Association" . Baseball-Reference . Sports Reference. Retrieved February 12, 2020 .
↑ The Reach Official American League Base Ball Guide for 1908 . A.J. Reach Company. 1908. p. 213.
↑ 24.0 24.1 24.2 "1908 Nashville Volunteers Statistics" . Baseball-Reference . Sports Reference. Retrieved February 17, 2020 .
↑ "Nashville Vols Year-by-Year Results" (PDF) . 2015 Nashville Sounds Media Guide . Nashville Sounds. 2015. p. 201. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 7, 2015. Retrieved September 11, 2015 .
↑ Simpson, p. 132
General
Franchise Ballpark Culture Seasons
1901
1902
1903
1904
1905
1906
1907
1908
1909
1910
1911
1912
1913
1914
1915
1916
1917
1918
1919
1920
1921
1922
1923
1924
1925
1926
1927
1928
1929
1930
1931
1932
1933
1934
1935
1936
1937
1938
1939
1940
1941
1942
1943
1944
1945
1946
1947
1948
1949
1950
1951
1952
1953
1954
1955
1956
1957
1958
1959
1960
1961
1962
1963
Pennant winners
1901: Nashville
1902: Nashville
1903: Memphis
1904: Memphis
1905: New Orleans
1906: Birmingham
1907: Atlanta
1908: Nashville
1909: Atlanta
1910: New Orleans
1911: New Orleans
1912: Birmingham
1913: Atlanta
1914: Birmingham
1915: New Orleans
1916: Nashville
1917: Atlanta
1918: New Orleans
1919: Atlanta
1920: Little Rock
1921: Memphis
1922: Mobile
1923: New Orleans
1924: Memphis
1925 Atlanta
1926: New Orleans
1927: New Orleans
1928: Birmingham
1929: Birmingham
1930: Memphis
1931: Birmingham
1932: Chattanooga
1933: Memphis
1934: New Orleans
1935: Atlanta
1936: Atlanta
1937: Little Rock
1938: Atlanta
1939: Chattanooga
1940: Nashville
1941: Atlanta
1942: Little Rock
1943: Nashville
1944: Atlanta
1945: Atlanta
1946: Atlanta
1947: Mobile
1948: Nashville
1949: Nashville
1950: Atlanta
1951: Little Rock
1952: Chattanooga
1953: Memphis
1954: Atlanta
1955: Memphis
1956: Atlanta
1957: Atlanta
1958: Birmingham
1959: Birmingham
1960: Atlanta
1961: Chattanooga
Playoff champions
1928: Birmingham
1929: None held
1930: None held
1931: None held
1932: New Orleans
1933: New Orleans
1934: New Orleans
1935: Atlanta
1936: Birmingham
1937: Little Rock
1938: Atlanta
1939: Nashville
1940: Nashville
1941: Nashville
1942: Nashville
1943: Nashville
1944: Nashville
1945: Mobile
1946: Atlanta
1947: Mobile
1948: Birmingham
1949: Nashville
1950: Nashville
1951: Birmingham
1952: Memphis
1953: Nashville
1954: Atlanta
1955: Mobile
1956: Atlanta
1957: Atlanta
1958: Birmingham
1959: Mobile
1960: Little Rock