1956 South Atlantic League season
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| 1956 South Atlantic League season | |
|---|---|
| League | South Atlantic League |
| Sport | Baseball |
| Duration | April 17 – September 5 |
| Number of games | 140 |
| Number of teams | 8 |
| Regular season | |
| League champions | Jacksonville Braves |
| Playoffs | |
| League champions | Jacksonville Braves |
| Runners-up | Columbus Foxes |
The 1956 South Atlantic League was a Class A baseball season played between April 17 and September 5. Eight teams played a 140-game schedule, with the top four teams qualifying for the playoffs.
The Jacksonville Braves won the South Atlantic League championship, defeating the Columbus Foxes in the final round of the playoffs.
- The Columbia Reds ended their affiliation with the Cincinnati Redlegs and began a new affiliation with the Kansas City Athletics. The club was renamed to the Columbia Gems.
- The Columbus Cardinals ended their affiliation with the St. Louis Cardinals and began a new affiliation with the Baltimore Orioles. The club was renamed to the Columbus Foxes.
- The Macon Peaches ended their affiliation with the Chicago Cubs and began a new affiliation with the Brooklyn Dodgers. The club was renamed to the Macon Dodgers.
- The Montgomery Rebels ended their affiliation with the Boston Red Sox and began a new affiliation with the Cleveland Indians.
- The Savannah Athletics ended their affiliation with the Kansas City Athletics and began a new affiliation with the Cincinnati Redlegs. The club was renamed to the Savannah Redlegs.
Teams
Map of teams
Regular season
Summary
- The Jacksonville Braves finish the season with the best record for the first time since 1954.
- On June 18, the Montgomery Rebels relocated to Knoxville, Tennessee and were renamed to the Knoxville Smokies.
Standings
| South Atlantic League | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | Win | Loss | % | GB |
| Jacksonville Braves | 87 | 53 | .621 | – |
| Columbus Foxes | 79 | 61 | .564 | 8 |
| Charlotte Hornets | 79 | 61 | .564 | 8 |
| Augusta Tigers | 74 | 66 | .529 | 13 |
| Columbia Gems | 64 | 76 | .457 | 23 |
| Macon Dodgers | 64 | 76 | .457 | 23 |
| Savannah Redlegs | 60 | 80 | .429 | 27 |
| Montgomery Rebels / Knoxville Smokies | 53 | 87 | .379 | 34 |
League Leaders
Batting leaders
Pitching leaders
Playoffs
- The Jacksonville Braves won their first South Atlantic League championship, defeating the Columbus Foxes in two games.
Playoff bracket
| Semi-finals | Finals | ||||||||
| 1 | Jacksonville | 1 | |||||||
| 3 | Charlotte | 0 | |||||||
| 1 | Jacksonville | 2 | |||||||
| 2 | Columbus | 0 | |||||||
| 2 | Columbus | 1 | |||||||
| 4 | Augusta | 0 | |||||||