1978 Southern League season
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| 1978 Southern League season | |
|---|---|
| League | Southern League |
| Sport | Baseball |
| Duration | April 13 – September 3 |
| Number of games | 144 |
| Number of teams | 10 |
| Regular season | |
| League champions | Knoxville Sox |
| Season MVP | Eddie Gates, Memphis Chicks |
| Playoffs | |
| League champions | Knoxville Sox |
| Runners-up | Savannah Braves |
The 1978 Southern League was a Class AA baseball season played between April 13 and September 3. Ten teams played a 144-game schedule, with the top team in each division in each half of the season qualifying for the post-season.
The Knoxville Sox won the Southern League championship, as they defeated the Savannah Braves in the playoffs.
- The Memphis Chicks join the league as an expansion team and play in the West Division. The team began an affiliation with the Montreal Expos.
- The Nashville Sounds join the league as an expansion team and play in the West Division. The team began an affiliation with the Cincinnati Reds.
- The Columbus Astros move from the West Division to the East Division.
- The Chattanooga Lookouts ended their affiliation with the Oakland Athletics and began a new affiliation with the Cleveland Indians.
Teams
Map of teams
Regular season
Summary
- The Knoxville Sox finished the season with the best record in the league for the first time in franchise history.
Standings
| East Division | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | Win | Loss | % | GB |
| Orlando Twins | 82 | 61 | .573 | – |
| Jacksonville Suns | 73 | 69 | .514 | 8.5 |
| Savannah Braves | 72 | 72 | .500 | 10.5 |
| Columbus Astros | 70 | 73 | .490 | 12 |
| Charlotte Orioles | 66 | 78 | .458 | 16.5 |
| West Division | ||||
| Knoxville Sox | 88 | 56 | .611 | – |
| Memphis Chicks | 71 | 73 | .493 | 17 |
| Montgomery Rebels | 67 | 77 | .465 | 21 |
| Nashville Sounds | 64 | 77 | .454 | 22.5 |
| Chattanooga Lookouts | 63 | 80 | .441 | 24.5 |
League Leaders
Batting leaders
| Stat | Player | Total |
|---|---|---|
| AVG | Joe Gates, Knoxville Sox | .332 |
| H | Joe Gates, Knoxville Sox | 161 |
| R | Joe Gates, Knoxville Sox | 85 |
| 2B | Sal Rende, Chattanooga Lookouts | 29 |
| 3B | Gary Cooper, Savannah Braves | 9 |
| HR | Eddie Gates, Memphis Chicks | 25 |
| RBI | Sal Rende, Chattanooga Lookouts | 87 |
| SB | LaMart Harris, Memphis Chicks | 45 |
Pitching leaders
| Stat | Player | Total |
|---|---|---|
| W | Terry Sheehan, Orlando Twins | 17 |
| ERA | Roger Alexander, Savannah Braves | 1.84 |
| CG | Gordie Pladson, Columbus Astros | 14 |
| SHO | Roger Alexander, Savannah Braves | 5 |
| SV | Dwight Lewis, Orlando Twins Dan Quisenberry, Jacksonville Suns | 15 |
| IP | Terry Sheehan, Orlando Twins | 213.0 |
| SO | Jay Howell, Nashville Sounds | 173 |
Playoffs
- The Knoxville Sox earned a bye in the division finals, as they won the division in both halves of the season.
- The Knoxville Sox won their second Southern League championship, defeating the Savannah Braves in three games.
Playoff bracket
| Division finals | Finals | ||||||||
| E1 | Orlando | 1 | |||||||
| E2 | Savannah | 2 | |||||||
| E2 | Savannah | 1 | |||||||
| W1 | Knoxville | 2 | |||||||
| W1 | Knoxville | bye | |||||||
Awards
| Southern League awards | |
|---|---|
| Award name | Recipient |
| Most Valuable Player | Eddie Gates, Memphis Chicks |
| Pitcher of the Year | Bruce Berenyi, Nashville Sounds |
| Manager of the Year | Bobby Dews, Savannah Braves |