1980 Southern League season
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| 1980 Southern League season | |
|---|---|
| League | Southern League |
| Sport | Baseball |
| Duration | April 11 – September 1 |
| Number of games | 144 |
| Number of teams | 10 |
| Regular season | |
| League champions | Nashville Sounds |
| Season MVP | Steve Balboni, Nashville Sounds |
| Playoffs | |
| League champions | Charlotte Orioles |
| Runners-up | Memphis Chicks |
The 1980 Southern League was a Class AA baseball season played between April 11 and September 1. 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 Charlotte Orioles won the Southern League championship, as they defeated the Memphis Chicks in the playoffs.
- The Knoxville Sox ended their affiliation with the Chicago White Sox and began a new affiliation with the Toronto Blue Jays. The club was renamed to the Knoxville Blue Jays.
- The Nashville Sounds ended their affiliation with the Cincinnati Reds and began a new affiliation with the New York Yankees.
Teams
Map of teams
Regular season
Summary
- The Nashville Sounds finished the season with the best record in the league for the first time in team history.
Standings
| East Division | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | Win | Loss | % | GB |
| Savannah Braves | 77 | 67 | .535 | – |
| Columbus Astros | 76 | 68 | .528 | 1 |
| Charlotte Orioles | 72 | 72 | .500 | 5 |
| Orlando Twins | 65 | 78 | .455 | 11.5 |
| Jacksonville Suns | 63 | 81 | .438 | 14 |
| West Division | ||||
| Nashville Sounds | 97 | 46 | .678 | – |
| Memphis Chicks | 83 | 61 | .576 | 14.5 |
| Montgomery Rebels | 68 | 76 | .472 | 29.5 |
| Chattanooga Lookouts | 61 | 83 | .424 | 36.5 |
| Knoxville Blue Jays | 57 | 87 | .396 | 40.5 |
League Leaders
Batting leaders
| Stat | Player | Total |
|---|---|---|
| AVG | Chris Bando, Chattanooga Lookouts | .349 |
| H | Buck Showalter, Nashville Sounds | 178 |
| R | Steve Balboni, Nashville Sounds | 101 |
| 2B | Ron Johnson, Jacksonville Suns | 40 |
| 3B | Ted Wilborn, Nashville Sounds | 14 |
| HR | Steve Balboni, Nashville Sounds | 34 |
| RBI | Steve Balboni, Nashville Sounds | 122 |
| SB | Tony Johnson, Memphis Chicks | 60 |
Pitching leaders
Playoffs
- The Charlotte Orioles won their first Southern League championship, defeating the Memphis Chicks in four games.
Playoff bracket
| Division finals | Finals | ||||||||
| E1 | Savannah | 0 | |||||||
| E2 | Charlotte | 3 | |||||||
| E2 | Charlotte | 3 | |||||||
| W2 | Memphis | 1 | |||||||
| W1 | Nashville | 1 | |||||||
| W2 | Memphis | 3 | |||||||
Awards
| Southern League awards | |
|---|---|
| Award name | Recipient |
| Most Valuable Player | Steve Balboni, Nashville Sounds |
| Pitcher of the Year | Andy McGaffigan, Nashville Sounds |
| Manager of the Year | Stump Merrill, Nashville Sounds |