2002 Southern League season
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| 2002 Southern League season | |
|---|---|
| League | Southern League |
| Sport | Baseball |
| Duration | April 4 – September 2 |
| Number of games | 140 |
| Number of teams | 10 |
| Regular season | |
| League champions | Birmingham Barons |
| Season MVP | Aaron Miles, Birmingham Barons |
| Playoffs | |
| League champions | Birmingham Barons |
| Runners-up | Jacksonville Suns |
The 2002 Southern League was a Class AA baseball season played between April 4 and September 2. Ten teams played a 140-game schedule, with the top team in each division in each half of the season qualifying for the post-season.
The Birmingham Barons won the Southern League championship, defeating the Jacksonville Suns in the playoffs.
- The Chattanooga Lookouts moved from the East Division to the West Division.
- The Tennessee Smokies moved from the West Division to the East Division.
Teams
Map of teams
Regular season
Summary
- The Birmingham Barons finished the season with the best record in the league for the first time since 1993.
Standings
| East Division | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | Win | Loss | % | GB |
| Jacksonville Suns | 77 | 62 | .554 | – |
| Tennessee Smokies | 69 | 71 | .493 | 8.5 |
| Greenville Braves | 65 | 69 | .485 | 9.5 |
| Carolina Mudcats | 65 | 71 | .478 | 10.5 |
| Orlando Rays | 58 | 79 | .423 | 18 |
| West Division | ||||
| Birmingham Barons | 79 | 61 | .564 | – |
| Mobile BayBears | 76 | 63 | .547 | 2.5 |
| West Tenn Diamond Jaxx | 73 | 67 | .521 | 6 |
| Huntsville Stars | 70 | 69 | .504 | 8.5 |
| Chattanooga Lookouts | 60 | 80 | .429 | 19 |
League Leaders
Batting leaders
Pitching leaders
Playoffs
- The Birmingham Barons won their sixth Southern League championship, defeating the Jacksonville Suns in three games.
Playoff bracket
| Division finals | Finals | ||||||||
| E1 | Jacksonville | 3 | |||||||
| E2 | Carolina | 2 | |||||||
| E1 | Jacksonville | 0 | |||||||
| W1 | Birmingham | 3 | |||||||
| W1 | Birmingham | 3 | |||||||
| W2 | West Tenn | 2 | |||||||
Awards
| Southern League awards | |
|---|---|
| Award name | Recipient |
| Most Valuable Player | Aaron Miles, Birmingham Barons |
| Pitcher of the Year | Vinnie Chulk, Tennessee Smokies |
| Manager of the Year | Wally Backman, Birmingham Barons |