1985 Southern League season

1985 Southern League season Southern League Baseball April 11 – September 2 144 10 Regular season Knoxville Blue Jays Jose Canseco, Huntsville Stars Playoffs Huntsville Stars Charlotte Orioles List of Southern League seasons SL 1984 Southern League season 1984 1986 Southern League season 1986 The 1985 Southern League was a Class AA baseball season played between April 11 and September 2. 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 Huntsville Stars won the Southern League championship, as they defeated the Charlotte Orioles in the playoffs. Team changes The Nashville Sounds leave the league and join the American Association. The Huntsville Stars join the league as an expansion team. The club begins an affiliation with the Oakland Athletics. The Jacksonville Suns are renamed to the Jacksonville Expos. The club remained affiliated with the Montreal Expos. Teams 1985 Southern League Division Team City MLB Affiliate Stadium East Charlotte Orioles Charlotte, North Carolina Baltimore Orioles Jim Crockett Memorial Park Columbus Astros Columbus, Georgia Houston Astros Golden Park Greenville Braves Greenville, South Carolina Atlanta Braves Greenville Municipal Stadium Jacksonville Expos Jacksonville, Florida Montreal Expos Wolfson Park Orlando Twins Orlando, Florida Minnesota Twins Tinker Field West Birmingham Barons Birmingham, Alabama Detroit Tigers Rickwood Field Chattanooga Lookouts Chattanooga, Tennessee Seattle Mariners Engel Stadium Huntsville Stars Huntsville, Alabama Oakland Athletics Joe W. Davis Stadium Knoxville Blue Jays Knoxville, Tennessee Toronto Blue Jays Bill Meyer Stadium Memphis Chicks Memphis, Tennessee Kansas City Royals Tim McCarver Stadium Map of teams left 10px East Division 10px West Division 1015 425 370 190 650 USA 2000 USA 35.20 -80.86 Blue pog.svg 80 top Charlotte #ffe USA 32.45 -84.99 Blue pog.svg 80 top Columbus #ffe USA 34.78 -82.35 Blue pog.svg 80 top Greenville #ffe USA 30.33 -81.64 Blue pog.svg 80 top Jackson-ville #ffe USA 28.54 -81.40 Blue pog.svg 80 top Orlando #ffe USA 33.50 -86.86 Red pog.svg 80 top Birming-ham #ffe USA 35.05 -85.29 Red pog.svg 80 top Chattan-ooga #ffe USA 34.70 -86.59 Red pog.svg 80 top Huntsville #ffe USA 35.98 -83.91 Red pog.svg 80 top Knoxville #ffe USA 35.12 -89.98 Red pog.svg 80 top Memphis #ffe Regular season Summary The Knoxville Blue Jays finished the season with the best record in the league for the first time since 1978. Standings 1985 SOUL Standings at stats-crew.com, URL accessed March 5, 2025 East Division Team Win Loss % GB Columbus Astros 79 65 79 65 – Charlotte Orioles 78 65 78 65 0.5 Jacksonville Expos 73 70 73 70 5.5 Orlando Twins 72 71 72 71 6.5 Greenville Braves 70 74 70 74 9West Division Knoxville Blue Jays 79 64 79 64 – Huntsville Stars 78 66 78 66 1.5 Chattanooga Lookouts 66 77 66 77 13 Memphis Chicks 65 79 65 79 14.5 Birmingham Barons 57 86 57 86 22 League Leaders Batting leaders 1985 SL Batting Leaders at baseball-reference.com, URL accessed March 5, 2025 Stat Player Total AVG Bruce Fields, Birmingham Barons .323 H Alex Marte, Orlando Twins 171 R Alex Marte, Orlando Twins 117 2B Jim Sherman, Columbus Astros Kelvin Torve, Charlotte Orioles 34 3B Luis Polonia, Huntsville Stars 18 HR Mark Funderburk, Orlando Twins 34 RBI Mark Funderburk, Orlando Twins 116 SB Alex Marte, Orlando Twins 64 Pitching leaders 1985 SL Pitching Leaders at baseball-reference.com, URL accessed March 5, 2025 Stat Player Total W Steve Davis, Knoxville Blue Jays 17 ERA Steve Davis, Knoxville Blue Jays 2.45 CG Les Straker, Orlando Twins 12 SHO Steve Davis, Knoxville Blue Jays Les Straker, Orlando Twins 3 SV Luis Aquino, Knoxville Blue Jays 20 IP Les Straker, Orlando Twins 193.0 SO Scott Bankhead, Memphis Chicks John Hoover, Charlotte Orioles 128 Playoffs The Huntsville Stars won their first Southern League championship, defeating the Charlotte Orioles in five games. Playoff bracket Division finals Finals E1 Columbus 1 E2 Charlotte 3 W1 Knoxville 1 W2 Huntsville 3 E2 Charlotte 2 W2 Huntsville 3 Awards Southern League awards Award name Recipient Most Valuable Player Jose Canseco, Huntsville Stars Pitcher of the Year Steve Davis, Knoxville Blue Jays Manager of the Year Carlos Alfonso, Columbus Astros John McLaren, Knoxville Blue Jays See also 1985 Major League Baseball season References External links Minor League Baseball official website Southern League season Category:1985 in sports in Alabama Category:1985 in sports in Florida Category:1985 in sports in Georgia (U.S. state) Category:1985 in sports in North Carolina Category:1985 in sports in South Carolina Category:1985 in sports in Tennessee