The 1885 Southern League was a minor league baseball season played between April 15 and September 17. Eight teams played a 100-game schedule, with the top team winning the league pennant and championship.
The Atlanta Atlantas won the Southern League championship, as they had the best record in the league.
League formation The original Southern League was formed on February 11, 1885, in Atlanta. It was the first professional league to operate in the South. Henry W. Grady, managing editor of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, was selected as the league's first president. The eight-team circuit included the Atlanta Atlantas, Augusta Browns, Chattanooga Lookouts, Columbus Stars, Memphis Reds, Nashville Americans, and unnamed teams from Birmingham, Alabama, and Macon, Georgia.
Teams 1885 Southern League Team City Stadium Atlanta Atlantas Atlanta, Georgia Athletic Park Augusta Browns Augusta, Georgia Warren Park Birmingham Birmingham, Alabama The Slag Pile Chattanooga Lookouts Chattanooga, Tennessee Base Ball Grounds Columbus Stars Columbus, Georgia Stars Park Macon Macon, Georgia Mulberry Park Memphis Reds Memphis, Tennessee Olympic Park Nashville Americans Nashville, Tennessee Sulphur Spring Park
Map of teams
Regular season Summary The Atlanta Atlantas finished the season with the best record in the league for the first time in team history. Each team was scheduled to play 100 games during the season, but few would reach that mark as the Birmingham, Chattanooga, and Columbus clubs quit the league in the final two weeks of the season.
Standings 1885 SOUA Standings at stats-crew.com, URL accessed August 1, 2026 Southern League Team Win Loss % GB Atlanta Atlantas 66 32 – Augusta Browns 68 36 1 Nashville Americans 62 39 5.5 Macon 55 47 13 Columbus Stars 49 47 16 Memphis Reds 33 54 27.5 Chattanooga Lookouts 33 61 31 Birmingham 18 76 46.5
League Leaders Batting leaders 1885 SL Leaders at statscrew.com, URL accessed August 1, 2026 1885 SL Batting Leaders at baseball-reference.com, URL accessed August 1, 2026 Stat Player Total AVG Len Sowders, Nashville Americans .300 H Len Sowders, Nashville Americans 129 R Len Sowders, Nashville Americans 92 2B Len Sowders, Nashville Americans 23 3B James Hillery, Birmingham Barons 12 HR Wally Andrews, Columbus Stars Joe Cahill, Atlanta Atlantas Walt Goldsby, Atlanta Atlantas Denny Lyons, Columbus Stars 6
Pitching leaders 1885 SL Leaders at statscrew.com, URL accessed August 1, 2026 1885 SL Batting Leaders at baseball-reference.com, URL accessed August 1, 2026 Stat Player Total W John Hofford, Augusta Browns 38 ERA Billy Taylor, Nashville Americans 0.39 CG John Hofford, Augusta Browns 50 SHO John Hofford, Augusta Browns 8 IP John Hofford, Augusta Browns 457.0 SO John Hofford, Augusta Browns 389
See also 1885 Major League Baseball season
References
External links Minor League Baseball official website