The Sarasota Rookie League was a minor baseball league that played in as a

Rookie A rookie is a person new to an occupation, profession, or hobby. In sports, a ''rookie'' is a professional athlete in their first season (or year). In contrast with a veteran who has experience and expertise, a rookie is usually inexperienced ...

level league. All league games were played in

Sarasota, Florida Sarasota () is a city in Sarasota County on the Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. The area is renowned for its cultural and environmental amenities, beaches, resorts, and the Sarasota School of Architecture. The city is located in the sou ...

. The Sarasota Rookie League was succeeded in by the

Florida Rookie League The Florida Complex League (FCL) is a rookie-level Minor League Baseball league that operates in Florida, United States. Before 2021, it was known as the Gulf Coast League (GCL). Together with the Arizona Complex League (ACL), it forms the lo ...

, which evolved into the

Gulf Coast League The Florida Complex League (FCL) is a rookie-level Minor League Baseball league that operates in Florida, United States. Before 2021, it was known as the Gulf Coast League (GCL). Together with the Arizona Complex League (ACL), it forms the l ...

in . The 1964 Cocoa Rookie League operated simultaneously with the Sarasota Rookie League.

History

The four–team Sarasota Rookie League formed for the 1964 season. League teams played a 59–game schedule, beginning play on July 1, 1964 and ending on August 31, 1964. The Sarasota Rookie League and Cocoa Rookie League were formed simultaneously in 1964. The new concept was to provide leagues with a short–season schedule that provided attendance options for fans and to assist major league teams in developing beginning professional players while further utilizing spring training facilities. Today, the

Florida Complex League The Florida Complex League (FCL) is a rookie-level Minor League Baseball league that operates in Florida, United States. Before 2021, it was known as the Gulf Coast League (GCL). Together with the Arizona Complex League (ACL), it forms the l ...

continues play under the concept initiated in 1964. The four Sarasota Rookie League teams were minor league affiliates of the

Chicago White Sox The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team is owned by Jerry Reinsdorf, and ...

, Milwaukee Braves,

New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. They are one of ...

and

St. Louis Cardinals The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Since the 2006 season, the Cardinals ha ...

. All league games were played in Sarasota, Florida, with teams taking the nickname of their affiliate. Sarasota Rookie League games were hosted at

Payne Park Payne Park is a former baseball field from 1924 to 1990 in Sarasota, Florida. The stadium and field were built on a portion of of land donated by Calvin Payne and his wife, Martha in 1923. Payne Park today is a public park used for recreationa ...

, which was called "Arthur Allyn Park" at the time and contained multiple ballfields. Arthur Allyn was the owner of the Chicago White Sox in 1964 when the league began play. Allyn was highly supportive of the rookie league concept. The Sarasota Rookie League began play on July 1, 1964, with two games scheduled at 11:15 AM and played simultaneously at Arthur Allyn Park. Player salaries in the league were between $400 and $500 per month. The SRL Braves, playing under manager Paul Snyder, won the championship with a 36–23 record. The Braves finished 6.5 games ahead of the 2nd place SRL Cardinals in the final standings. Leora Montgomery of the SRL Braves was chosen as the league most valuable player. Following the 1964 season, the Sarasota Rookie League evolved into the six–team

in 1965.

1964 Sarasota Rookie League teams

* SRL Braves * SRL Cardinals * SRL White Sox * SRL Yankees

Standings & statistics

1964 Sarasota Rookie League

References

{{Reflist Defunct minor baseball leagues in the United States Baseball leagues in Florida Sports leagues established in 1964 Sports leagues disestablished in 1964 Sarasota, Florida