Good news, Holy City: Evenings at The Joe are back.
The Charleston RiverDogs’ 2022 season officially kicks off tomorrow with a home game against the Myrtle Beach Pelicans. You could say anticipation is high after the team won the Low-A East Championship last season — the first title in franchise history.
And while you might be familiar with the team’s “Director of Fun,” the one and only Bill Murray, you might not know the history of this Minor League Baseball team. Let’s play ball.
The RiverDogs launched as the Charleston Royals in 1980 — a name that lasted four short years. Let’s be honest: It does have a bit of a ring to it. During this time, the team saw Major League stars Danny Jackson, David Cone, and Kevin Seitzer. The Charleston Royals began as an affiliate of the Kansas Royals before switching to the San Diego Padres.
In August of 1984, former owner Ernest Passailaigue announced a name change to the Charleston Rainbows for the 1985 season following a trip to the Baseball Winter Meetings in Nashville. Check out the former logo here. As you might have guessed, the name paid homage to the historic + iconic Rainbow Row on East Bay Street.
Though the Charleston Rainbows’ name didn’t last but a few years, the team’s merchandise is still available for purchase today.
After eight seasons with the San Diego Padres, the Texas Rangers became the team’s affiliate during the summer of 1993 just before… drumroll, please…
The Charleston RiverDogs were officially born in 1994. As we know, this team name has stuck around for the last 28 years.
The RiverDogs began playing at the College Park Stadium, built in 1938 with a capacity of 4,000, which was also home to the Rainbows + Royals. Take a look at the stadium in years past.
Following the 1996 season, the team moved to Joe Riley Stadium — named after former Mayor Joseph P. Riley, Jr. — and the rest is history. Today, the stadium has a max capacity of 6,000 and serves as the home base for the RiverDogs as well as The Citadel Bulldogs baseball team.
Check out the schedule + grab your tickets to get in on the action this season.
Now that we’ve gotten through the RiverDogs’ history, did you know that the Holy City actually had a baseball tradition dating back over 100 years? Read up on the Seagulls, Palmettos (or Pals), and Rebels teams during the late 1800s + early 1900s.