Baseball back in Columbia!?!

[The_sandlapper]

Baseball may make a return to the Capital City! Appearantly "Daddy Warbucks" (Bill Shanahan, Capital City's last owner) saw that the bombers left town, and now he wants to establish another team in the Capital City. It will be a little different this time around though as this looks to be soley a developmental league for college kids who are reving up for the pros the Coastal Plain Leaugue with 14 teams in Virginia & the Carolinas, they can only use wooden bats. This can be good or bad I suppose. I think for it to be successful it needs to be in USC's new Vista Stadium. This way it will be in a busier area of town and more likely to draw attention. Questions remain though, will the citizens of Columbia show and intrest, will USC athletics stand for another minor professional team in the city limits, will this be the untimely end of our capped crusader, only time will tell! Baseball in Columbia

Link to Coastal Plain Legue

I think the Columbia Senators would be an appropriate name!

[Spartan]

I think that is a good idea. I like the idea of non-USC baseball as well as reusing Capital City Stadium. The only concern I have is how well will turn out be. USC baseball is one thing, but a non USC team might not be as popular.

I know that the Spartanburg Stingers don't have sell outs, but it is an enjoyable experience to go to the games.

[The_sandlapper]

I would like to see it work in Columbia but I think it will be difficult if they plan to play in the old bombers stadium. I can't see very manypeople wanting to venture to that part of town, especially when the new stadium will be in the Vista.

[krazeeboi]

Where exactly is the old stadium located? And I know that the new one will be in the Vista, but what's the exact location?

[Spartan]

It is located further down Assembly about where the road turns to the left (if you are going South)

[emerging.me]

Sounds like the new team is going forward with a new partnership with USC... they're getting four players from the Gamecocks.

The team name was announced today... the Columbia Blowfish. Wow, that hasn't been milked to death yet?? I would have preferred a name of more historical or geographic significance like the Columbia Raiders or something like the Columbia Rapids, but despite the cheesy local band reference it's a fun name.

It'll be nice to see Capital City Stadium come back to life. That stadium is in a still-somewhat-blighted, but up-and-coming part of the city and it'll be interesting to see what springs up along there once things get going again. It would be nice if Dreyfuss Road (the street that runs beside the stadium off Assembly -- see attached map) could be redeveloped into shops/bars/restaurants that people could walk to after/before games and events. There's nothing but old shabby-looking warehouses there now and the property is probably pretty cheap. I think once Rocky Branch is restored and that area is out of the flood plain it'll really boom.

[emerging.me]

Here's the scoop:

http://capitalcitystadium.com/

[krazeeboi]

It's great that baseball is coming back to the city, and in an area that could definitely be on an upswing up a few years; if anything, the stadium could serve as a catalyst in that regard. But come on, the "Blowfish"? I would almost rather the team take an approach like Greenville did and call them the "Columbia Hydrogen" or something. Hootie put Columbia on the map, for sure...but that was like last century wasn't it? Why can't we dig a little deeper than that?

Anyway, emerging.me you should be happy. Now you don't have to move to Sprawleigh.

[Spartan]

Crossfade is Columbia's band these days... I do enjoy Hootie though. But the Blowfish? come on. My guess is when they did their brainstorming session on "what is Columbia known for?" they could only come up with 3 things:

The Doolittle Raiders (The Bombers- Already taken)

Government - (they spend people's money, not something you want to attach yourself to, so thats out)

and Hootie - (available!)

This gives me an idea for a thread...

[803metlife]

Has anyone see the BlowFish commercial???

[waccamatt]

Has anyone see the BlowFish commercial???

No, but I saw their mascot on tv; he looks like he had an allergic reaction to a bee sting, lol.

[whitehourseview]

The Blowfish finished up their first home side of their summer schedule. For anyone who went, how were the games, the experience?

I really like what is going on with the Coastal Plains League.

[emerging.me]

I'm glad people are enthused. I haven't heard anything about how turnout was at the games. I'm just happy that the stadium is being used and isn't sitting there rotting.