Columbia Fireflies

Minor league baseball in Columbia dates back to 1892, when a team known as the Columbia Senators competed in the only season of the original South Atlantic League. In 1904, the Columbia Skyscrapers franchise was founded as a charter member of the second incarnation of the South Atlantic League. The capital city fielded teams in the league in 45 of the next 57 seasons under various nicknames (Gamecocks, Commies, Comers, Sandlappers, Senators, Reds, and Gems). Following the 1961 season, the Columbia Reds moved to Macon, Georgia and the city would be without professional baseball for the next two decades. Columbia clubs won the South Atlantic League championship in 1915, 1917, 1919, 1920, 1921, 1941, and 1953. The league itself collapsed following the 1963 season.https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/league.cgi?code=SALL&class=A

After a 21-year absence from professional baseball, Columbia returned to affiliated ball when the Shelby (NC) Mets relocated to the capital city in the latest version of the South Atlantic League in 1983. Known as the Columbia Mets from 1983–92, and the Capital City Bombers beginning in 1993, the franchise competed in the SAL for 22 years, winning league titles in 1986, 1991 and 1998.

The Capital City Bombers moved to Greenville, South Carolina, after the 2004 season. The city of Columbia approved plans to build a stadium in 2014, with the goal of attracting a Minor League Baseball team. Spirit Communications, a local telecommunications company, purchased the naming rights for the stadium.{{cite news |title=Bull Street Ball Park to Be Named 'Spirit Communications Park'|first=Carolyn|last=Callahan|url=http://www.wistv.com/story/27535843/bull-street-ball-park-to-be-named-spirit-communications-park|work=WIS|location=Columbia, South Carolina|date=December 3, 2014|access-date=April 11, 2016}} In May 2015, the Savannah Sand Gnats of the Class A South Atlantic League, an affiliate of the New York Mets, announced that it would move to Columbia in time for the 2016 season.{{cite news |title=It's Official: Savannah Baseball Team Moving to Columbia|first=Neil|last=White|url=http://www.thestate.com/sports/mlb/article21578979.html|newspaper=The State|location=Columbia, SC|date=May 21, 2015|access-date=July 15, 2015}}{{cite news |title=Savannah Baseball Team Moving to Columbia|first1=Steven|last1=Dial|first2=Tony|last2=Santaella|url=http://www.wltx.com/story/sports/2015/03/25/savannah-baseball-team-moving-to-columbia/70420968/|work=WLTX|location=Columbia, SC|date=March 25, 2015|access-date=July 15, 2015}}

After receiving over 2,300 submissions in a public contest to name the team, it chose to call itself the "Columbia Fireflies". The name was inspired by the Photinus frontalis in the nearby Congaree National Park which was outlined in an article entitled “Synchronized fireflies putting on show at Congaree National Park” by The State, a local newspaper.{{cite news |title=Columbia Fireflies Named as New Baseball Name|first=Aaron|last=Ransdell|url=http://www.thestate.com/sports/mlb/article29934272.html|work=The State|location=Columbia, South Carolina|date=August 4, 2015|access-date=April 11, 2016}} Portions of the team's uniforms glow in the dark as a tribute to the team's name.

Columbia earned its first ever victory as the Fireflies on April 9, 2016. In the game, three pitchers (Thomas McIlraith, Alex Palsha, and Johnny Magliozzi) combined to throw a no-hitter in a 9–0 shutout victory over the Charleston RiverDogs. The no-hitter was the Fireflies' third game. In their first ever home game, on April 14, 2016, the Fireflies defeated the Greenville Drive, 4–1, in front of 9,077 people.{{cite web |first=Kevin|last=Fitzgerald |title=9,077 See Fireflies Win Spirit Communications Park Opener|url=https://www.milb.com/news/gcs-172487464|publisher=Minor League Baseball|date=April 15, 2016|access-date=April 16, 2016}}

In conjunction with Major League Baseball's reconfiguration of the minors in 2021, the Mets discontinued their affiliation with Columbia.{{Cite web|last=Cooper|first=J.J.|url=https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/binghamton-brooklyn-survive-as-mets-announce-2021-minor-league-affiliates/|title=Binghamton, Brooklyn Survive As Mets Announce Affiliates|website=Baseball America|date=November 10, 2020|access-date=November 10, 2020}} On December 9, 2020, Major League Baseball announced that the Fireflies' new parent club would be the Kansas City Royals beginning with the 2021 season.{{Cite web|date=2020-12-09|title=Columbia Fireflies invited to become Kansas City Royals affiliate|url=https://www.abccolumbia.com/2020/12/09/columbia-fireflies-invited-to-become-kansas-city-royals-affiliate/|access-date=2020-12-09|website=ABC Columbia|language=en-US}} They were organized into the Low-A East as the Royals' Low-A classification affiliate.{{cite web|last=Mayo|first=Jonathan|title=MLB Announces New Minors Teams, Leagues|url=https://www.mlb.com/news/new-minor-league-baseball-structure|website=Major League Baseball|date=February 12, 2021|access-date=February 12, 2021}} In 2022, the Low-A East became known as the Carolina League, the name historically used by the regional circuit prior to the 2021 reorganization, and was reclassified as a Single-A circuit.{{cite web|url=https://www.milb.com/news/minor-league-baseball-historical-league-names-to-return-in-2022|title=Historical League Names to Return in 2022|website=Minor League Baseball|date=March 16, 2022|access-date=March 16, 2022}}

{{Columbia Fireflies roster}}

14: Larry Doby

20: Frank Robinson

42: Jackie Robinson{{Cite web|url=https://www.chronicle-independent.com/sports/fireflies-to-retire-dobys-number-14-on-saturday/|title=Fireflies to retire Doby's number 14 on Saturday|website=www.chronicle-independent.com}}{{cite web | url=https://www.wltx.com/article/news/columbia-fireflies-honor-three-iconic-african-american-baseball-players/101-03feea8d-0efb-4205-b2f2-84ca668c78e5#:~:text=The%20Columbia%20Fireflies%20have%20retired,by%20every%20major%20league%20team | title=Columbia Fireflies honor three iconic African-American baseball players | date=2 July 2019 }}

{{Reflist|30em}}

• {{Official website|https://www.milb.com/columbia}}
• [https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/team.cgi?city=Columbia&state=SC&country=US Statistics from Baseball-Reference]

{{Kansas City Royals}}

{{Carolina League}}

{{South Carolina Sports}}

Category:Professional baseball teams in South Carolina

Category:Sports in Columbia, South Carolina

Category:Kansas City Royals minor league affiliates

Category:New York Mets minor league affiliates

Category:2016 establishments in South Carolina

Category:Baseball teams established in 2016

Category:Carolina League teams

Category:Defunct South Atlantic League teams