America’s Past-Time in the Soda City By John Kocsis Jr.
The Columbia Fireflies have been in the Midlands since 2016, and they began construction on the historic BullStreet project in 2015 to bring baseball back to Columbia after a decade-long absence. Since the Fireflies have entered BullStreet, a lot has changed. Once a shimmering stadium in a vast property about to enter a face lift, now when driving past the stadium you will notice parking garages, apartment
complexes, offices, bars and other retail jam-packed into Columbia’s quickest emerging district.
Independence Day is a time when people look back upon the history of the United States and reflect upon what the Founding Fathers and other great historical figures have done to shape the evolution of America. Baseball in Columbia has a long history that started shortly after the Babcock building, right next door to Segra Park was completed in 1885. The Columbia Senators started playing in 1892 in the South Atlantic League. It took a few tries and a little over a decade for Columbia to find consistent baseball. One of the marquee moments of baseball in the Midlands wasn’t necessarily a happy moment when it happened. Late in 1926, tragedy struck at the Comers ballpark at the State Fairgrounds. A fire engulfed the stands and left the Comers without a home for the 1927 season. That is, until Pittsburgh Pirates owner Barney Dreyfuss donated money for historic Capital City Stadium to be built. The future Hall of Famer's generosity paved the way for the next 77 years of baseball in the Midlands. It paved the way for what came after the Comers era, when the Cincinnati Reds became the first Major League affiliation with a Columbia-based franchise in the 1938 season. The team stuck around in the South Atlantic League until 1956 when the Royal came in for two seasons. Then Cincinnati came back for a
Made with FlippingBook flipbook maker