South Atlantic League (1993-2004)
Tombstone
Born: 1993 – Re-branded from Columbia Mets
Moved: February 13, 2005 (Greenville Drive)
First Game: April 8, 1993 (W 9-5 vs. Asheville Tourists)
Last Game: September 16, 2004 (L 9-2 @ Hickory Crawdads)
South Atlantic League Champions: 1998
Stadium
Capital City Stadium (6,000)11994 Asheville Tourists Program
Opened: 1927
Branding
Mascot: Bomber (the Mouse)
Ownership & Affiliation
Owners:
- 1993-1997: Dr. Eric Margenau, et al.
- 1998-????: Rob Cohen
- 2003-2004: Frank Burke, et al.
Major League Affiliation: New York Mets
Background
Columbia, South Carolina hosted a New York Mets Class A farm club in the South Atlantic League for 22 seasons from 1983 until 2004. The team was initially known as the Columbia Mets (1983-1992). In 1992 the club adopted the Capital City Bombers identity, while maintaining the long-time Mets partnership.
1997: Summer of Turmoil
The Bombers endured a brutal 1997 season. On April 19, 1997, 23-year old outfielder Tim Bishop was killed in an horrific car accident after returning from a road trip on the team bus. Teammate Randy Vickers survived. Bishop’s postmortem toxicology report indicated elevated blood alcohol levels, leading the New York Mets to investigate the Bombers’ team policies around drinking on the team bus. When Mets officials were dissatisfied with the findings of the investigate, they fired team manager Doug Mansolino and two members of his coaching staff 24 games into the 1997 schedule. In May, Mets 1995 #1 draft pick Ryan Jaroncyk, the Bombers’ starting shortstop, quit baseball in disgust at age 20. Jaroncyk met with Mets General Manager Joe McIlvaine in Columbia and reportedly said “The minute I walk out of here, I’m going to throw my glove in the dumpster.”
Championship Games
The Bombers won their first and only Sally League title in 1998, defeating the Greensboro Bats in the championship series. (As the Columbia Mets, the franchise also won Sally League titles in 1986 and 1991).
The team returned to the South Atlantic League championship series in 2004, losing this time to the Hickory Crawdads. This turned out to be the final hurrah for the Bombers in Columbia.
Move To Greenville & Aftermath
Owner Frank Burke moved the Bombers to Greenville, South Carolina in February 2005. The club became a Boston Red Sox affiliate the same year. The former Bombers franchise is known today as the Greenville Drive.
Columbia went 11 summers without professional baseball. But the Sally League returned to South Carolina’s capital city in 2016 with the formation of the Columbia Fireflies franchise. The New York Mets also returned – they serve today as the Fireflies parent club.
Links
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4 Responses
I have a copy of the Bombers program that you have pictured
i always been a capital city bombers fan. even as a child, hate they left.
lovely memories, from Columbia SC. WE’LL MESS U! WE’LL MESS U SERIOULY@
I have 3o brand new capital city bombers cards from 1999 im selling for $100. Each card is worth $12 a piece and I have 30($360)value. Really for true bombers fan or ex player
I have all the cards from 1993 and 2994 season. I was the trainer there and have great memories of old stadium