South Atlantic League (1980-1984)
Tombstone
Born: 1980
Re-Branding Announced: August 1984 (Charleston Rainbows)
First Game: April 11, 1980 (W 6-5 @ Macon Peaches)
Last Game: September 7, 1984 (L 7-2 @ Asheville Tourists)
South Atlantic League Championships: None
Stadium
College Park (4,250)11983 Anderson Braves Program
Ownership & Affiliation
Owners:
- 1980 – ????: C. Edward Little
- Trident Sports, Inc. (Lonnie Whitfield, Jack Meetze, Raymon Finch, Ernest Passailaigue & Roger McCants)
Major League Affiliation: Kansas City Royals
Attendance
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Source: The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball (3rd ed.), Lloyd Johnson & Miles Wolff, 2007. Pages 593 – 609.
Background
The Charleston Royals are a defunct South Carolina farm club of the Kansas City Royals that competed in the Class A South Atlantic League from 1980 through 1984. Charleston’s College Park previously hosted a Pittsburgh Pirates minor league farm club for most of the of the 1970’s. After one summer without baseball in 1979, the Royals brought pro ball back to town in the spring of 1980.
Charleston developed a handful of future Major League stars during the Royals era that ran from 1980 to 1984.
Charleston’s 1982 pitching staff featured a pair of aces in southpaw southpaw Danny Jackson (10-1, 2.62 ERA) and right-hander David Cone (9-2, 2.06 ERA). Jackson went on to become a hero of Kansas City’s 1985 World Series championship team, winning elimination games in both the ALCS and the World Series that year. He led the National League in wins in 1988 and won a second World Series with Cincinnati in 1990. Cone became a 5-time World Series champion and won the 1994 A.L. Cy Young Award with Kansas City.
Kevin Seitzer spent the entire summer of 1984 with Charleston. The 22-year old third baseman hit .297 with 8 homers, 79 RBIs and 23 steals. He debuted in the Majors two years later with Kansas City and became a two-time Major Leauge All-Star.
Royals to Rainbows to RiverDogs
During the 1984 season, Royals ownership worked to develop a distinctive local identity for the team. In mid-August, owner Ernest Passailaigue announced that the team would become the “Rainbows” for the 1985 season, taking inspiration from Charleston’s Rainbow Row, a historic group of pastel-colored homes on East Bay Street near the city’s waterfront.
The Kansas City Royals terminated their Player Development Contract with Charleston one month later in September 1984. The San Diego Padres took over as Charleston’s new parent club when the Rainbows debuted in the Sally League in the spring of 1985.
The former Charleston Royals/Rainbows franchise is still in the South Atlantic League today. After another name change in 1994, the team became the Charleston RiverDogs. The RiverDogs now play in the Class A Carolina League, having switched leagues in 2021.
Charleston Royals Shop
Links
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2 Responses
First sporting event I ever went to was a Charleston Royals game, probably around 1982. I remember the San Diego Chicken made an appearance during a game and squared off against the Charleston Chicken. Royals games were so much fun. I had my horn I got at a game forever, wish I still had it. I wonder if I got to see Kevin Seitzer, Danny Jackson or David Cone play. I will never know, but its fun to think I did.