South Atlantic League (1981-1983)
Tombstone
Born: January 20, 1981
Moved: November 13, 1983 (Macon Pirates)
First Game: April 9, 1981 (L 8-4 @ Charleston Royals)
Last Game: August 31, 1983 (W 9-5 vs. Macon Redbirds)
South Atlantic League Championships: None
Stadium
Legion Field (2,800)11983 Anderson Braves Program
Ownership & Affiliation
Owners:
- 1981-1982: Chris Malo, et al.
- 1983: Len Monheimer, Richard Dinaburgh & Michael Keller
Major League Affiliation: Pittsburgh Pirates
Attendance
Greenwood’s appalling 1983 attendance of 8,345 fans for a 72-game home schedule ranks as the worst single-season box office in South Atlantic League’s 40+ season history from 1980 to the present day.
Tilting your mobile device may offer better viewing.
Source: The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball 3rd ed.), Lloyd Johnson & Miles Wolff, 2007
Background
The Greenwood Pirates were a South Carolina-based farm club of the Pittsburgh Pirates for three summers in the early 1980’s. The Pirates were members of the Class A South Atlantic League, formerly known as the Western Carolinas League. The city’s Legion Field previously was home to the Western Carolina League’s Greenwood Braves from 1968 to 1979.
The team formed in January 1981. At first, team officials announced the club as the “Greenwood Cougars”. But this identity was abandoned before the team’s April 1981 debut, by which time it was known simply as the Greenwood Pirates.
On The Field
Notable players who spent time with the Greenwood Pirates included:
- Pitcher Mike Bielecki (Greenwood ’81) was an 18-game winner for the Chicago Cubs in 1989
- Outfielder Joe Orsulak (Greenwood ’81) went on to play 14 seasons in the Majors
- Second baseman Bip Roberts (Greenwood ’82-’83) was a National League All-Star in 1992 for the Cincinnati Reds
Joe Frisina managed the Pirates for the club’s entire three-year run in Greenwood.
Box Office Woes
The Pirates home debut at Legion Field on April 13, 1981 drew just 421 curiousity seekers. That small gathering would actually turn out to be a high point. Despite a pennant-contending team, the Pirates averaged “about 150 fans per game” during the 1981 season (Greenwood Index-Journal 8/28/1981) and took to playing some “home” games at a high school stadium in Augusta, Georgia late in the summer.
Augusta was toying with the idea of constructing a new minor league ballpark and South Atlantic League President John Moss reportedly guaranteed city officials there a team for the 1982 season if they followed through.2Dutton, Monte. “Pirates owner talks with Augusta”. The Index-Journal (Greenwood, SC). August 28, 1981 Greenwood was the leading candidate for relocation. But it would take Augusta six more years to finally break ground on Heaton Stadium. The Pirates returned to Greenwood for the 1982 season.
Attendance remained bleak for the next two years. The team changed hands early in 1983, with veteran baseball exec Len Monheimer taking over from former owner Chris Malo a month before opening day. Greenwood’s total attendance for the 1983 season was just 8,345 fans for a 72-game home slate. It was the worst figure for any full-season minor league team in the country, according to owner/GM Monheimer.3NO BYLINE. “Minor league team plans to leave Greenwood”. The Index-Journal (Greenwood, SC). November 9, 1983
Move To Macon
The Greenwood Pirates played their final game on August 31, 1983 against the Macon Redbirds at Legion Field. Macon centerfielder Vince Coleman stole two bases on the night to establish a new all-time Minor League Baseball single season steals record with 145 swipes. Coleman’s milestone stood for 29 years. Only 134 fans witnessed the event in Greenwood.
Macon would play a further role in Greenwood’s demise. In November 1983, the Macon Redbirds moved to Savannah, Georgia. Greenwood owner Len Monheimer leapt at the opportunity to move his club down to Macon to replace the departing Redbirds.
Minor League Baseball has never returned to Greenwood, South Carolina since the departure of the Pirates in 1983.
Trivia
Pat O’Conner, Greenwood’s 24-year old General Manager during the 1982 season, went on to a long and distinguished career culminating in his election as the 11th President of Minor League Baseball in 2007.
Links
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6 Responses
Ironically, after spending just 4 years in Macon, the Pirates WOULD move to Augusta for the ’88 season, and remain there today as the GreenJackets.
Also, to be more precise, St. Louis and Pittsburgh traded SAL teams; Greenwood moved to Savannah and became the Cardinals’ affiliate (franchise now the Columbia Fireflies), while the Macon Redbirds remained in the city as the Pirates before moving to Augusta.
Where can I find photos of this team? Thanks
Dave – That’s gonna be mighty tough. Nothing seems to exist on the internet from a Google Images search. Depending on how much legwork you’d want to do, I think your best bet (still a longshot) would be to contact the Greenwood Index-Journal newspaper and see if they have prints in their archive and if they are willing to sell prints of them to you.
Andrew
Thank you sir!
Is there a 1981-83 program listing roster, mgr, coaches, trainer, front office, etc.