Class A Affiliate of the New York Yankees Charleston RiverDogs Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park 2009, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2017 South Atlantic League Best Playing Field Award 2017 Southern Division Second-Half Champions ~ 2 ~ Table of Contents The Franchise Club Information 4 Club Executives 5 Management 6 Front Office Staff 6 RiverDogs on the Road 7 Media Information 7 Media Outlets 7 On the Air 7 Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park 8 RiverDogs A-Z 9 Service Guide 9 The Team Coaching Staff 10 Player Profiles 12 2017 in Review 20 The League South Atlantic League Information 29 League History 30 2017 Attendance 32 2017 League Standings/Playoffs 32 2017 Team Statistics/League Leaders 35 Asheville Tourists 38 Augusta GreenJackets 38 Columbia Fireflies 39 Delmarva Shorebirds 39 Greensboro Grasshoppers 40 Greenville Drive 40 Hagerstown Suns 41 Hickory Crawdads 41 Kannapolis Intimidators 42 Lakewood BlueClaws 42 Lexington Legends 43 Rome Braves 43 West Virginia Power 44 The History Charleston’s Pro Baseball History 45 Charleston Teams/Results 48 Charleston Players in the Majors 49 Season-by-Season Statistical Leaders 51 Single-Season Records 52 Career Records 54 RiverDogs Season-by-Season Statistics 56 The Background The Yankees Organization 68 City of Charleston 69 2017 Charleston RiverDogs Schedule 70 ~ 3 ~ Club Information Operated by: The Goldklang Group/S.C. Baseball Club, LP Chairman: Marvin Goldklang President/GM: Dave Echols President Emeritus: Mike Veeck Co-Owner: Dr. Gene Budig Co-Owner: Peter Freund Co-Owner: Al Phillips Director of Fun: Bill Murray Affiliation (First Year): New York Yankees (2005) Mailing Address: Physical Address: P.O. Box 20849 360 Fishburne Street Charleston, SC 29413 Charleston, SC 29403 Office Telephone & Fax: Phone: (843) 723-7241 Fax: (843) 723-2641 Box Office: (843) 577-DOGS (3647) Website: www.riverdogs.com E-mail: [email protected] Stadium Information: Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park 360 Fishburne Street Charleston, SC 29403 First season: 1997 Capacity: 5,549 2017 Attendance: 305,622 total; 4,494 average Press Box: (843) 965-4151 Home Manager: (843) 965-4150 Visiting Manager: (843) 723-7241, ext. 37 Official Scorer: Mike Hoffman Radio Broadcaster: Matt Dean Media Relations Contact: Matt Dean ([email protected]) ~ 4 ~ Club Executives Marv Goldklang Chairman Goldklang is Chairman of the Goldklang Group, which over the years has owned and operated MiLB clubs at most classification levels. He holds a degree in Economics from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania where he played college baseball, a law degree from the University of Pennsylvania and a Masters of Laws degree from NYU. Goldklang practiced law with the firm of Cahill Gordon & Reindel in New York, becoming a partner of the firm in 1974 specializing in corporate tax and investment banking transactions. He continued to practice law until 1983 when he left to accept the position of Senior Executive Vice President of a New York Stock Exchange company at which he focused on developing its leveraged buyout and asset management divisions. He is a 2004 inductee in the South Atlantic League Hall of Fame, a 2010 inductee in the Florida State League Hall of Fame and currently serves as Chairman of the Executive Committee for the South Atlantic League and a member of the New York Penn League Executive Committee. In addition to the Group's baseball interests, Goldklang has been a limited partner of the New York Yankees for over thirty years. He is married and has four children including Jeff and Michael, who each work in the Group's corporate office. Mike Veeck President Emeritus As president of the RiverDogs and several other minor league clubs, Mike Veeck is synonymous with wholesome, family-oriented fun and success. All of his franchises, including the RiverDogs, have established attendance records in recent years; but more importantly, the organizations take great pride in their concern for their fans. In addition to his baseball interests, he operates Veeck Advertising Professionals in Charleston, authored the book “Fun is Good,” coordinates the Veeck Promotional Seminar, and teaches a course as a Visiting Professor in The Citadel’s Department of Health, Education, and Sport Science (HESS). Mike and his wife, Libby, reside in Mt. Pleasant and have two children, William “Night Train” and Rebecca. Bill Murray Director of Fun Far from an absentee owner, Bill Murray can be seen at “The Joe” on any given night. In recent years, he has caught and thrown out ceremonial first pitches and coached first base. In addition to the RiverDogs, Murray also holds co-ownership of the Goldklang Group’s teams. He is an accomplished actor and a graduate of “Saturday Night Live.” He has starred in such films as Ghostbusters, Caddyshack, Meatballs, Stripes, Quick Change, Groundhog Day, What About Bob?, Rushmore, Charlie’s Angels, The Royal Tenenbaums, Lost in Translation, The Life Aquatic, and St. Vincent. In 2004, Murray won a Golden Globe for Best Actor and was nominated for an Academy Award in the same category for Lost in Translation. Dr. Gene Budig Co-Owner Dr. Gene A. Budig, past president of Major League Baseball’s American League, has been a partner of the Charleston RiverDogs for several years. Dr. Budig was a university president/chancellor for 22 years before assuming the top job in the American League (1994-1999). He headed Illinois State University, West Virginia University and the University of Kansas. He currently serves as a senior advisor to Major League Baseball, and is a retired major general in the Air National Guard/United States Air Force. He and his wife, Gretchen, live on the Isle of Palms. Peter B. Freund Co-Owner Freund is the President of Trinity Packaging Corporation, a privately held plastics manufacturer headquartered in Armonk, N.Y. He is the fourth generation in his family's business, which began as a paper company in 1917. A lifelong baseball fan and New York Yankees season ticket holder, Freund is fulfilling his dream of ownership in professional baseball having signed on as a partner in the Charleston RiverDogs in 2009. He and his wife, Mimi, reside in Pound Ridge, N.Y. with their twin daughters, Winnie and Wren, and visit Charleston as often as they can. Freund also has ownership stakes in Minor League teams in both Williamsport, Pa., and Memphis, Tenn. Alton C. Phillips Co-Owner Phillips was born in Sumter, S.C. and has lived in Charleston since he was a child. Phillips earned a B.S. degree in Industrial Management from Clemson in 1985. After obtaining his MBA from UNC in 1988, Phillips began work with Carolina Eastern, a Charleston-based company that markets and distributes fertilizers. In 1995 Phillips became President of Carolina Eastern and has continued to hold that office to this day. Phillips is active among the Charleston community, serving on the board of Porter- Gaud School and Palmetto Agri-Business Council. In addition to serving in the community, Phillips has a minority partnership interest in various baseball clubs. He is married to Kathryn Pearce Phillips with whom he has four children. ~ 5 ~ Management Dave Echols President/General Manager Echols has guided the RiverDogs through some of their most successful seasons since being named General Manager on March 17, 2004. In his first season, he helped the club host the highly successful 2004 SAL All-Star Game, and he also earned 2013 South Atlantic League General Manager of the Year honors during his tenure. In 2016, Echols added president to his title, as well. From 2002-04 Echols served as GM of the Brockton (Mass.) Rox and was named Northeast League Executive of the Year in 2003. The University of Dayton graduate has also worked for teams in Kinston, N.C., and Columbus, Ohio. Echols is active in community affairs and resides on Johns Island with his wife, Debra, and son, Logan. Scott Bush Vice President/Business and Marketing Development Holding a dual role as both a member of the Goldklang Group and the RiverDogs, Bush oversees business development for all four of the Goldklang teams while based out of Charleston. In his new role as of 2016, Bush oversees and manages the global sales and related marketing initiatives within the Group, providing leadership on corporate partnership side and leveraging current and future inventory assets. An alum of the University of Minnesota, Bush spent 2008-09 as the Director of Corporate Sales with the Saints, helping oversee a significant increase in corporate partnerships over that time. After leaving to pursue other career opportunities with the Minnesota Timberwolves and KSTC45, Bush returned for his third, and most recent, tenure with the Saints in 2012 where he served as the Assistant GM until 2016 before relocating to Charleston. Andy Lange Vice President/Corporate Sales Lange began his career in baseball with the Charleston RiverDogs in October 2001, having joined the sales staff after two years with the historic Francis Marion Hotel in downtown Charleston. During his career, he received 2013 South Atlantic League Sales Executive of the Year honors in his tenth season as Assistant General Manager before his promotion to Vice President. Originally from LaPorte, Ind., Lange has been in Charleston since 1996. He continues to serve on the Board of Directors for the local chapter of the March of Dimes. He married the former Melissa LaPlaunt on Dec. 31, 2007, and they reside in West Ashley with sons Wrigley, Hayden, and Maddux. Melissa McCants Azevedo Vice President/Special Events Azevedo has been with the RiverDogs in at least a part-time capacity since 1989 when she served in a variety of roles on the gameday staff. She joined as a full-time member of the front office in 1996 when she served as the Community Relations Director under Mike Veeck.