Responsible Drinking In Place
At ‘The Joe’
The Charleston RiverDogs, in conjunction
with Anheuser Busch,Inc.
and Pearklstine Distributors Monday
announced the launch of the “Good Sport” program for the 2003 season.
The program is a pledge to maintain a family atmosphere at Joseph P.
Riley, Jr. Park by encouraging fans to act responsibly and respect the
rights of others.
“Good Sport” focuses on three key areas to achieve these goals:
communicating messages to spectators to promote attitude changes and
remind spectators of the importance of responsible behavior, training
the entire customer service staff, specifically concession and security
personnel, to prevent problems before they happen and development of the
safe-ride program to combat drunk driving.
The club has put in place a ”T.I.P.S. for Concessions” training which enhances concession vendor skills to recognize signs of impending intoxication in customers and respond in a non-confrontational manner.
Also, the organization will implement
“Safe Ride!” to combat fans driving while under the influence. Safe-Ride
includes such components as Designated Driver and Alert Cab programs. In
those isolated instances where it becomes necessary, the
RiverDogs staff will encourage customers to
have a designated driver take them home or the staff will arrange for a
cab, at no expense to the customer, to take him or her home.
“This program will help maintain the family atmosphere that our fans
have come to expect from RiverDogs
baseball,” said RiverDogs General Manager
Derek Sharrer. Signs, messages and
announcements will prominently promote the “Good Sport” program at “The
Joe” this summer.
RiverDogs In
July
Now They Are Hot
July 22
- When they are hot, they are hot and when they are not...
"I¹m trying to figure it out myself" said RiverDogs
Manager Buddy Biancalana, pondering the up-and-down fortunes of a team
that went 
from
first place in its division to sixth after a miserable home stand and a
terrible road trip, winning only two out of 15 games.
But now the Dogs are hot, putting their teeth into the powerhouse
teams of the first half and winning four straight.
The Asheville Tourists and the Capital City (Columbia) Bombers
were the teams to beat in the first half, but the Dogs¹ winning streak
began when they split a road stand in the mountain city and returned
home to bomb the Bombers in the first three games in an eight game home
stand.
One of the reasons that the team has found new life is that
the young pitchers have settled down. In one of those road victories,
Chris Flinn shut down the Bombers with a three-hit shutout, striking out
14 and walking only one. He is now 8-6, with an ERA of .266.
Also, relief pitcher Josh Parker, who struggled badly when he
first got the job as closer has 13 saves and an ERA of 2.44. Parker
delighted the home team fans yesterday by preserving a one-run lead by
getting out of a bases-loaded jam he inherited in the eighth and retired
the side in the ninth. The night before reliever John Vigue also saved a
one run lead by striking out the side in the ninth.
The RiverDogs have also started hitting and playing good defensive
baseball. First baseman John-Paul Davis (.273) has begun hitting
left-handers, Adam Bonner .277) has an eight-game hitting streak going
and Matt Rico (.2221) has been getting some key hits while Nate Dion
(289) has been a consistent hitter and base runner.
Even more good news came yesterday when the electric Joey
Gaithright returned to the lineup after being on the disabled list for
over a month, after injuring himself with a diving catch. He made
another one yesterday, plus driving in what proved to be the winning
run.
Although the defensive play has improved dramatically (they had
more errors than any team in professional baseball during the first
half), they still need work on base running. In yesterday¹s game, four
runners were caught off base.
They lead the division in attendance with 171,206 paid ticket
holders.
In truth Biancalana has it figured out. It¹s just a matter of
young players concentrating and maturing.
RiverDogs Battle
For First Place
Exciting,
hopeful, heartbreaking and intense, that sums up the surging RiverDog
campaign to reach and stay in first place in the Southern Division
of the South Atlantic League standings.
Coming off the all-star break with a 32-37 record and sixth in the
standings, plagued with defensive errors and a lineup which couldn¹t
seem to buy a base hit, the Dogs suddenly caught fire. It was
razzle-dazzle on the base paths, good starting pitching, almost flawless
defensive play and the batters acting like they had just been fed.
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Winning big against Augusta and South Georgia, splitting a
four-game road stand with Savannah, the RiverDogs came back to
Charleston in first place by three games.
Hitters like Brian Wolontka, Adam Bonner and Eric Reese were still
getting the big ones, Fernando Cortez and Luis DePaula were making
double plays and diving catches, Chris Crawford and
Jared Matthews were
giving the team that early edge; closer Josh Parker had seemed to find
his groove; solid performances by Matt Rico and John-Paul Davis were a
nightly occurrence and Nate Dion was burning up the base paths.
All they needed was a second catcher who arrived just in time for the
latest home stand.
They were up, the fans were up and they prepared to meet the Macon
Braves which was definitely not the most formidable foe of the first
half.
But the Braves were having the same kind of renaissance as
Charleston. And the old maxim, "Good pitching stops good
hitting" proved true. The Braves were putting men on bases every
inning and that proved disastrous in the late innings when Charleston¹s
middle relief pitchers just could not get the job done.
Macon won the first three games and tied Charleston for first
place. And a good crowd turned up July 3 to see if the RiverDogs could
turn it around.
Charleston had a three-run lead in the eighth, but Michael
Navrolli relieving Matt White never had his stuff. The game was tied
with men still on base and Parker was called in early to put out the
fire.
He got out of the inning, but allowed two in the ninth. Charleston
quickly scored one run, but with two outs and the tying run on base,
Eric Reese struck out.
That game pointed out the real weaknesses of a team that has
now tasted the heights of first place. They need more from the
bull pen.
So as the RiverDogs donned their patriotic uniforms for a sell-out
crowd to celebrate July 4, they were in second place over Columbia by
one and a half games.
THE DOGS OF CHARLESTON
When the
RiverDogs returned home July 19th from a pretty dismal road trip, the
promotion team was all lined up with free baseballs for the youngsters,
a ladies night and a tribute to some little leaguers who were the
victims of racial discrimination 47 years ago.
The crowd at the 1955 Little League World Series chanted
"Let them play!" when the youngsters on the Cannon Street
All-Stars were introduced. Until then, all their opponents in the South
Carolina Little 
League
playoffs had refused to play the all-Black team from Charleston, and the
boys were invited to attend the annual event in Williamsport,
Pennsylvania. But the chants were to no avail, as once again they were
not allowed to participate and had to watch from the stands.
On June 20, they were honored at the ball game.
In concert with the Cannon Street tribute, the RiverDogs
paid homage to another important chapter in baseball history as both the
RiverDogs and the Capital City Bombers wore replica uniforms from the
Negro Leagues, featuring storied franchises such as the Kansas City
Monarchs and the Homestead Grays.
But what is usually the most popular promotion is "Dog Days",
but on this blistering 93-degree afternoon, not so many dogs showed up
and
those who did panted their way through an hour-and-half of
baseball before the cooling Asheley River breeze brought relief.
Dog Days Number 1, held in much cooler April, drew twice as
many canines. But those who attended last night proved as courageous as
their namesake team who won its fourth straight game.
Our roving photographer offers a sample of the fearless dogs of
Charleston.
The Night They Played Ball
And Nobody Came
When the last strains of The Star Spangled Banner were over at
Joseph P. Riley Stadium, those listening to the RiverDogs-RedStixx game
on the radio didn¹t hear the usual roar of the crowd shouting "play
ball."
Instead they heard a meager yell.
This came from the players, the stadium ushers and a couple of men
selling beer to phantom customers.
The fans were outside the stadium, over the center field fence,
having a picnic. The ticket takers were on duty outside a padlocked
fence.
This was "Nobody Night, "a promotion dreamed up by
RiverDogs owner Mike Veeck, the king of zany promotions, who was
trying to break an attendance record.
The
old record for the least number of fans was 12. The RiverDogs, which
broke its own high attendance record July 4, officially had zero
attendance on this special night July 8.
"It¹s like the twilight zone in here. It¹s creepy," said one
of the visiting Columbus players, as one of the beer men yelled out from
left field, "Cold beer over here.' Another one answered from right
field, " we have cold beer over here."
Atom Taler, the public address announcer, continued to make
announcements as if there were a ball park full of people.
The fans, and these were real die-hard baseball fans, were having
fun getting to know one another, drinking dollar beers and eating dollar
hot dogs. They also signed a banner that will be presented to The Baseball
Hall of Fame in Copperstown, N.Y.
Some of them sneaked a peak through the fence while others took
advantage of ladders up against the fence and a skyjack lift which
hoisted them up. They got into the park after the fifth inning.
"It¹s different," said Lou Benfant. "But this is a
great organization which really caters to the fans. If we ever had a
real winning team here, you couldn¹t get enough people in there. It
would be overflowing."
David Jeremy, originally a New Yorker was talking baseball
with Glen Thomas of Charleston. "We¹re both fans, but we would
have never met had it not been for this."
Thomas said "this is great." We¹re outdoors with other
people. I think the promotions are great. Whatever they do, I¹m into
it."
But the fans, about 1,800 of them listened and watched the
RiverDogs lose again. The Dogs came into this home stand in first place
of the South Atlantic League¹s Southern Division, but lost seven out of
the eight games.
Playing under 500, the team is currently in sixth place as they
begin a road trip to Columbia and Asheville which were powerhouse teams
during the first half of the season
The Nobody
Story
Known far and wide for their zany
promotions, the managemement team of Mike Veeck and Bill Murray will no
doubt go down in history for this one.
And thousands of Lowcountry baseball fans will have the chance to
say they were there when the RiverDogs played in front of nobody.
In an attempt to break the professional baseball record for lowest
attendance, RiverDogs president Mike Veeck has announced plans for
"Nobody Night" at Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Ballpark Monday evening
(June 8) when the RiverDogs face the Columbus RedStixx.
Ticket holders will be directed to nearby Brittlebrinkpark
for some fun and games, which only they can do, and will sign a banner
to be sent to The Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown.
HBO's Real Sports with Brian Gumbel will send a crew to cover the
non-event, General Manager Derek Sharrer, adding, "and we¹re thrilled
that ŒReal Sports' will let everyone know it¹s not my idea."
That honor belongs to RiverDogs president Veeck, who says,
"Baseball has some wonderful numbers, DiMaggio's 56 and Cy Young's
511, and I'm thinking we've got a real shot now at owning the number
zero."
"There are some discrepancies as to who actually holds the (attendence)
record," says Veeck, who adds, "but no one's ever had zero. Our G.M.
hates me for this one."
Sharrer, who works hard at bringing people to the ball park, says,
"I just hope we¹re not considered for contraction after that
night." He believes it¹s the first time any general manager has
been asked to try to keep fans away from a baseball game, "but Mike
has these kinds of episodes."
Veeck¹s past promotions have included a Friday the 13th Voodoo
Night inadvertently scheduled on Good Friday ("a mistake, but as a
good Catholic, I asked for forgiveness"), and the infamous
Vasectomy Night which was met with such an uproar that it was cancelled
within two hours of its announcement.
All scheduled promotions and contests will go on as planned
despite the lack of fans. Beer vendors and souvenir stand
operators will hawk their wares as scheduled, and concession stands will
be open, but expecting no business.
And this sports writer will have his name in the Hall of Fame,
right up there with the great ones.
NCAA College Scores USC
The
Citadel
Clemson
Natl. Football League