Charleston RiverDogs
Encyclopedia
The Charleston RiverDogs are a Minor League Baseball
team based in Charleston, South Carolina
. They play in the class A South Atlantic League
and are an affiliate of the New York Yankees
. Their home stadium is at Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park
. The majority owner is Marvin Goldklang
who also owns a stake in five other minor league baseball teams throughout the country (Fort Myers Miracle
, Hudson Valley Renegades
, and St. Paul Saints
).
Championship in 1907. Due to unknown reasons the Sea Gulls did not play in 1910. They did, however play in 1911, but towards the end of the season, on August 11, 1911, a hurricane destroyed their stadium which resulted in their not playing in 1912. In 1913 a brand new facility was built for the Seagulls, named College Park. Eventually in 1919, the Sea Gulls became officially the Gulls.
title, but due to unknown reasons the Pals folded at the end of the season, and that lead to a 16 year baseball drought in Charleston.
Championship ending a 20 year championship drought. However, the next year the Rebels posted a losing record. 1947 started out with a bang as the Rebels were promoted to Class A and drew 184,851 fans in the season, a Charleston baseball record that stood until 1997. After all the excitement from the 1947 season, the Rebels went out and won the South Atlantic League
Championship for the second time in seven years in 1948, the last time Charleston won a championship. After that memorable season the Rebels declined and couldn't post a winning season. With fans losing interest the Rebels folded at the end of the 1953 season.
Team, the Chicago White Sox
. The experiment failed horribly as attendance was down by more than 50% and the White Sox failed to post consecutive winning seasons.
, and for the first time since 1893 were playing in a league other than the South Atlantic League
, they were in the Western Carolinas League
. As the Pirates, Charleston excelled in pitching as in 1973 John Candelaria
led the league with a 10-2 record. The following year the Pirates pitcher Randy Sealy set a team record with a 1.97 ERA. However after those promising years the Pirates set a league record by losing 22 straight games. In 1976 and 1977 the Pirates became the Patriots, but the name change still had no effect on the team's play as the team failed to post a winning record and watched attendance plunge. Finally, in 1978 the Pirates decided enough was enough and left town. By now Charleston had been given countless chances to prove that they could support a baseball team, so the city began to give up on baseball. Little, however, did Charlestonians know that commitment and tradition was just around the corner, and a bright future was in store for Charleston baseball.
. In their first season as the Royals they won the South Atlantic League's Southern Division championship, but fell in the playoffs against Greensboro. Like the Pirates, the Royals were known for their pitching, because in 1981 pitcher Jeffery Gladden led the league with a 2.09 ERA. In 1982 batting may have caught up with the pitching as pitcher Danny Jackson
led the league with a 10-1 record and slugger Cliff Pastornicky
paced the South Atlantic League with a .343 batting average. In 1983 Mark Pirruccello set a single-season team record with 25 home runs. 1984 was an exciting season for Charleston as the city hosted the all-star game in which Tom Glavine
and Pat Borders
played in. On the field the Royals went on to win the Southern Division and Kevin Seitzer
was named league MVP.
. 1985-1987 were building years as the Rainbows improved each season under a great pitching staff until 1988 when they won the Southern Division title, but were bounced in the first round of the playoffs. The 1988 season was powered by a pitching staff whose combined ERA equaled 2.07. 1988 was the last of the "good ol' days", because starting in 1989 the team suffered eleven consecutive losing seasons. Poor play on the field translated into a South Atlantic League
record, when in 1990 pitcher Charles Thompson
registered seventeen losses. 1994 saw the final name change as the Rainbows became the RiverDogs. Despite the name change, the losing continued. 1997 saw the RiverDogs leave their 84-year-old College Park stadium and move into the brand-new 5,500-seat stadium, Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park
. The team also began its eight year affiliation with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in 1997. The move to the "Joe" helped to spur a rise in total attendance, as the team set a record with an increase in over 100,000 fans over just season year. Finally, in 2000 the 'Dogs posted their first winning season since 1988.
on September 15, 2004. 2005 was another great season as the Riverdogs jumped out winning the first-half Southern Division Championship qualifying them for the playoffs for the first consecutive seasons in franchise history. The 2005 playoffs weren't as good to the RiverDogs as fans had hoped, because the RiverDogs fell to eventual champion the Kannapolis Intimidators
two games to none. At the end of the 2005 season, Charleston was making an attempt to attract a Class AA team by expanding their stadium by a few hundred seats. 2006 saw a good performance on the field, but no playoffs as the RiverDogs posted a 78-62 record. 2007 saw a record year for winning seasons when they finished the season with a 78-62 record and securing their fifth consecutive winning season tying a Charleston Professional Baseball record with the Sea Gulls (1914–1917, 1919) (No team in 1918). A downside to the record tying season was that the 'Dogs failed to make the playoffs for the second straight season. 2008 brought a memorable year to Charleston, as the Riverdogs recorded their final record at 80-59 bringing their sixth consecutive winning season, breaking a record for the most consecutive winning seasons (a record that stood since 1919) in Charleston baseball history. The downside to 2008 was the third straight season the Riverdogs failed to make the playoffs - despite having the best record in the Southern Division each season, they never held the division lead at the end of a half-season to claim a playoff spot. The 2009 season saw the Riverdogs finish with a winning record again. In the first half the Riverdogs came up a game short to their arch-rival Greenville Drive
and never posed as a threat in the second half failing to make the playoffs for the fourth straight year.
| 1980 (Royals) || 78 || 61 || Southern Division Champions || WON First Round (Spartanburg) 2-0
Lost SAL Championship Series (Greensboro) 1-3
|-
| 1981 (Royals) || 75 || 67 || 2nd Southern Division || Did Not Qualify
|-
| 1982 (Royals) || 74 || 66 || 2nd Southern Division || Lost First Round (Florence) 0-2
|-
| 1983 (Royals) || 64 || 80 || 5th Southern Division || Did Not Qualify
|-
| 1984 (Royals) || 78 || 64 || First Half Southern Division Champions || WON First Round (Columbia) 3-1
Lost SAL Championship Series (Asheville) 2-3
|-
| 1985 (Rainbows) || 63 || 69 || 3rd Southern Division || Did Not Qualify
|-
| 1986 (Rainbows) || 68 || 71 || 3rd Southern Division || Did Not Qualify
|-
| 1987 (Rainbows) || 85 || 53 || 5th Southern Division || Did Not Qualify
|-
| 1988 (Rainbows) || 72 || 68 || Southern Division Champions || WON First Round (Myrtle Beach)3-1
Lost SAL Championship Series (Spartanburg) 0-3
|-
| 1989 (Rainbows) || 46 || 96 || 3rd Southern Division || Lost First Round (Augusta) 0-3
|-
| 1990 (Rainbows) || 69 || 72 || 6th Southern Division || Did Not Qualify
|-
| 1991 (Rainbows) || 55 || 85 || 4th Southern Division || Did Not Qualify
|-
| 1992 (Rainbows) || 55 || 85 || 7th Southern Division || Did Not Qualify
|-
| 1993 (Rainbows) || 66 || 70 || 5th Southern Division || Did Not Qualify
|-
| 1994 (Riverdogs) || 50 || 89 || 6th Southern Division || Did Not Qualify
|-
| 1995 (Riverdogs) || 50 || 89 || 7th Southern Division || Did Not Qualify
|-
| 1996 (Riverdogs) || 63 || 78 || 4th Central Division || Did Not Qualify
|-
| 1997 (Riverdogs) || 60 || 82 || 6th Central Division || Did Not Qualify
|-
| 1998 (Riverdogs) || 67 || 74 || 5th Central Division || Did Not Qualify
|-
| 1999 (Riverdogs) || 65 || 77 || 5th Central Division || Did Not Qualify
|-
| 2000 (Riverdogs) || 73 || 66 || 3rd Central Division || Did Not Qualify
|-
| 2001 (Riverdogs) || 64 || 76 || 7th Southern Division || Did Not Qualify
|-
| 2002 (Riverdogs) || 60 || 76 || 7th Southern Division || Did Not Qualify
|-
| 2003 (Riverdogs) || 77 || 62 || 3rd Southern Division || Did Not Qualify
|-
| 2004 (Riverdogs) || 76 || 63 || 2nd Southern Division || Lost First Round (Capital City) 0-2
|-
| 2005 (Riverdogs) || 80 || 58 || Southern Division Champions || Lost First Round (Kannapolis) 0-2
|-
| 2006 (Riverdogs) || 78 || 62 || 2nd Southern Division || Did Not Qualify
|-
| 2007 (Riverdogs) || 78 || 62 || 4th Southern Division || Did Not Qualify
|-
| 2008 (Riverdogs) || 80 || 59 || Southern Division Champions || Did Not Qualify (Were not leading division at the end of each half season)
|-
| 2009 (Riverdogs) || 74 || 65 || 2nd Southern Division || Did Not Qualify
|-
| 2010 (Riverdogs) || 65 || 74 || 6th Southern Division || Did Not Qualify
|-
| Overall (Regular Season) || 2108 || 2219 || ||
|-
| Overall (Playoffs) || 11 || 20 || ||
|-
| Overall || 2119 || 2239 || ||
, including: B.J. Upton, Carl Crawford
, Rocco Baldelli
, Delmon Young
, Sandy Alomar, Jr.
who played for the Rainbows, Roberto Alomar
who played for the Rainbows, Carlos Baerga
who played for the Rainbows, Seth McClung
, Josh Hamilton
, Fernando Tatis
, Aubrey Huff
, and David Cone
who played for the Royals.
Josh Hamilton
, Phil Hughes, David Robertson, Austin Jackson
, and Phil Coke
have also played for the RiverDogs.
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
team based in Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston is the second largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It was made the county seat of Charleston County in 1901 when Charleston County was founded. The city's original name was Charles Towne in 1670, and it moved to its present location from a location on the west bank of the...
. They play in the class A South Atlantic League
South Atlantic League
The South Atlantic League is a minor league baseball league based chiefly in the Southeastern United States, with the exception of three teams in the Mid-Atlantic States...
and are an affiliate of the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
. Their home stadium is at Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park
Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park
Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park is a stadium located in Charleston, South Carolina. The stadium is named after Charleston's longest serving mayor, Joseph P. Riley, Jr.. The stadium replaced College Park....
. The majority owner is Marvin Goldklang
Marvin Goldklang
Marvin Goldklang is a minority owner of the New York Yankees. He is also the principal owner of four minor league baseball teams, and assists in the management of others.-Minor League Baseball:...
who also owns a stake in five other minor league baseball teams throughout the country (Fort Myers Miracle
Fort Myers Miracle
The Fort Myers Miracle is the Class A Advanced minor league baseball affiliate of the Minnesota Twins Major League Baseball club, currently managed by Jake Mauer. Home games are played at the Lee County Sports Complex in Hammond Stadium, which has a capacity of 7,500, and opened in...
, Hudson Valley Renegades
Hudson Valley Renegades
The Hudson Valley Renegades are a minor league baseball team, affiliated with the Tampa Bay Rays. The team is a member of the New York - Penn League, a Class A Short Season league. The Renegades play at Dutchess Stadium in Fishkill, NY....
, and St. Paul Saints
St. Paul Saints
The St. Paul Saints are a professional baseball team based in Saint Paul, Minnesota, in the United States. The Saints are a member of the North Division of the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball...
).
Seagulls, Sea Gulls, and Gulls
Baseball can be traced in Charleston back to 1886 when the Charleston Seagulls took the field in front of only 32 people at an old high school baseball field. But over time the Seagulls became the Sea Gulls and were in full swing having great on-field play which included winning the South Atlantic LeagueSouth Atlantic League
The South Atlantic League is a minor league baseball league based chiefly in the Southeastern United States, with the exception of three teams in the Mid-Atlantic States...
Championship in 1907. Due to unknown reasons the Sea Gulls did not play in 1910. They did, however play in 1911, but towards the end of the season, on August 11, 1911, a hurricane destroyed their stadium which resulted in their not playing in 1912. In 1913 a brand new facility was built for the Seagulls, named College Park. Eventually in 1919, the Sea Gulls became officially the Gulls.
Palmettos and Pals
Starting in 1920 the Gulls became the Palmettos, however, later that year year that name was shortened to the Pals while Charleston was promoted to "Class B". In 1922 the Pals created excitement around Charleston as they won the South Atlantic LeagueSouth Atlantic League
The South Atlantic League is a minor league baseball league based chiefly in the Southeastern United States, with the exception of three teams in the Mid-Atlantic States...
title, but due to unknown reasons the Pals folded at the end of the season, and that lead to a 16 year baseball drought in Charleston.
Rebels and the Return to Glory
Finally in 1940 a new team began play in the South Atlantic League known as the Charleston Rebels. Just two years later, in 1942 the Rebels won the South Atlantic LeagueSouth Atlantic League
The South Atlantic League is a minor league baseball league based chiefly in the Southeastern United States, with the exception of three teams in the Mid-Atlantic States...
Championship ending a 20 year championship drought. However, the next year the Rebels posted a losing record. 1947 started out with a bang as the Rebels were promoted to Class A and drew 184,851 fans in the season, a Charleston baseball record that stood until 1997. After all the excitement from the 1947 season, the Rebels went out and won the South Atlantic League
South Atlantic League
The South Atlantic League is a minor league baseball league based chiefly in the Southeastern United States, with the exception of three teams in the Mid-Atlantic States...
Championship for the second time in seven years in 1948, the last time Charleston won a championship. After that memorable season the Rebels declined and couldn't post a winning season. With fans losing interest the Rebels folded at the end of the 1953 season.
ChaSox and White Sox Experiment With Affiliation
In 1959 baseball returned to Charleston, but this time the team was affiliated with a Major League BaseballMajor League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
Team, the Chicago White Sox
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
. The experiment failed horribly as attendance was down by more than 50% and the White Sox failed to post consecutive winning seasons.
New Team, New League
In 1973 the Charleston Pirates were born, who were affiliated with the Pittsburgh PiratesPittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
, and for the first time since 1893 were playing in a league other than the South Atlantic League
South Atlantic League
The South Atlantic League is a minor league baseball league based chiefly in the Southeastern United States, with the exception of three teams in the Mid-Atlantic States...
, they were in the Western Carolinas League
Western Carolinas League
The Western Carolinas League was a Class D and a low Class A full-season league in American minor league baseball. The WCL changed its name prior to the 1980 season and has been known since as the South Atlantic League, a highly successful low Class A circuit with teams up the Eastern Seaboard...
. As the Pirates, Charleston excelled in pitching as in 1973 John Candelaria
John Candelaria
John Robert Candelaria . He attended The Caton School P.S. 249. Nicknamed "The Candy Man," is a former professional left-handed pitcher who played for the Pittsburgh Pirates, California Angels, New York Mets, New York Yankees, Montreal Expos, Minnesota Twins, Toronto Blue Jays, and Los Angeles...
led the league with a 10-2 record. The following year the Pirates pitcher Randy Sealy set a team record with a 1.97 ERA. However after those promising years the Pirates set a league record by losing 22 straight games. In 1976 and 1977 the Pirates became the Patriots, but the name change still had no effect on the team's play as the team failed to post a winning record and watched attendance plunge. Finally, in 1978 the Pirates decided enough was enough and left town. By now Charleston had been given countless chances to prove that they could support a baseball team, so the city began to give up on baseball. Little, however, did Charlestonians know that commitment and tradition was just around the corner, and a bright future was in store for Charleston baseball.
Early Success As The Royals
The RiverDogs were originally formed in 1980 under the name of the Charleston Royals, and were a farm team of the Kansas City RoyalsKansas City Royals
The Kansas City Royals are a Major League Baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals are a member of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From 1973 to the present, the Royals have played in Kauffman Stadium...
. In their first season as the Royals they won the South Atlantic League's Southern Division championship, but fell in the playoffs against Greensboro. Like the Pirates, the Royals were known for their pitching, because in 1981 pitcher Jeffery Gladden led the league with a 2.09 ERA. In 1982 batting may have caught up with the pitching as pitcher Danny Jackson
Danny Jackson
Danny Lynn Jackson was a pitcher with a 15-year career from to . He played for the Kansas City Royals of the American League and the Cincinnati Reds, Chicago Cubs, Pittsburgh Pirates, Philadelphia Phillies, St...
led the league with a 10-1 record and slugger Cliff Pastornicky
Cliff Pastornicky
Clifford Scot "Cliff" Pastornicky is former Major League Baseball player.Pastornicky was drafted by the Kansas City Royals in the 8th round of the 1980 draft. He made his debut on June 14, 1983 with the Royals....
paced the South Atlantic League with a .343 batting average. In 1983 Mark Pirruccello set a single-season team record with 25 home runs. 1984 was an exciting season for Charleston as the city hosted the all-star game in which Tom Glavine
Tom Glavine
Thomas Michael Glavine is a former Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher.With 164 victories during the 1990s, Glavine was the second winningest pitcher in the National League, second only to teammate Greg Maddux's 176...
and Pat Borders
Pat Borders
Patrick Lance Borders is a former catcher in Major League Baseball who is best remembered for being the Most Valuable Player in the 1992 World Series. Borders also won an Olympic Games gold medal with the United States' baseball team at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney...
played in. On the field the Royals went on to win the Southern Division and Kevin Seitzer
Kevin Seitzer
Kevin Lee Seitzer is a former third baseman in Major League Baseball with the Kansas City Royals, Milwaukee Brewers, Oakland Athletics, and Cleveland Indians.-Career:...
was named league MVP.
Dark Days
In 1985 the Royals were renamed the Rainbows and became affiliated with the San Diego PadresSan Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times...
. 1985-1987 were building years as the Rainbows improved each season under a great pitching staff until 1988 when they won the Southern Division title, but were bounced in the first round of the playoffs. The 1988 season was powered by a pitching staff whose combined ERA equaled 2.07. 1988 was the last of the "good ol' days", because starting in 1989 the team suffered eleven consecutive losing seasons. Poor play on the field translated into a South Atlantic League
South Atlantic League
The South Atlantic League is a minor league baseball league based chiefly in the Southeastern United States, with the exception of three teams in the Mid-Atlantic States...
record, when in 1990 pitcher Charles Thompson
Charles Thompson
Charles Thompson is the name of:* Sir Charles Thompson, 1st Baronet , British admiral* Charles Thompson , Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation* Charles Thompson , former quarterback of the Oklahoma Sooners...
registered seventeen losses. 1994 saw the final name change as the Rainbows became the RiverDogs. Despite the name change, the losing continued. 1997 saw the RiverDogs leave their 84-year-old College Park stadium and move into the brand-new 5,500-seat stadium, Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park
Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park
Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park is a stadium located in Charleston, South Carolina. The stadium is named after Charleston's longest serving mayor, Joseph P. Riley, Jr.. The stadium replaced College Park....
. The team also began its eight year affiliation with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in 1997. The move to the "Joe" helped to spur a rise in total attendance, as the team set a record with an increase in over 100,000 fans over just season year. Finally, in 2000 the 'Dogs posted their first winning season since 1988.
Great Play and Return to the Playoffs
2003 saw the beginning of a new era as the RiverDogs played well on the field and posted a winning season for the first time since 2000. In 2004 the RiverDogs secured the wildcard spot in the playoffs bringing Charleston a playoff series for the first time in sixteen years. Charleston faced the hated rival Capital City in the first round, but were swept two games to none. The RiverDogs became a Class A affiliate with the New York YankeesNew York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
on September 15, 2004. 2005 was another great season as the Riverdogs jumped out winning the first-half Southern Division Championship qualifying them for the playoffs for the first consecutive seasons in franchise history. The 2005 playoffs weren't as good to the RiverDogs as fans had hoped, because the RiverDogs fell to eventual champion the Kannapolis Intimidators
Kannapolis Intimidators
The Kannapolis Intimidators are a minor league baseball team in Kannapolis, North Carolina. The team is a Class Low-A affiliate of the Chicago White Sox and has played in the South Atlantic League under various names and team affiliations since its inception in 1995.-Team history:The Intimidators...
two games to none. At the end of the 2005 season, Charleston was making an attempt to attract a Class AA team by expanding their stadium by a few hundred seats. 2006 saw a good performance on the field, but no playoffs as the RiverDogs posted a 78-62 record. 2007 saw a record year for winning seasons when they finished the season with a 78-62 record and securing their fifth consecutive winning season tying a Charleston Professional Baseball record with the Sea Gulls (1914–1917, 1919) (No team in 1918). A downside to the record tying season was that the 'Dogs failed to make the playoffs for the second straight season. 2008 brought a memorable year to Charleston, as the Riverdogs recorded their final record at 80-59 bringing their sixth consecutive winning season, breaking a record for the most consecutive winning seasons (a record that stood since 1919) in Charleston baseball history. The downside to 2008 was the third straight season the Riverdogs failed to make the playoffs - despite having the best record in the Southern Division each season, they never held the division lead at the end of a half-season to claim a playoff spot. The 2009 season saw the Riverdogs finish with a winning record again. In the first half the Riverdogs came up a game short to their arch-rival Greenville Drive
Greenville Drive
The Greenville Drive is a minor league baseball team that plays in Greenville, South Carolina. They are a Class A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox and a member of the South Atlantic League. Prior to the 2005 SAL season, the team played in Columbia, South Carolina, was affiliated with the New York...
and never posed as a threat in the second half failing to make the playoffs for the fourth straight year.
Colbrunn Era
After posting a 232-186 record Riverdogs manager Torre Tyson was named the Tampa Yankees manager in High A baseball. The Riverdogs were quick to name hitting coach Greg Colbrunn as the new manager for the 2010 season. With the Riverdogs on the verge of making the playoffs each of the last four seasons expectations were high for Colbrunn. In 2010 the Riverdogs never seemed to muster any momentum together to make a run for the South Division in either half of the season as the Dogs suffered their first losing season since 2002 failing to qualify for the postseason the fifth straight year.Season-by-season records
|-| 1980 (Royals) || 78 || 61 || Southern Division Champions || WON First Round (Spartanburg) 2-0
Lost SAL Championship Series (Greensboro) 1-3
|-
| 1981 (Royals) || 75 || 67 || 2nd Southern Division || Did Not Qualify
|-
| 1982 (Royals) || 74 || 66 || 2nd Southern Division || Lost First Round (Florence) 0-2
|-
| 1983 (Royals) || 64 || 80 || 5th Southern Division || Did Not Qualify
|-
| 1984 (Royals) || 78 || 64 || First Half Southern Division Champions || WON First Round (Columbia) 3-1
Lost SAL Championship Series (Asheville) 2-3
|-
| 1985 (Rainbows) || 63 || 69 || 3rd Southern Division || Did Not Qualify
|-
| 1986 (Rainbows) || 68 || 71 || 3rd Southern Division || Did Not Qualify
|-
| 1987 (Rainbows) || 85 || 53 || 5th Southern Division || Did Not Qualify
|-
| 1988 (Rainbows) || 72 || 68 || Southern Division Champions || WON First Round (Myrtle Beach)3-1
Lost SAL Championship Series (Spartanburg) 0-3
|-
| 1989 (Rainbows) || 46 || 96 || 3rd Southern Division || Lost First Round (Augusta) 0-3
|-
| 1990 (Rainbows) || 69 || 72 || 6th Southern Division || Did Not Qualify
|-
| 1991 (Rainbows) || 55 || 85 || 4th Southern Division || Did Not Qualify
|-
| 1992 (Rainbows) || 55 || 85 || 7th Southern Division || Did Not Qualify
|-
| 1993 (Rainbows) || 66 || 70 || 5th Southern Division || Did Not Qualify
|-
| 1994 (Riverdogs) || 50 || 89 || 6th Southern Division || Did Not Qualify
|-
| 1995 (Riverdogs) || 50 || 89 || 7th Southern Division || Did Not Qualify
|-
| 1996 (Riverdogs) || 63 || 78 || 4th Central Division || Did Not Qualify
|-
| 1997 (Riverdogs) || 60 || 82 || 6th Central Division || Did Not Qualify
|-
| 1998 (Riverdogs) || 67 || 74 || 5th Central Division || Did Not Qualify
|-
| 1999 (Riverdogs) || 65 || 77 || 5th Central Division || Did Not Qualify
|-
| 2000 (Riverdogs) || 73 || 66 || 3rd Central Division || Did Not Qualify
|-
| 2001 (Riverdogs) || 64 || 76 || 7th Southern Division || Did Not Qualify
|-
| 2002 (Riverdogs) || 60 || 76 || 7th Southern Division || Did Not Qualify
|-
| 2003 (Riverdogs) || 77 || 62 || 3rd Southern Division || Did Not Qualify
|-
| 2004 (Riverdogs) || 76 || 63 || 2nd Southern Division || Lost First Round (Capital City) 0-2
|-
| 2005 (Riverdogs) || 80 || 58 || Southern Division Champions || Lost First Round (Kannapolis) 0-2
|-
| 2006 (Riverdogs) || 78 || 62 || 2nd Southern Division || Did Not Qualify
|-
| 2007 (Riverdogs) || 78 || 62 || 4th Southern Division || Did Not Qualify
|-
| 2008 (Riverdogs) || 80 || 59 || Southern Division Champions || Did Not Qualify (Were not leading division at the end of each half season)
|-
| 2009 (Riverdogs) || 74 || 65 || 2nd Southern Division || Did Not Qualify
|-
| 2010 (Riverdogs) || 65 || 74 || 6th Southern Division || Did Not Qualify
|-
| Overall (Regular Season) || 2108 || 2219 || ||
|-
| Overall (Playoffs) || 11 || 20 || ||
|-
| Overall || 2119 || 2239 || ||
Cursed City and Teams
Charleston has had very little success on the field with minor league baseball. The Riverdogs in 2009 completed the most successful stretch of on the field play in Charleston's baseball history with their seventh straight winning season yet only making the playoffs twice in that stretch. This being known, Charlestonians have suggested that their baseball teams have been cursed over the years. Evidence to support this can be found in the 22 straight losses by a Charleston team in 1975, failure to post a winning season in the 1990s, as the Rainbows, in 2008 when the Riverdogs failed to make the playoffs despite having the best record in the Southern Division, and the fact that Charleston has not won a championship since 1948, bringing over 60 years of futility to Charleston baseball.Notable players
A number of ex-RiverDogs have gone on to make a name for themselves in Major League BaseballMajor League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
, including: B.J. Upton, Carl Crawford
Carl Crawford
Carl Demonte Crawford is an American professional baseball outfielder who plays for the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball. He bats and throws left-handed...
, Rocco Baldelli
Rocco Baldelli
Rocco Dan Baldelli is a former Major League Baseball outfielder and designated hitter. Because of his excellent size and speed, and in reference to his hometown, he was nicknamed, "The Woonsocket Rocket," early in his professional career...
, Delmon Young
Delmon Young
Delmon Damarcus Young is an American professional baseball outfielder with the Detroit Tigers of Major League Baseball. He is the younger brother of former major league outfielder and first baseman Dmitri Young. He was born in Montgomery, Alabama.Young is known for having a strong and accurate...
, Sandy Alomar, Jr.
Sandy Alomar, Jr.
Santos "Sandy" Alomar, Jr., or in the Spanish-language naming system Santos Alomar Velázquez , is a former Major League Baseball catcher who played for the San Diego Padres , Cleveland Indians , Chicago White Sox and , Colorado Rockies , Texas Rangers , Los Angeles Dodgers , and New York Mets...
who played for the Rainbows, Roberto Alomar
Roberto Alomar
Roberto "Robbie" Alomar Velázquez is a former Major League Baseball player , regarded by many as one of the best second basemen in MLB history. During his career he won more Gold Gloves than any other second baseman in history, and also won the second-most Silver Slugger Awards for a second...
who played for the Rainbows, Carlos Baerga
Carlos Baerga
Carlos Obed Baerga Ortiz is a former Major League Baseball player. After spending most of his career as a second baseman, he was used at various positions late in his career.-Cleveland Indians:...
who played for the Rainbows, Seth McClung
Seth McClung
Michael Seth McClung , nicknamed Big Red, is an American professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. In his career, he has pitched as a starting pitcher and as a relief pitcher....
, Josh Hamilton
Josh Hamilton (baseball player)
Joshua Holt Hamilton is a Major League Baseball All Star outfielder for the Texas Rangers.He was the first overall pick in the 1999 Major League Baseball Draft by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. He was considered a blue chip prospect until injuries and a drug addiction derailed his career in 2001...
, Fernando Tatis
Fernando Tatis
Fernando Tatís, Jr. is a Major League Baseball utility player, who is currently a free agent. He previously played for the Texas Rangers , St. Louis Cardinals , Montreal Expos , Baltimore Orioles and New York Mets...
, Aubrey Huff
Aubrey Huff
Aubrey Lewis Huff III is a Major League Baseball first baseman with the San Francisco Giants. He debuted in 2000 with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, and later played for the Houston Astros, Baltimore Orioles, and Detroit Tigers. He is the starting first baseman for the San Francisco Giants who won the...
, and David Cone
David Cone
David Brian Cone is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. During a 17-year baseball career, he pitched from 1986-2003 for six different teams. Cone pitched the sixteenth perfect game in baseball history. He also set the MLB record for most years between 20-win seasons. He was a member of five...
who played for the Royals.
Josh Hamilton
Josh Hamilton (baseball player)
Joshua Holt Hamilton is a Major League Baseball All Star outfielder for the Texas Rangers.He was the first overall pick in the 1999 Major League Baseball Draft by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. He was considered a blue chip prospect until injuries and a drug addiction derailed his career in 2001...
, Phil Hughes, David Robertson, Austin Jackson
Austin Jackson
Austin Jarrell Jackson is an American professional baseball outfielder with the Detroit Tigers of Major League Baseball...
, and Phil Coke
Phil Coke
Phillip "Phil" Douglas Coke is an American professional baseball pitcher with the Detroit Tigers of Major League Baseball. Coke was born in Sonora, California-College:Coke attended San Joaquin Delta College...
have also played for the RiverDogs.