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Zip Trip: History of Spartanburg
(WSPA) – Plans were drawn, construction began, and a ball field now occupies what was once an empty lot in downtown Spartanburg. For city leaders, getting another baseball team wasn't a straightforward path.
'I grew up going to the Phillies games in the early '80s and '90s and thought, what if we could bring baseball back to families in downtown Spartanburg,' CEO of The Johnson Group, Geordy Johnson said.
Bringing a new team started with a 13-acre site, bought by The Johnson Group.
In partnership with the city, looking at some sort of entertainment hub, potentially minor league baseball, CEO of The Johnson Group, Geordy Johnson turned to his friend and mentor Pat Battle, Chairman of Diamond Baseball Holdings, a group who now owns more than 40 minor league teams.
Battle's son went to Wofford, and he was eager to help. He offered Johnson and Spartanburg a glimmer of hope with the possibility of relocating a minor league team.
'That was about four years ago, May of 2021, and we talked about it for a couple of years, figured it out, developed a partnership with the Texas Rangers and started building a stadium about 18 months ago,' Johnson said.
After the purchase of the 13-acre site by The Johnson Group, in 15 months, a new ballpark was built, bringing minor league baseball back to the 'Burg.
Those with the vision several years ago still now believe Fifth Third Park, will be the catalyst for a rebirth of a booming Spartanburg.
Johnson said more than $800 million is expected to be spent in development in Downtown Spartanburg, spanning a three- to four-year period. Johnson believes residents will now be able to live, work and play in the city.
For years, Spartanburg city leaders say they have dreamed of an entertainment hub for the area, an economic engine that could catapult the city forward.
'In many ways good fortune, good timing, but all consistent with the goal of making our downtown a full hub of activity,' Spartanburg City Manager Chris Story said.
The activity had to be created through a seamless pitch, which is what leaders from the Johnson Group and the City of Spartanburg did when they met with Major League Baseball representatives in New York City.
'We are in a high-growth area that loves baseball at the intersection of I-85 and I-26,' Johnson said. 'The population is coming here.'
Spending the next several weeks touring minor league stadiums around the Southeast, every detail of Fifth Third Park became uniquely designed around fan experience. Today, that's still the city and the developers' number one goal.
'It is positive reinforcement when you see folks leaving the ballpark smiling,' Story said.
'Just walking around the concourse and seeing friends high-fiving each other or just hug and celebrate that we have minor league baseball back in Spartanburg, it is a sense of pride in our community,' Johnson said.
The Johnson Group broke ground Nov. 1, 2023, the day the Spartanburgers' major league affiliate, the Texas Rangers, won the World Series. Johnson said the stadium was built in 15 months, costing around $120 million. It now holds a capacity of around 5,000 'Burger fans.
For many, it was exciting to name the team, see the stadium, shop for some swag and cheer on the new team in town.
For Manager Chad Comer, it was also neat to experience a new atmosphere, new fans, and a new city.
'From a Tuesday night to a packed Friday night, there's great fans here,' Hub City Spartanburgers Manager Chad Comer said. 'The turnout's been awesome and I know the guys love playing in it.'
Before the birth of the Spartanburgers, the Texas Rangers' High-A affiliate played in Hickory, North Carolina, which is now the Low-A affiliate. And the Low-A affiliate played in Kinston, North Carolina.
The shake-up took the team away from North Carolina into a growing area of South Carolina, right here in Sparkle City.
'I moved a couple of days before the groundbreaking, so I have seen it go from raw land to what we are sitting in right now, and I have always felt like the community has truly embraced not only the vision but now the reality,' Hub City Spartanburgers General Manager, Tyson Jeffers, said.
The reality of having more than 5,000 fans fill the stands.
Whether you are grabbing a burger with several toppings to choose from…
'Of course, the food is great here,' Hawkins said. 'No surprise they are known for the burgers.'
Or here to cheer on your favorite player… the atmosphere has been electric. Comer says not only for the fans, but for his team. He's impressed with the construction of their home ballpark.
'I think the stadium is almost built to be a Triple-A stadium, and it's nicer than a lot of Triple-A stadiums,' Comer said. 'Underneath, we have coaches' offices, a coaches' locker room, we have a manager's office, a manager's meeting room, we have a video room, and then we have two full indoor cages that go right into our weight room.'
Surrounding the Hub City Spartanburgers has undoubtedly been excitement.
'I was really excited to get into a community that was also excited,' Jeffers said. I think that's really important — what takes you from a successful year one team to a successful year 20 team is when the community is behind you all the way.'
New equipment, new jerseys, new mascots, new everything. One same goal.
'Who's the best team in the league?' 7NEWS asked. 'Of course it's the Hub City Spartanburgers,' Jeffers said.
Development around the stadium is expected soon. Johnson said you can expect to see office spaces, a new hotel and apartments. The estimated development costs are around $550 million.
If you plan to head out to a ballgame, 'Go Spartanburgers,' Hawkins said.
We hope you'll cheer on the home team.
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