Greenville Drive Tickets

Greenville Drive
The Greenville Drive is a minor league baseball team that plays in Greenville, South Carolina. They are a Class A partner of the Boston Red Sox and a member of the South Atlantic League. SAL season prior to the 2005, the team played in Columbia, South Carolina, was affiliated with the New York Mets. Their mascot is a frog named Reedy Rip'it.

History
The Drive began their history in 1960, and 1961 in Shelby, North Carolina as the Shelby Reds. The team moved to Columbia in 1983, which had been deficient in a minor league team since the departure of the Columbia Reds in 1961. The team was originally known as the Columbia Mets and made their home at Capital City Stadium. The team changed its name to the Bombers to honor members of the Doolittle Raiders in 1993, who had managed their initial training in Columbia.After the 2004 season, the Bombers changed affiliations and became the affiliate of the Boston Red Sox, who had previously been affiliated with the Augusta GreenJackets, also of the South Atlantic League. On February 11, 2005, Minor League Baseball announced that the Bombers had been granted permission to move to Greenville, where a new park opened in 2006. The Bombers would play in Greenville Municipal Stadium in 2005.On October 27, 2005, the Bombers announced a team name change to the Drive. The name was given due to both the strong presence of the automobile industry in the area and the strong entrepreneurial spirit in the business community. The current name change has not been accepted by the community, however, as many residents have disapproved the new name for its lack of historical significance and failure to reflect community traditions.

The Bombers had a rich history within the South Atlantic League, winning the league championship in 1986, 1991, and 1998.Capital City Stadium, at Downtown Columbia, was the home of the Bombers. In 1991, the stadium was originally built in 1927, but was completely rebuilt. Capital City Stadium has a seating capacity for 6,000 spectators, has a grass surface and features the following fence dimensions: 330 ft., CF 400 ft., RF 320 ft.The stadium often proved inadequate for baseball due to poor field conditions. Capital City Stadium features poor drainage and heavy rains often resulted in a flooded infield situated in a low-lying area.

The Bombers had required assistance from the City of Columbia in building a new stadium situated in the Congaree Vista area of Columbia. Efforts to construct a stadium to be shared with the University of South Carolina's baseball team fell through when the University insisted the Bombers pay $6,000,000 in fees upfront. Since then, Bombers owner Rich Mozingo had sought to relocate the team, finally becoming victorious in 2005. The Bombers played their home contests in Greenville Municipal Stadium in Greenville.

The Drive, now play at West End Field in downtown Greenville. The stadium contributes to the dimensions of their parent club's major league park, Fenway Park.