Introducing the Hub City Spartanburgers
For the first time since 2020 the Texas Rangers experienced a shakeup in their minor league affiliates with the Hickory Crawdads shifting from the High-A club to the Single-A club and a new face enters the fold at High-A. The Hub City Spartanburgers are an entirely new team and organization but the sport of baseball has been a big part of the history of Spartanburg, South Carolina. Even though the city hasn’t been the home to an official minor league team in nearly three decades its home to one of the oldest baseball stadiums in the country. Duncan Park Stadium was opened in 1926 and over the years has been the home to minor league affiliates of the Cleveland Guardians and Philadelphia Phillies as well as numerous independent teams and was the home of Wofford College for many years. Legends of the game such as Joe DiMaggio, Lou Gehrig, Satchel Paige, Hank Aaron, Jackie Robinson Ryne Sandberg, Dale Murphy and Tom Glavine have plied their craft at one time or another on the diamond in Spartanburg. The Rangers farmhands though will cut their teeth at a brand new 5,000 seat downtown stadium named Fifth Third Park.
The city of Spartanburg sits just a little over an hour east of Charlotte and 3 hours north west of Atlanta. Also of note to Rangers fans, the Hickory Crawdads are around an hour and a half to the north which could make a very unique baseball trip for hard core fans of Rangers prospects. The name Hub City Spartanburgers has ties to the local history and culture. The city of Spartanburg’s longstanding nickname of “Hub City” dates back to the 1800’s when several railroad lines came together within the city making it a pivotal transportation hub. Spartanburgers is a combination of obviously the name of the city but also provides a nod to the rich food heritage, of which burgers are a primary player. The team’s logo features a burger character wearing a train conductor’s hat and holding a bat.
The Spartanburgers recently announced that the first professional game at the new stadium will be April 2nd against the Hickory Crawdads as part of a home and home exhibition series between the two clubs. They officially open the minor league season on April 15th against the Ray’s affiliate, Bowling Green Hot Rods. Here’s a preview of the staff that will lead the Spartanburgers into their inaugural season:
- Manager – Chad Comer will be the clubs first manager but it’s not his first time to lead a club as he’s spent the last two seasons in the same role for the Hickory Crawdads where he was named the South Atlantic’s Manager of the Year in 2023. He’s been in the Rangers organization since 2015, with a one year departure in 2020 to coach at his Alma Mata the University of Texas at Arlington, and has served as both an infield and hitting coach over the years.
- Pitching Coach – Julio Valdez will guide the young arms for the club and he’s in his fifth season with the Rangers org. He most recently was the pitching coach for Hickory last year but has held similar roles for the Arizona Complex League and the Dominican Summer League teams.
- Hitting Coach – Drew Sannes continues the trend of former Hickory coaches as he spent the previous two years there in the same role. He also had experience managing at North Iowa Community College where he earned that title at the young age of 24 in 2020.
To learn more about what’s going on in Spartanburg or to pick up any team merchandise make sure to visit the official team site.
