Columbia Fireflies: Name of City’s Minor League Baseball Team

[gtxvideo vid=”kE6MVbU2″ playlist=”” pid=”rkijshg2″ thumb=”http://player.gtxcel.com/thumbs/kE6MVbU2.jpg” vtitle=”Baseball Name”]

COLUMBIA, SC (WOLO)– Play Ball! Tuesday Columbia announced the name of the new Minor League Baseball Team: The Columbia Fireflies. According to officials, the name “Fireflies” was chosen from over 2,300 entries in the “name the team contest” conducted in late 2014. Tuesday city officials made the announcement at the Boys and Girls club where some of the newest and youngest fans sported T-Shirts with the New logo. “We said we thought a great minor league team has 3 characteristics, it should be local, unique, and fun,” explained Jason Freier, CEO of Hardball Capital. “In Fireflies we found a winner on all three fronts.” “It really was a no brainer once we started to put the pieces together and begin to figure out what our story was and it’s a great story to tell,” said John Katz, President of the Fireflies. The story begins at Congaree National Park, where each spring hundreds of fireflies synchronize their light creating a magnificent show of unity and representing a togetherness officials said is reflective of the city of Columbia. “When you think about Columbia and the unifying spirit and not just present day but over the city’s history it just seemed like fireflies, that unity and that synchronization,” said Katz. To celebrate the reveal, the team’s first fans and officials beamed as they showed off the Fireflies glowing logo. “The firefly that we arrived at along with the other elements of our brand family give us a really exciting look that is unlike anything else in Minor League baseball in this region,” explained Katz. The Fireflies begin play at Spirit Communications Park in April 14, 2016. You can visit their website columbiafireflies.com for ticket information.