Everything you need to know as Columbia Fireflies get set for 2021 home opener
After going 3-3 on a six-game road trip to begin the season, the Columbia Fireflies return to Segra Park on Tuesday for their home opener with the Charleston RiverDogs.
It will be the first time since Aug. 29, 2019, a span of 621 days, that the Fireflies will have a home game. Last year’s season was wiped out because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
While things aren’t quite fully back to normal, Tuesday’s opener will be a familiar sight for baseball fans in the Midlands. Here are some things to look out for in the Fireflies’ 2021 season:
Will fans be allowed to attend?
Yes. The club announced last month that Segra Park will be at 50% capacity (5,000 seats) to begin the season. That number could increase as the season progresses, and Fireflies president John Katz said the club is taking it on a month-by-month basis as far as how many fans will be allowed to attend.
Individual game tickets for the season will be released each month to ensure that all safety protocols and precautions remain up to date. For example, tickets for games in May went on sale April 27. Tickets for the remaining months will go on sale approximately two weeks prior to the first game of the following month.
What COVID protocols will be in place?
Masks will be required to be worn at all times when attending Fireflies games, including when entering the stadium, walking around the concourse, using the restroom or ordering concessions. Fans can remove their masks when eating or drinking in their seats.
Starting this year, Segra Park is a cashless facility. All debit and credit cards will be accepted at every point of sale at Segra Park, including at the Box Office, at the Mason Jar Team Store, in the parking lots and at all concession stands. Fans who bring cash will, at any point during the game, be able to convert that into Fireflies Gift Cards at Guest Services.
There will be sections with socially distant seating pods and sections with regular capacity in the seating bowl to begin the season. The left field Bojangles’ Berm will be sectioned off for socially distanced seating, while the right field Bojangles’ Berm will be at a reduced capacity but without the requirement of a 6-feet buffer between pods.
Fans will have the option to select the seating with which they are most comfortable. In socially distanced sections, tickets will be available in pods of two, three, four, five or six.
No autographs, please
Fans will not be allowed to get autographs from the Fireflies or visiting team, according to MLB policy.
Enhanced food services
Fans will be able to order and purchase concessions from their seats on any mobile device. In premium seating sections, including Club Seats, Bullpen Boxes and Scout Seats, the service will allow fans to order food and have it brought directly to them by Fireflies staff.
In all other seating sections, fans will be able to order from their seat and will get a notification on their phone when their food is ready to be picked-up at a designated concession stand.
New affiliate, league structure
In February, it was announced that the Fireflies would become a Kansas City Royals affiliate after being affiliated with the New York Mets since the team arrived in Columbia back in 2016.
That affiliation switch was not the only change as Major League Baseball overhauled its minor league structure.
The Fireflies are no longer in the South Atlantic League. The club’s new home is the 12-team Low-A East league, with eight teams located in North or South Carolina. The Low-A East will be divided into three four-team divisions. The others in the Fireflies division will be the Myrtle Beach Pelicans (Cubs), Augusta GreenJackets (Braves) and Charleston Riverdogs (Rays).
The season will have 120 games, down from the 132-games Major League Baseball had planned for Class A teams. All series will feature six games. Of those games for Columbia, 102 are against either Charleston, Myrtle Beach or Augusta.
Rule changes
Major League Baseball is experimenting with several rule changes in the minor leagues, including an automated strike zone, commonly referred to as “robot umpires” in Low-A Southeast.
But for the Fireflies and Low-A East League, the biggest change is pitchers may only use two pick-off attempts per plate appearance. If the pitcher attempts more than two in a plate appearance and the runner is not thrown out, it is ruled a balk.
What players to watch
The Royals have one of the top farm systems in Major League baseball and will have several top prospects begin the season in Columbia. Included on the list are:
▪ Brady McConnell: A former Florida Gator outfielder who is familiar with playing in Columbia and is the 20th-best prospect in the organization, according to MLB.com. He hit .332 with 15 homers, the most for any shortstop in program history, and 48 RBI during his senior season at Florida in 2019. He had five homers and 23 RBI in his rookie season in the minors in 2019.
▪ Ben Hernandez: The 19-year-old was the Royals’ second round pick in the 2020 MLB Draft. He struck out 67 batters in just 45 innings in his final year at De La Salle Institute in Illinois. Hernandez is the 15th-best prospect in the Royals’ system, according to MLB.com.
▪ Darryl Collins: Played professional baseball in the Netherlands and led the league in hitting with a .412 average as a 15-year-old in 2017. He was signed by the Royals in 2018 and hit .325 with 25 RBI in the rookie league ball in 2019.
Braves’ connections
The Fireflies might be a Royals affiliate, but they also have some Atlanta Braves connections on their coaching staff.
Manager Brooks Conrad played with six different major league teams, including a stop with the Braves from 2009-11. His best year was 2010 when he hit eight homers and 33 RBI.
Former Braves second baseman Glenn Hubbard is the Fireflies’ bench coach. Hubbard played 10 of his 12 seasons in the majors with the Braves and was an All-Star in 1983. He also spent 21 years coaching with the Braves, including 12 seasons as Bobby Cox’s first base coach from 1999-2010.
