Riley Park Sumter South Carolina Former home of the Sumter Chicks Sumter Flyers Sumter Astros Sumter Braves Sumter Indians |
Bell wasn't the only future All-Star on this team either… Another future Cleveland
Indians/Texas Rangers All-Star was pitcher Jim Kern (5-6, 4.88) who would become
one of the best bullpen men in the game during the 1970s, having his best season
in 1979 when he went 13-5 with a 1.57 ERA. Joining this crew of All-Stars
was Danay Covert who hit 21 2B and 16 HR with a .295 to become the best professional
home run hitter ever at Riley Park. Future Indians Tommy Smith also hit
.366 in 183 At Bats and Daniel Hatchell posted a 10-5, 3.25 as ace of the rotation.
The Sumter Indians were the best of the 3 teams to call this ballpark home
so far… finishing only 7 games under .500. That's the best we could offer... and
hopefully things would get better in 1971. That possibility however wouldn't
be under the Indians umbrella who still were unsatisfied with their search for
a new Single-A home, and dropped out of the South Atlantic League altogether.
Riley Park would not go dark… their PDC was immediately picked up by somebody new…
the Houston Astros. |