📍 Spartanburg, South Carolina
⚾ Home of the Hub City Spartanburgers

Spartanburg, South Carolina has long been a baseball town, from the days of the minor league Spartans and Major League exhibition games during the Interwar Period to the beloved Phillies and the summer collegiate teams of the modern era. Now, after a thirty-year hiatus, affiliated baseball has finally returned to the city with the arrival of the Hub City Spartanburgers in 2025.

Most of the region’s baseball heritage stems from historic Duncan Park, a little wooden ballpark on the south side of town. Built in 1926, the stadium is the oldest in the state of South Carolina and has played host to everything from minor league baseball to the American Legion World Series. The modest park even hosted a one-off spring training game featuring the New York Yankees in 1937. For decades, Duncan Park was the home of the Spartanburg Phillies, the city’s longest-running affiliated ballclub. The Phillies would play their final season in 1994 before moving up I-85 to Kannapolis, North Carolina. More recent tenants include the Stingers and Spartanburgers of the Coastal Plain League.

The latter team, although only in existence for a single season, certainly left is mark on the city’s baseball landscape by lending its name to the new minor league franchise that would relocate to Spartanburg from Kinston, North Carolina following the conclusion of the 2024 campaign. This new club, in an effort to be a faithful steward of baseball in the Hub City, honors the teams and players that came before them by displaying an old row of seats that have seen more than a century of action. The seats, originally installed in 1909 at Shibe Park in Philadelphia, were moved down to Spartanburg in the ’70s – which was, at the time, home to the Phillies’ affiliate of the same name – and incorporated into Duncan Park, where they remained in use for several decades.

The High-A affiliate of the Texas Rangers, the Spartanburgers and their new home at Fifth Third Park are the anchor of downtown’s Grain District. This mixed-use development, designed around the ballpark, was part of a revitalization effort to breathe new life into the sometimes ghostly city streets. For the most part, the effort was successful, with new shops and restaurants cropping up all around the area and drawing in more foot traffic than downtown has seen in years.

Affectionately nicknamed “The Fraction” by locals and fans, Fifth Third Park emanates strong retro vibes that are derived from the ’50s-era style of the ‘Burgers name and logo. Lime greens and hot pinks are prevalent and diner-esque motifs can be seen all around the ballpark. The most notable is the script “Spartanburg” neon sign affixed to the roof behind home plate. Even outside the stadium, the buildings on the surrounding streets have started trending in the same aesthetic direction. The AC Hotel beyond the left field gate, for example, lights up after the sun goes down in the team’s colors of navy blue and lime green.

As a team whose name is a play on words that involves an icon of American cuisine, the Spartanburgers rightfully excel at the types of concession items available to fans. Among the offerings are ales from Wicked Weed Brewing, chicken from Bojangles, pizza at the Firebox Corner, alcoholic drinks from “Cabooze: The Bar Car” and ice cream treats at Jeremiah’s. Then, of course, there’s the burger stand and the accompanying toppings bar, which features an insane lineup of possible burger additions, from tomatoes to olives to Apple Jacks – and dozens of other crazy choices in between.

Train themes are also present throughout the stadium – apropos considering the origin of the Hub City nickname – such as a railroad track beam behind home plate and the climbable train in the kids playground area, as well as the genuine train whistles that fans toot all throughout the game. Folks are also often prompted to let loose a cheer of “choo choo” by the PA system. The occasional freight train even rolls by down the third base side of the ballpark.

With their eye-catching iconography, dedication to preservation and superb gameday presentation, the Spartanburgers have brought a beloved pastime back to the people of the Upstate. Filling a void that was left gaping for years, the team will continue cooking up summertime entertainment in the Sparkle City until they can twirl the tale no more.