With considerable assistance from the City of Charleston and a unique partnership with The Citadel, the Charleston RiverDogs opened the 1997 season at the brand new, $19.5 million Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park on the banks of the scenic Ashley River. Along with a breathtaking, picturesque facility came a new affiliation with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.

The facility is unique in several ways - visually, of course - however, its uniqueness stems from the relationships fostered by the City of Charleston, the state of South Carolina (The Citadel) and a private enterprise (RiverDogs).

In the first season at The Joe, the RiverDogs set a new single season attendance of 234,840 - a record that would be eclipsed almost annually.

The record was even broken in 2002 despite the outlandish game night pr