Fireflies nominated for two MiLBY awards
October 10, 2016
Vote Purple Game, Purple Game and P.J. Conlon for MiLB Post-Season Honors
Nominees for the 2016 Minor League Baseball Yearly Awards – or MiLBYs(pronounced Mill-bees) – have been announced and the Fireflies are featured in two categories. Purple Game, Purple Game, a tribute to the legendary Grammy-award winning “Prince” Rogers Nelson, has been nominated for Promotion of the Year. Additionally, P.J. Conlon is in the running for Top Starting Pitcher. Voting is currently ongoing and ends Tuesday, October 25.
Fans can vote as many times as they’d like at the links below or at ColumbiaFireflies.com:
Promotion of the Year: Purple Game, Purple Game
Top Starting Pitcher: P.J. Conlon
A crowd of 6,062 showed up to Spirit Communications Park on June 9 to enjoy the tribute to the late Prince, just seven weeks after his untimely passing. The Fireflies wore specialized purple jerseys that were auctioned off after the game with proceeds benefiting the Palmetto Place Children’s Shelter. Fans were showered with popular Prince songs throughout the evening and were dazzled by a purple-themed fireworks show after the Fireflies’ 11-2 victory over the West Virginia Power. There was even a pancake-eating contest during the game and red corvettes on display on Spirit Communications Park’s main plaza.
Conlon shined during his half-season in Columbia. Before being promoted to the Advanced-A St. Lucie Mets, the 22-year-old left-hander was named a South Atlantic League All-Star and from April 14-May 23, won seven consecutive starts. The Placentia, California, native finished his 2016 season with a 12-2 record and the lowest ERA (1.65) in all of Minor League Baseball. Conlon has already earned one Pitcher of the Year distinction. The New York Mets named him the most outstanding pitcher in their entire organization for 2016. The lefty’s most prolific moment in Columbia occurred on June 4, when he tossed 10 innings in his start against the Hagerstown Suns (while using just 97 pitches) – the longest outing for any MiLB pitcher since September 4, 2005.
Again, fans can vote for Purple Game, Purple Game and P.J. Conlon through October 25.
Don’t miss the moments that will be featured in the 2017 MiLBY Awards. Purchase your 2017 season tickets by visiting FirefliesTickets.com or calling the Fireflies Box Office at (803) 776-4487.
About the Columbia Fireflies
The Columbia Fireflies are the South Atlantic League affiliate of the New York Mets. The Fireflies play games across the southeast and mid-Atlantic regions, including against in-state rivals in Charleston and Greenville. The team partnered with the city of Columbia and Hughes Development to construct Spirit Communications Park, a multi-use outdoor sports and entertainment venue at the center of the BullStreet development. The Columbia Fireflies are owned by Hardball Capital, owners of the Fort Wayne TinCaps of the Midwest League and the Chattanooga Lookouts of the Southern League. For more information, visit www.ColumbiaFireflies.com, or follow the Fireflies on Twitter (@ColaFireflies), Facebook (facebook.com/columbiafireflies) and all popular social media platforms.
