The Charleston Baseball Hall of Fame is set to induct the class of 2025 on Sunday, June 15 ahead of the RiverDogs’ 5:05 p.m. matchup with the Augusta GreenJackets at Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park. RiverDogs Executive Chairman and principal owner Marv Goldklang, Citadel standout Steve Arrington, and area college stars and MLB players Michael Kohn and Chris McGuiness make up the class.
The ceremony will begin at 4:30 p.m. on the field behind home plate. The Hall of Fame is located on the concourse.
Marv Goldklang has been a leader and pioneer throughout professional baseball for over four decades and has served as Executive Chairman and principal owner of the Charleston RiverDogs since his purchase of the franchise in 1989. He has previously been inducted into the Florida State League Hall of Fame, the New York Penn League Hall of Fame, and is scheduled for induction into the American Association Baseball Hall of Fame later this summer.
Shortly after his acquisition of the franchise, Marv partnered with the city and former Mayor Riley to plan, develop and construct what would turn out to be one of baseball’s most impressive facilities- Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park, which opened in 1997. In the decades since, the RiverDogs have enhanced their multilevel commitment to the Charleston community as well as their standing as a leading sports, entertainment and hospitality brand in the region.
Arrington, a Hanahan High School graduate, is a member of The Citadel Athletic Hall of Fame. The pitcher and outfielder was the 1973 Southern Conference baseball player of the year after leading the league in strikeouts with 93 in 65 innings for The Citadel. Arrington was a member of the 1971 SoCon Championship team under coach Chal Port. He had a pair of one-hitters and held school records for total strikeouts (213 in 196 innings), complete games (8 in 1972), and shutouts (3 in 1971). He was second in ERA (0.96 in 1973). After graduation, he spent nearly 30 years in the U.S. Air Force and attained the rank of full colonel.
Kohn is considered the best two-way player in College of Charleston history and one of the best in Southern Conference History. After transferring from USC Upstate, Kohn played in 102 games for the Cougars over two seasons (2007-08), batting .311 with 19 home runs and 93 RBI. He was drafted by the Los Angeles Angels in the 13th round of the 2008 MLB Draft and made his MLB debut on July 26, 2010 for the Angels. He appeared in 132 games over five seasons (four with the Angels and one with the Atlanta Braves). He posted a 5-6 record with a 3.52 ERA out of the bullpen (115 innings, 84 hits, 111 strikeouts). Kohn is a Camden, SC native.
McGuiness was a local high school star before eventually playing at The Citadel and in the majors. The former Bulldog star graduated from James Island Charter High School, where he earned all-region honors all four years and was South Carolina’s Mr. Baseball runner-up in 2006. He went on to play three seasons at The Citadel, batting .367 with 15 home runs, 59 RBI's and led the nation in walks with 65 his junior season. For his career, McGuiness ranks in The Citadel's top-10 all time in career home runs, on base percentage and slugging percentage. McGuiness was selected by the Boston Red Sox in the 13th round of the 2009 MLB Draft and decided to forgo his senior year at The Citadel. He was traded to the Texas Rangers in 2010, named the Arizona Fall League MVP in 2012 and made his Major League debut as a first baseman in June of 2013. He played in 10 games for the Rangers, collecting six hits and one RBI. In addition to the Rangers and Red Sox, McGuiness spent time in the minors with the Cleveland Indians, Pittsburgh Pirates and Philadelphia Phillies organizations.
Tickets for Sunday’s game are available online at RiverDogs.com. The Charleston Baseball Hall of Fame is accessible to fans during all RiverDogs games.