The Greenville Drive, a Single-A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox, received the 2020 Bob Freitas Award from the baseball industry publication Baseball America.
The award, which is named after longtime Minor League Baseball ambassador Bob Freitas who helped teams and minor league owners across the country, is given to a franchise from each of MiLB’s four classifications levels, Triple-A, Double-A, Single-A and Short-Season/Rookie. Each chosen franchise must demonstrate long-term success and have sustained excellence in the Minor League Baseball business.
“To be singled out among a very accomplished and successful group of more than 60 Single-A franchises by a well-respected and influential publication like Baseball America is an incredible honor for the entire Drive organization,” said Craig Brown, president and owner of the Greenville Drive. “More importantly, it is a testament to the strong partnership between our team and the Greenville community we continue to love and support, even through difficult times. We couldn’t be prouder of this achievement.”
The Drive was selected because of its ability to stay connected with the community through events while the season was canceled during COVID-19. Their efforts included:
- #Teach864 teacher appreciation events
- Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering virtual events
- Christ Church Episcopal School and Greenville Tech Charter High School graduations
- Safe at Home United Way T-shirt promotion
- CommUNITY First Harvest Hope food drive
- South Carolina Dental Association PPE Distribution
- Underground Kitchen community food distribution event
- Blood Connection community blood drives
- Unite to Fight Convalescent plasma-donation event and blood drive
- Green Monster Mash Halloween event
- Homeplate Holiday brunch
- Upstate Salute Veterans Day concert
- Greenville County Day of Action event
- Girl Scouts Discovery Day
- 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb event
The Freitas Award was recently presented in a virtual ceremony, and Baseball America ran a feature story on the Drive’s 2020 successes in its December 2020 issue.
The baseball franchise was previously awarded this honor in 2012.
