Dirty Birds’ look for big season in 20th year at GoMart Ballpark

By Matthew Young, RealWV

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – “Between the GoMart ‘Grab ‘N Go’ and the Rowdy Shack, we are adding a sensory room. The sensory room will be a building that is set aside to allow for quiet, comfort, and calming. We think it’s very important that we’re as inclusive as we can be with folks that need to have a space to get away.”

That’s what Ben Blum, general manager of the 2024 Southern Division Champion Charleston Dirty Birds, told reporters during the team’s “media day” press conference on Tuesday. In addition to the all new sensory room, stadium enhancements for the 2025 season – which is also the ballpark’s 20th anniversary – include expanded food options, new team merchandise offerings, and a “home run tree” beyond the center field wall. 

“When our guys hit home runs, they’ll be lighting that guy up for us,” Blum said.

According to Blum, a significant challenge year-over-year has been line management, something which he hopes will be made considerably more manageable in 2025.

“I feel like we’ve taken some great steps this year,” Blum noted. “We’ve added a lot of new options and new abilities for us to service our customers, and do it more efficiently. I’m hoping that the lines we’re used to are long gone.”

Also on-hand to address reporters was team owner Andy Shea, who said, “I’m just beyond excited to get rolling.”

Shea praised Team Manager P.J. Phillips, who, in his first season as manager, led the Dirty Birds to Charleston’s first professional baseball championship series since 1990.

“I get asked a lot, in terms of our league and this team, who puts the team together,” Shea noted. “It is 99.99999% P.J. He has a team of professionals here.”

During the 2024 season, more than a third of the players on the Dirty Birds’ roster saw their contracts purchased by Major League ball clubs. Despite that, Phillips guided his team through a successful postseason run, which left the Birds just one series shy of the Atlantic League Championship. 

“This year, it’s a whole different team,” Phillips, who was last to the podium, told reporters. “We had 10 guys get signed last year, so we had to rebuild. I think we did a great job of doing that.”

“Just have faith in us,” Phillips added. “Be patient with us. We’re growing as a team right now, and the chemistry is very, very good.”

The Dirty Birds open the season in Lexington on Friday, with a three-game series against the Legends. After a stop in southern Maryland for a three-game series against the Blue Crabs, the Dirty Birds return to Charleston next Friday, when they welcome the Blue Crabs to GoMart Ballpark for the club’s home opener.

For ticket information, or to see the Dirty Birds’ full 2025 season schedule, visit dirtybirdsbaseball.com.