# Sumter Flyers
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{{Infobox Minor League Baseball
| name = Sumter Flyers
| firstseason = 1991
| city = Sumter, South Carolina
| logo = SumterFlyersLogo.png
| uniformlogo =
| class level = Class A (1991)
| league = [South Atlantic League](/source/South_Atlantic_League) (1991)
| majorleague = [Montreal Expos](/source/Montreal_Expos) (1991)
| nickname = Sumter Flyers (1991)
| ballpark = [Riley Park](/source/Riley_Park_(Sumter)) (1991)
| classnum =
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| leaguenum =
| leaguechamps = none
| confnum =
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| divnum =
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| website =
| colors = Red, gold, white[{{cite web |title=South Atlantic League Official Colors (1980 through present) |url=https://www.trucolor.net/portfolio/south-atlantic-league-official-colors-1980-through-present/ |website=TruColor.net |access-date=14 November 2025}}]
{{colorbox|#9D2235}} {{colorbox|#EAAA00}} {{colorbox|#FFFFFF}}
}}
The '''Sumter Flyers''' were a minor league baseball team in [Sumter, South Carolina](/source/Sumter%2C_South_Carolina) who played in the 1991 season. They were a Class A team in the [South Atlantic League](/source/South_Atlantic_League) and a farm team of the [Montreal Expos](/source/Montreal_Expos).
The Flyers played their home games at [Riley Park](/source/Riley_Park_(Sumter)). After the 1991 season, they relocated to [Albany, Georgia](/source/Albany%2C_Georgia) and became the [Albany Polecats](/source/Albany_Polecats).
==History==
{{sidebar
| bodystyle = width:{{{width|27.0em}}};
| float = right
| pretitle =
| title = [Delmarva Shorebirds](/source/Delmarva_Shorebirds) franchise history
| content1 = [Sumter Flyers (1991)](/source/Sumter_Flyers)
| content2 = [Albany Polecats (1992–1995)](/source/Albany_Polecats)
| content3 = [Delmarva Shorebirds (1996–present)](/source/Delmarva_Shorebirds)
}}
After the 1990 season, the [Sumter Braves](/source/Sumter_Braves) relocated to [Macon, Georgia](/source/Macon%2C_Georgia) and became the [Macon Braves](/source/Macon_Braves). The [South Atlantic League](/source/South_Atlantic_League) was required to expand due to its contract with [Major League Baseball](/source/Major_League_Baseball), and in January of 1991 placed expansion teams in [Columbus, Georgia](/source/Columbus%2C_Georgia) and in Sumter.[{{cite news |author1=Guerry Clegg |title=Greensboro GM to run local team |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/ledger-enquirer-greensboro-gm-to-run-loc/183721579/ |access-date=14 November 2025 |work=Columbus Ledger-Enquirer |date=Jan 26, 1991 |page=7}}] The owner of the new Sumter franchise, who also owned the [Quad Cities Angels](/source/Quad_Cities_Angels), [Tucson Toros](/source/Tucson_Toros), and [Chattanooga Lookouts](/source/Chattanooga_Lookouts), intended to keep the team in the city for just one year before moving it to [Montgomery, Alabama](/source/Montgomery%2C_Alabama).[{{cite news |author1=John Marx |title=Holtzman adds fourth minor-league franchise |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-rock-island-argus-holtzman-adds-four/184937690/ |access-date=14 November 2025 |work=The Rock Island Argus |date=Feb 2, 1991 |page=26}}]
The team was originally named the Sumter Rebels, but the team changed it to the Sumter Flyers after less than two weeks due to poor community feedback. The new name was chosen in honor of both nearby [Shaw Air Force Base](/source/Shaw_Air_Force_Base) and troops deployed to the Middle East for the then-ongoing [Operation Desert Storm](/source/Operation_Desert_Storm).[{{cite news |author1=Dennis Brunson |title=Rebels out, Flyers in for Sumter baseball |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/668926184/?clipping_id=184938032 |access-date=14 November 2025 |work=The Sumter Item |date=Feb 19, 1991 |page=11}}][{{cite news |author1=Steve Pradarelli |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-item-flyers-name-origin/184938143/ |title=57 percent of residents in pilot recycling join in for first week |access-date=14 November 2025 |work=The Sumter item |date=Feb 20, 1991 |page=12 |quote=Before the closed-door meeting, the team's general manager announced the team's name change from the Sumter Rebels to the Sumter Flyers in honor of Shaw Air Force Base and troops deployed to the Middle East.}}]
The Flyers had a record of 64-75 in their only season in Sumter.[{{cite news |author1=Dennis Brunson |title=SAL working on deal to return to Sumter, Flyers become Polecats |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-item-sal-working-on-deal-to-return-t/184943912/ |access-date=14 November 2025 |work=The Sumter Item |date=Dec 5, 1991 |page=25}}] As of 2025, the franchise is located in [Salisbury, Maryland](/source/Salisbury%2C_Maryland) and is named the [Delmarva Shorebirds](/source/Delmarva_Shorebirds).[{{cite web |title=Sumter Flyers |url=https://funwhileitlasted.net/2014/02/21/1991-sumter-flyers/ |website=FunWhileItLasted.net |access-date=14 November 2025}}]
==Year-by-year record==
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Year !! Division !! W–L !! Place !! Manager !! Postseason !! Attendance !! Source
|-
! colspan="8" style="background:#9D2235; color:white;text-align:center;"|Sumter Flyers
|-
|1991 || Northern || 64–75 || 10th || [Lorenzo Bundy](/source/Lorenzo_Bundy) || none || 45,639 || [{{cite web |title=1991 Sumter Flyers |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/team.cgi?id=c6a00d29 |website=baseball-reference.com |access-date=14 November 2025}}]
|}
==References==
{{reflist}}
Category:Defunct baseball teams in South Carolina
Category:Montreal Expos minor league affiliates
Category:Defunct South Atlantic League teams
Category:Baseball teams established in 1991
Category:Baseball teams disestablished in 1991
Category:1991 establishments in South Carolina
Category:1991 disestablishments in South Carolina
---
Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Sumter Flyers](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sumter_Flyers) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sumter_Flyers?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.