Bio

Lexington County’s Home Team/Local Ownership

BILL & VICKI SHANAHAN

Bill and Vicki Shanahan own and operate Shanahan & Company Sports Management, parent company of the Lexington County Blowfish Baseball Club. Bill began his career in baseball in 1984 as Vice President/General Manager of the Cincinnati Reds Triple A Affiliate in Wichita Kansas and has over forty years of professional sports ownership, management, sales/operations experience.

The Shanahan’s moved back to Lexington, SC in 2014 to focus on their Coastal Plain League franchise, the Blowfish, and the building and marketing of the new Lexington County Baseball Stadium. In the fall of 2014 the Blowfish crossed the river from Columbia to Lexington County (a hotbed for youth baseball), and to their new home-Lexington County Baseball Stadium. In just a twelve month span Shanahan worked out an agreement to have the County provide funding, negotiated a stadium lease, created the rendering for the new facility, and worked with the County, Architects, Engineers and Construction company to break ground in September, construct in eight months, and open the new ballpark in May to a sellout crowd to the new hometown crowd.

Lexington County Baseball Stadium was built for just over $3 million dollars and has an intimate, warm and friendly feel. The stadium itself has a seating capacity of 2,573. Over the last three and a half decades, Bill has had the opportunity to help design and build a number of stadiums.Lexington County Baseball Stadium has some unique amenities which allows for an intimate baseball viewing experience. Features of the stadium include an expanded concourse, lower bowl “Wrigley Field Style” box seating, a vintage grandstand with a roof canopy, an air conditioned stadium club overlooking the field from the first base side, that can be used for special events, administrative offices, and concessions. The dimensions used in the design of the field were taken from some of the country’s most iconic Major League Stadiums, including Fenway Park (302ft Right Field Foul Pole) Wrigley Field (394ft Straight Away Center-field), Yankee Stadium (318ft Left Field Foul Pole) and Dodger stadium (55ft Home plate to Backstop).

In 2015, their first season in Lexington County, the Shanahan’s traveled to each and every town and city in Lexington County to meet community leaders to share the Blowfish story. This county and all the citizens had now their own home team and new home stadium to enjoy great nights out with their families.

The Blowfish won their second Coastal Plain League Championship in 2023 (also 2012) and were voted the CPL Organization of the Year (fourth time 2006, 2015, 2018, 2023), and in 2024 celebrated their 10th anniversary in Lexington County (19th overall).

Listen to Vicki & Bill’s Radio Interview with Tony Clyburn

Bill and Vicki are thankful to be living in Lexington SC as well as providing local ownership of the team. The Shanahan’s celebrated their 44th wedding anniversary in August, have four children and eleven grandchildren. Their approach: to constantly look to make new friends, provide cost affordable family fun, great baseball and continuously reach out and assist the families and communities of Lexington County!

The Shanahan Clan at Lexington County Baseball Stadium