Staff

Bill Shanahan

Bio

C A R E E R  H I G H L I G H T S

In his over four decades in the game, Bill Shanahan has an extensive career in minor league baseball management and ownership for a number of Major League team affiliates beginning in 1984 as the Vice President/General Manager of the Wichita Aeros (AAA Cincinnati Reds -Wichita KS), Seattle Mariners (San Bernardino CA), New York Mets (Columbia SC), San Diego Padres and Arizona Diamondbacks (Mobile AL).particularly for his role in the development of new ballparks and for his work with the San Bernardino Spirit, Capital City Bombers, Mobile BayBears, and Lexington County Blowfish. 

Shanahan has been described as one of the “pioneers” of in-game entertainment. Long before video boards and state of the art PA systems, Bill developed the Concert Sound-High Energy “Electric Atmosphere” back in the eighties as general manager of the San Bernardino Spirit (High A/California League). This innovative approach transformed the stadium experience and was a key factor in boosting attendance. The overall strategy focused on creating an entertaining, high-energy environment that transcended a traditional baseball game experience, which helped break a 40-year-old California League attendance record. This innovative approach, combining sound, music, and interactive elements, became a model for modern minor league baseball entertainment.

In 1993, Bill’s creative and innovative ideas led to his being invited to be a featured speaker for Major League Baseball’s International Conference in Barcelona, Spain. (MLB International is a division of Major League Baseball responsible for globalizing the sport through initiatives aimed to increase the game’s awareness and engagement with a worldwide audience).

Shanahan’s career accomplishments and motivational teaching have been showcased in two books: “Baseball Lives” and “Getting in the Game-Inside Baseball’s Winter Meetings”. In the nineties Shanahan served as an adjunct professor at the University of South Carolina, teaching sports administration and sharing his practical experience in sales, marketing, and operations with students. He saw teaching sports administration as “one of the greatest honors of his life,” indicating a desire to share his passion and experience with younger generations interested in the field.

In 1996/97 Shanahan oversaw the design and construction of Hank Aaron Stadium in Mobile, Alabama which was the first baseball stadium in the United States to feature field-level luxury suites. This was a unique architectural design at the time. The decision to place suites at field level was created to offer a unique, close-to-the-action experience for corporate sponsors and group events, a departure from the traditional elevated suite placement. 

Bill’s team, the  Mobile BayBears was also the first Minor League Baseball team to ink a deal with an NFL Club when that franchise became a regional ticket sales operation for the New Orleans Saints.

In 2001, his team in Mobile received the prestigious Freitas Award for the top Double A Franchise in the nation in its first year of eligibility.by Baseball America, the baseball industry’s premier publication. Named after longtime Minor League Baseball ambassador Bob Freitas, the award honors franchises that have demonstrated long-term success and sustained excellence in the business of Minor League Baseball.

When President/COO of the Mobile BayBears, he had the idea to relocate Hank Aaron’s childhood home to the Hank Aaron Stadium grounds. After receiving the blessing of Hank Aaron himself, the home, built in 1942 by Hank’s father, was restored and turned into a museum on the stadium grounds-The Hank Aaron Childhood Home & Museum.

He has served on various committees, including the Southern League Advisory/Finance committee and the Minor League Baseball Promotional Seminar Steering Committee, helping shape the direction of minor league operations and promotions.

Shanahan has had the honor of being recognized with numerous awards in his career, including League Executive of the Year awards in the California League, South Atlantic League and Southern League.

Bill and his wife Vicki purchased an expansion franchise in the summer collegiate Coastal Plain League which began play the summer of 2006. The team has won two CPL Championships along with being voted four times CPL Organization of the Year.

In 2009 at the Major League/Minor League Annual Winter Meetings, Bill was recognized and received the  MLB “Baseball Chapel” Award.The award honors individuals or teams for their commitment to faith in God in baseball. It highlights the desire to keep their faith active in the sport. Click Here For Story

In 2013 , Bill was honored to receive “The Order of the Silver Crescent” by then South Carolina Governor Niki Haley for exemplary performance, contribution and achievement. The “SC Order of the Silver Crescent” is the state of South Carolina’s most prestigious civilian award for exemplary community service and volunteerism.It recognizes a single achievement or a sustained contribution to the community on a local level, with recipients receiving a certificate signed by the governor.

In 2014, Shanahan retired from professional minor league baseball to focus on his ownership of the Blowfish franchise. The Blowfish have since won two Coastal Plain League Championships and have been named the CPL Organization of the Year multiple times under his leadership

2015 He relocated the Blowfish from Columbia SC across the river to Lexington County and working with the Lexington County Recreation & Aging Commission oversaw the construction of Lexington County Baseball Stadium. A unique element to the new ballpark was the field dimensions which are linked to four of the iconic Major League Baseball Stadiums –

  • From Home Plate to the Right Field Foul Pole is 302 Feet (Fenway Park/Boston Red Sox)
  • From Home Plate to straight away Center Field is 394 Feet (Wrigley Field/Chicago Cubs)
  • From Home Plate to the Left Field Foul Pose is 318 Feet (Yankee Stadium/New York Yankees)
  • From Home Plate to the Backstop is 55 Feet (Dodger Stadium/Los Angeles Dodgers)

In 2025 the Lexington County Blowfish Baseball Club celebrated its 20th anniversary. Bill Shanahan has used a hands-on, community-first approach to make his teams feel like the “home team” for the entire county. His key strategies included: 

  • Extensive Personal Outreach: In a specific example from 2015 with the Lexington County Blowfish, Shanahan and his wife, Vicki, personally traveled to every single town and city within the county to meet with local leaders and share the team’s story. This demonstrated a commitment to integrating the team into the entire area, not just the primary city.
  • Hyper-Local Identity and Branding:
    • Town-Specific Jerseys: He implemented a unique promotion where player jerseys bore the name of a different city or town in the county for each game. The proceeds from the auctioning of these jerseys benefited a charitable cause selected by that specific town’s mayor or officials, directly tying the team’s success to local community support.
    • “Town Appreciation Nights”: The team scheduled specific game nights to honor each individual town in the county, giving every local area its own moment in the spotlight.
  • Community Involvement and Events:
    • Charitable Giving: The organization made a point of giving back through donations, jersey auctions, and fundraising efforts that benefited local non-profit charitable organizations, particularly those impacting children.
    • Honoring Local Heroes: Each home game, the team honored a local military family, providing them with the best seats and complimentary concessions, fostering a sense of shared community pride.
    • Affordable Family Fun: The core philosophy was to provide cost-affordable family entertainment, ensuring the ballpark was an accessible social hub for a wide range of residents.
  • Involving Local Businesses: Shanahan created opportunities for local businesses to get involved, such as sponsoring post-game meals for players, which included tickets and recognition, further weaving the team into the local economic and social fabric. 
By making the community feel an integral part of the team’s identity and operations, Shanahan ensured that every citizen felt a sense of ownership and pride in their “Home Team”.

A core philosophy of Shanahan’s approach is integrating the team into the local community. This involves extensive community outreach to make new friends and ensure cost-affordable family fun, making the ballpark a central social hub. His strategy is simple– to create a continuous, entertaining experience for the entire family, ensuring there was always something engaging happening, not just the game itself.