Charleston Baseball Hall of Fame Releases 2024 Candidates

The Charleston Baseball Hall of Fame’s advisory committee has released its candidates for the Class of 2024, and enshrinement will be conducted based on the results of voting from local fans. Voting is limited to five total votes per participant.

The committee also announced that fans will select the two candidates that collect the most votes, while the committee may vote for additional members. Voting will be open at Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park beginning with tonight’s game and on-line voting will also be available via the RiverDogs website and this link. Voting will conclude on Friday, June 6th. The two individuals with the most votes will be inducted into the Charleston Baseball Hall of Fame prior to the Sunday, July 14th RiverDogs home game against the Columbia Fireflies.

The Charleston Baseball Hall of Fame is coordinated and operated by the Charleston RiverDogs. An advisory committee consisting of knowledgeable local volunteers was created to come up with the names as potential nominees. The Hall of Fame is located inside Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park.

The finalists, in alphabetical order, for the Class of 2024:

Mike Cisco - A former Wando High pitcher, he was named to the 2005 South Carolina AAAA All-State High School team. Cisco was also a member of the 2005 SC/NC Select All-Star team. He went 19-10 for South Carolina as a pitcher from 2006-08. “Our Greg Maddux,” coach Ray Tanner once said of Cisco, the grandson of former MLB pitching coach Galen Cisco. He was a dependable starter on very good USC teams that always reached the NCAA Tournament. He pitched professionally for six seasons Minor League Baseball seasons, reaching as high as Triple-A. He continues to reside in Mount Pleasant.

Nick Ciuffo - A Mount Pleasant native, Ciuffo helped Wando High school to a 46-17 record over his freshman and sophomore season, before leading Lexington High School to the 2013 AAAA state championship and a 55-9 record over his final two seasons. His efforts during his senior year resulted in being honored as the 2013 South Carolina Gatorade Player of the Year. During his high school career, he received several All-American honors and played in a variety of premier showcases. Ciuffo was a member of the 2011 USA 16U National team that won a gold medal in Mexico. He bypassed a commitment to the University of South Carolina when he was drafted in the first round (21st overall) of the 2013 MLB Draft by the Tampa Bay Rays, joining Gorman Thomas (selected #21 overall in 1969) as the highest drafted high school players in Lowcountry history. Following his 2018 MLB debut with the Rays he spent parts of 11 seasons in professional baseball in the Rays, Cincinnati Reds, Texas Rangers, Baltimore Orioles, Chicago White Sox and the New York Yankees organizations. In June of 2023, Ciuffo announced his retirement from professional baseball.

Marvin Goldklang - Goldklang is an American businessman and minority owner of the New York Yankees since 1979. He is also the majority owner of both the Pittsfield Suns in Massachusetts and the Charleston RiverDogs in the Carolina League, having purchased the Charleston RiverDogs in 1989. He also previously owned the Fort Myers Miracle (Minnesota Twins Single-A), Hudson Valley Renegades (New York Yankees High-A) and St. Paul Saints (Minnesota Twins Triple-A). He holds a bachelor's degree from the Wharton School and a Juris Doctor degree from the Carey School of Law, both at the University of Pennsylvania, as well as a Master of Law degree from New York University. He was inducted into the South Atlantic League Hall of Fame in 2004, the Florida State League Hall of Fame in 2010, the New York Penn League Hall of Fame in 2018 and was elected to the board of trustees for Minor League Baseball in 2014.

Josh Hamilton - The Tampa Bay Devil Rays selected Hamilton with the first overall pick in the 1999 MLB Draft. He played outfield during the 2000 season with the Charleston RiverDogs in the South Atlantic League, batting .301 over the course of 96 games with 13 home runs and 61 RBI. He was selected to the South Atlantic League All-Star game and took home MVP honors in the contest after going 2-6 with two triples and two runs scored. Hamilton was also named to the 2000 All-Star Futures Game. And voted Minor League Player of the year by USA Today. Hamilton went on to a very successful pro career playing in MLB with the Cincinnati Reds (2007), Texas Rangers (2008-2012, 2015) and Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (2013–2014). Hamilton is a five-time MLB All-Star and won the American League Most Valuable Player Award (MVP) in 2010.

Ted Jones - Jones has been a lifelong contributor to the game of baseball. He was the athletic director for Cooper River Parks and Playgrounds from 1967-1975, later becoming the first recreation director for the City of North Charleston from 1975 until 1992. Jones began his work in baseball in 1968, when he was the Palmetto Boys state director until 1974. In 1974, the programs in South Carolina transitioned to Dixie Baseball, where he became the major’s state director until 1985. In 1993, Jones took over the 11-state organization as the President of Dixie Boys Baseball (ages 13-19) and held the position until after the 2005 season. He was instrumental in organizing The Tournament of Stars and over 50 Dixie World Series. He is still involved at the state level and a South Carolina treasurer and board member. Jones is a lifetime member of the advisory board on the national level and a 2012 inductee into Dixie Baseball Hall of Fame. As an organizer, he is considered a pioneer by many throughout the 11 states of Dixie baseball. Jones is a truly dedicated servant of baseball.

Michael Kohn - Kohn is considered among the best two-way players in College of Charleston history. A transfer from USC-Upstate, Kohn was a designated hitter and relief pitcher. He played in 102 games for the Cougars and batted .311 with 19 home runs and 93 RBI over 315 career at-bats. He hit .312 with nine home runs and 42 RBI in 2007 and followed that with a .310 average with 10 home runs and 51 RBI in 2008. He pitched only during the 2008 season and saw 14 games out of the bullpen where he had four saves and a 2.08 ERA. He was drafted by the Los Angeles Angels in the 13th round in 2008 and made his MLB debut on July 26, 2010. Kohn appeared in 132 games over five seasons with the Angels (4) and Atlanta Braves (1) from 2010-15 (missed the 2012 season due to injury). He posted a 5-6 career record with a 3.52 ERA out of the pen and played a career-high 63 games in 2013.

Walt Nadzak - Nadzak is retired after a 15-year stint as Director of Athletics at The Citadel. While serving in that role, he was instrumental in the building of Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park and is credited with moving the Southern Conference baseball tournament to Charleston and, ultimately, making it a successful staple each summer.

Asher Wojciechowski - Wojciechowski was an intimidating figure on the mound for The Citadel. He put together one of the most impressive pitching seasons in school history in 2010. He was a consensus All-American after going 12-3 with a 3.58 ERA and 155 strikeouts, leading the Bulldogs to the NCAA Tournament. For his career, Wojciechowski compiled a 20-7 record and ranks third all-time in school history with 308 strikeouts. Following his junior season, Wojciechowski was selected 41st overall by the Toronto Blue Jays in the MLB Draft. He would go on to make 58 appearances in the majors for the Houston Astros, Cincinnati Reds, Baltimore Orioles and New York Yankees. Wojciechowski was inducted into the Citadel Hall of Fame in 2022.