CHARLESTON, SC - With the World Series underway, one does not have to look far to see the impact of former Charleston ballplayers in this year’s quest.  In all, five players called the Holy City home at some point during their baseball careers. When the playoffs began, a total of 11 players on the eight respective teams fell into this category.

Among the players involved are pitchers Phil Coke, Phil Hughes, David Robertson and outfielder Brett Gardner (who played for the College of Charleston) from the New York Yankees, and pitcher Scott Eyre of the Philadelphia Phillies.

Coke, the Yankees’ 26th round selection in 2002 who played for the RiverDogs in 2005 and ‘06, has seen time with the Yankees in each of the last two seasons after being called up from AAA Scranton-Wilkes Barre. The California native enjoyed a solid 2009 campaign in The Bronx appearing in 65 games and sporting a 4-3 record with a 4.91 ERA.

Hughes had all the pedigree out of Foothill High School in Santa Ana, Cal. when the Yankees selected him in the first round of the 2004 Draft.  In ‘05, Hughes notched an amazing 7-1 record for the RiverDogs with a 1.97 ERA in 12 starts and was named to the South Atlantic League Midseason All-Star Team.  Hughes found himself making 13 starts for the Yankees in ‘07, but a plague of injuries saw him briefly return to Charleston in ‘08, recording a 2-0 record in two relief appearances.  In ‘09, Hughes has been one of the most reliable firemen for the Bronx Bombers, going 7-3 with a 3.18 ERA in 43 appearances (that include seven starts).

Robertson burst onto the minor league scene in 2007 with the RiverDogs after a standout career at the University of Alabama. The former 17th round pick in 2006 went 5-2 with a 0.77 ERA in 24 for the RiverDogs and was named to the SAL Midseason All-Star Team. A promotion to High-A Tampa after the break did not see a numbers dropoff, as the Birmingham native pressed on with a 3-1 mark and a 1.08 ERA in 33.1 innings of work. Robertson got his first taste of the Big Apple in 2008 appearing in 25 games with the Yankees and has been a key cog in the bullpen since.

Although Brett Gardner never wore a RiverDogs uniform, he still left an indelible mark on the College of Charleston Cougars as a two-time all-Southern Conference selection and a third-team All-American in 2005, when his .447 average ranked third in the nation and his 122 hits tied for the most in the country.  The Holly Hill, S.C. native was the Yankees third round selection in ‘05 and was quickly noticed due to his speed.  Gardner has played in 134 games for the Yankees over the last two years and collected 34 stolen bases.  Gardner has the distinction of scoring the final run in the history of the old Yankee Stadium.

Charleston fans may need to push the recall button to remember southpaw Scott Eyre on the hill.  A ninth round pick by Texas in 1991, Eyre donned the uniform of the Charleston Rainbows in 1993 when the team was still a Texas Rangers affiliate.  Eyre started 26 games and posted an 11-7 record with a 3.45 ERA.  He was traded to the White Sox the very next season and would taste his first major league action with Chicago in 1997, still primarily as a starter.  In 1999, the Inglewood, Cal. native made the switch to the bullpen and has consequently pitched 13 seasons in the majors with five separate teams.  He has appeared in two World Series, winning his first with the Phillies in ‘08.