North Carolina Bankrupt Baseball Team Kicked Out Of League
Earlier this summer I wrote about the travails of the Gastonia Honey Hunters minor league baseball team. At the time I referred to their issues as potentially financially crippling. As…
Earlier this summer I wrote about the travails of the Gastonia Honey Hunters minor league baseball team. At the time I referred to their issues as potentially financially crippling. As a quick reminder, here are the opening two paragraphs from that blog.
The Atlantic League is an independent minor league of professional baseball that is a partner with Major League Baseball. The Gastonia Honey Hunters are in just their third season of competitive play in the league. And they are experiencing some serious financial difficulties. How difficult?
Well, last Friday, the team was scheduled to take the field against the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs at 6:35 p.m. However, the game was delayed until 7:15. It's summertime in the Carolinas. Weather can be an issue and baseball is an outdoor sport. This delay had nothing to do with rain. It had everything to do with the team's ownership not having the ability to make it rain in their players' bank accounts. The team refused to take the field until their payment issues were satisfactorily resolved.
As a resident of the area, I was rooting for this organization to turn it around. As a baseball fan, I love minor league baseball and the opportunity it provides athletes still chasing their boyhood dreams. That's why I'm so sad today to report that the house of cards that was the Gastonia Honey Hunters has collapsed and the team is no more.
The team's parent company, NC Gas House Gang LLC, has filed for bankruptcy protection in Maryland. According to WSOC-TV, the team has a long list of creditors that it owes money to, with a balance of liabilities adding up to $4.08 million. This includes more than $140,000 in back taxes to the North Carolina Department of Revenue and another $126,402 in taxes to Uncle Sam.
The Gastonia Honey Hunters have been forced out of The Atlantic League and City of Gastonia is seeking a court order removing them from their stadium. Just a sad ending to something that could have been fantastic for Gastonia, North Carolina, and baseball.
Do You Know Every North Carolina Minor League Baseball Team?
Baseball is widely regarded as America's pastime. Without a major league team closer than Atlanta or DC minor league baseball takes the stage in North Carolina. So it's a good thing that we have plenty of North Carolina minor league baseball teams to be a fan of! It can seem like there are so many teams that it's hard to make sense of what they all mean. It seems like every town has a baseball team. Are they all the same level?
The short answer is no. Minor league baseball is made up of several different levels. These are used for player development and getting players ready to hopefully one day compete in the "big leagues". Each major league team has 4 minor league teams affiliated with them for a total of 120 teams in the country. Additionally, there are other independent baseball leagues that players can play in and fans can take in games.
Minor league baseball can be a fun and relatively inexpensive outing for families and friend groups alike. Most tickets are very affordable with fun promotions as well as food and drink specials. North Carolina is home to 10 official minor league teams in the triple A, high A, and single A levels. We also have 5 independent baseball teams. Keep reading to learn a little about each of the teams, where they are located, their major league affiliate, and their level!
Triple A Teams
Triple-A is the level just under the major leagues. These players are often good enough to play in the major leagues but there just isn't space on them on the roster. They can easily be called up due to injury or other situations. North Carolina has 2 Triple-A teams.
Charlotte Knights
Major League Team: Chicago White Sox
Location: Charlotte, NC
Durham Bulls
Major League Team: Tampa Bay Rays
Location: Durham, NC
High A Teams
High-A formerly known as Class A-Advanced the third-highest level of play in Minor League Baseball. North Carolina has four High A Teams.
Asheville Tourists
Major League Team: Houston Astros
Location: Asheville, NC
Greensboro Grasshoppers
Major League Team: Pittsburgh Pirates
Location: Greensboro, NC
Hickory Crawdads
Major League Team: Texas Rangers
Location: Hickory, NC
Winston-Salem Dash
Major League Team: Chicago White Sox
Location: Winston-Salem, NC
Single A Teams
Single A or Class A is is the fourth-highest level of play in Minor League Baseball. North Carolina has 4 single A teams.
Carolina Mudcats
Major League Team: Milwaukee Brewers
Location: Zebulon, NC
Down East Wood Ducks
Major League Team: Texas Rangers
Location: Kinston, NC
Fayetteville Woodpeckers
Major League Team: Houston Astros
Location: Fayetteville, NC
Kannapolis Cannon Ballers (Formerly Intimidators)
Major League Team: Chicago White Sox
Location: Kannapolis, NC
Independent League Baseball Teams
North Carolina is also home to 5 teams that play in independent baseball leagues that are not part of Major League Baseball.
Burlington Sock Puppets
League: Appalachian League
Location: Burlington, NC
Gastonia Honey Hunters
League: Atlantic League
Location: Gastonia, NC
High Point Rockers
League: Atlantic League
Location: High Point, NC
High Point Thomasville HiToms
League: Coastal Plain League
Location: Thomasville, NC
Wilson Tobs
League: Coastal Plain League
Location: Wilson, NC
