Former ECU Baseball Star Debuts For Baltimore Orioles
For former East Carolina University Pirate baseball standout Connor Norby, Sunday was a big day. For starters, he made his first trip outside the United States in his life, to…
For former East Carolina University Pirate baseball standout Connor Norby, Sunday was a big day. For starters, he made his first trip outside the United States in his life, to Toronto Canada. Secondly, the reason for the trip is that Connor Norby has been called up from Triple A Norfolk, to make his Major League Baseball debut for the Baltimore Orioles.
And it's not like this was some emergency move due to injury or out of great necessity. To say that Connor Norby doesn't deserve this battlefield promotion would be to ignore how much he's been killing it in the minor leagues. According to WITN, in 51 games this season Norby is hitting .286 with 9 home runs, 17 doubles, and 36 RBI. He was part of their Norfolk (AAA) championship team last season and hit .290 with 21 homers and 92 RBI. The 23-year-old Norby is considered the Orioles top prospect.
I can only imagine the unbelievable thrill being felt by both Connor and his family. I mean from the moment a little boy puts on a glove for the first time and plays his first game of catch, he's dreaming of playing in the major leagues. I think about all the countless games and practices his parents drove him to. For everyone involved in Connor Norby's life, the feeling of reaching the top of the mountain has to be amazingly fulfilling.
So how did Norby's major league debut go? Was it something out of a Hollywood script? Did he hit a grand slam in his first at-bat leading the Baltimore Orioles to an unexpected victory? Hardly. Connor Norby's first major league game will not be memorable for anyone but him and his family. The 23-year-old started at second base against the Toronto Blue Jays on Monday night. He was 0-3 at the plate with 2 strikeouts.
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
