MiLB

Charlotte Knights provide minor league fun in major league city

July 6, 2022 Brett Friedlander

CHARLOTTE — Nestled into a tight city block in uptown Charlotte and surrounded by a picturesque urban skyline, Truist Field affords fans of the Charlotte Knights some of the most spectacular sightlines in all of […]

Durham’s team seamstress makes sure Bulls look their best

July 1, 2022 Shawn Krest

DURHAM — Blame it on the rain. After several days of inclement weather — and delays to baseball games — the Durham Bulls’ tarp had finally had enough. The 15,000-square-foot vinyl sheet that protects the […]

Woodpeckers tapping into Fayetteville’s baseball potential

June 22, 2022 Brett Friedlander

FAYETTEVILLE — On March 7, 1914, a raw rookie by the name of George Herman Ruth hit his first professional home run in Fayetteville while playing in a spring exhibition game for the then-minor league Baltimore […]

Cannon Ballers leading way in Kannapolis’ revitalization

June 15, 2022 Brett Friedlander

KANNAPOLIS — The Kannapolis Cannon Ballers have a slogan painted in large letters for all to see as they enter Gate 1 at Atrium Health Ballpark. “Have a blast!” it says. It’s a play on […]

Winston-Salem Dash sprinkling in new promotions to boost minor league team

June 8, 2022 Brett Friedlander

WINSTON-SALEM — The best seats in the house for a Winston-Salem Dash game at Truist Stadium aren’t actually seats. They’re on a grassy berm just beyond the outfield wall. At least, that’s the opinion of […]

Wood Ducks bring old-time baseball Down East

June 1, 2022 Brett Friedlander

KINSTON — Stanley Sullivan isn’t just an usher for the Down East Wood Ducks. He’s also the Carolina League team’s unofficial goodwill ambassador. A fixture at historic Grainger Stadium since 2000, the 79-year-old Air Force […]

Mudcats provide Triangle baseball fans a laid-back alternative

May 25, 2022 Brett Friedlander

ZEBULON — Unless you’re hoping for Shoeless Joe Jackson and a team of ghost players to appear out of nowhere, there aren’t many good reasons for building a baseball stadium in the middle of a […]

Greensboro Grasshoppers bring family fun to Gate City

May 18, 2022 Brett Friedlander

GREENSBORO — A statue honoring a Baseball Hall of Famer stands proudly outside Greensboro’s First National Bank Field. But the likeness isn’t that of Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, Johnny Mize or any of the other […]

Minor league baseball teams around North Carolina start season

April 6, 2022 Brett Friedlander

Opening day of the 2022 Major League Baseball season has been pushed back two weeks because of the labor dispute that delayed the start of spring training. But baseball fans, especially those in North Carolina, […]

Look Ahead — 2022 Bold Predictions

December 29, 2021 North State Journal Staff

Every year, the sports staff of North State Journal (sports editor Cory Lavalette and reporters Brett Friedlander and Shawn Krest) look into our crystal balls and try and predict what some of the bigger news […]