FAYETTEVILLE WOODPECKERS
CODY ORR
The Woodpeckers settled into Segra Stadium in 2019 after spending two seasons playing on the Campbell University campus in Buies Creek. The Single-A affiliate of the Houston Astros, the team is named for the endangered red-cockaded woodpecker, which was once common in the Sandhills area. The team’s merchandise is among the top-selling in the minors. With their proximity to Fort Bragg, the Woodpeckers have developed a large military fan base. In return, the team supports the military population with related theme nights and alternate Black Ops jerseys. T-shirt Tuesdays are a popular promotion, along with replica jersey giveaways. The Woodpeckers are popular at the merchandise stand, too, ranking in the top 25 in minor league baseball sales.
DOWN EAST WOOD DUCKS The Wood Ducks are the Single-A affiliate of the Texas Rangers. While they only arrived in Kinston in 2017, Grainger Stadium has hosted minor league baseball in Kinston since 1949, and the city has welcomed teams since the 1920s. If the “Woodies” win on Wednesdays, fans get a free ticket for the next Wednesday home game,
BURLINGTON SOCK PUPPETS Burlington hosted minor league baseball as the Indians and Royals in the Appalachian League from 1988–2020 as an affiliated “Rookie Level” team, a designation that was discarded in realignment. That change ushered in the Sock Puppets, who play summer collegiate baseball. The new Appalachian League is part of the MLB and USA Baseball Prospect Development Pipeline, a pathway for amateur baseball players in the U.S. It will serve as an integral part of the identification and development process for the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team, headquartered in Cary. With a knack of promotions, the Sock Puppets feature T-shirt Tuesdays, $1 beers on Thursdays and a Socksquatch Bobblehead at the final home game of the season on August 4.
along with half-priced wine. Other promotions include Thirsty Thursdays, $4 draft beer on Fridays and $2 Pepsi on Saturdays. And here’s something completely different: the team plays some weekends as the Kinston Collard Greens in a salute to the state’s agricultural heritage.
MAXIMO ACOSTA
Wherever you find yourself in North Carolina this summer, there’s likely to be a minor league team nearby. Here are some more options for passing a slow summer evening. Asheville Tourists High-A, Houston Astros Charlotte Knights Triple-A, Chicago White Sox
ALL IMAGES IN THIS STORY ARE COURTESY OF THE RESPECTIVE TEAMS UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED
Hickory Crawdads High-A, Texas Rangers Kannapolis Cannon Ballers Single-A, Chicago White Sox Winston-Salem Dash High-A, Chicago White Sox
38 | caryliving.com
