Year–by–year record
| Year | Record | Finish | Manager | Attend | Playoffs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1948 | 50–79 | 5th | Bob Sadowski | 13,835 | Did not qualify |
| Charlotte Twins | |
|---|---|
| Minor league affiliations | |
| Class | Class A (1972) |
| League | Western Carolinas League (1972) |
| Major league affiliations | |
| Team | Minnesota Twins (1972) |
| Minor league titles | |
| League titles (0) | None |
| Wild card berths (0) | None |
| Team data | |
| Name | Charlotte Twins (1972) |
| Ballpark | Clark Griffith Park (1972) |
The Charlotte Twins were a minor league baseball team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. In 1972, the Charlotte Twins were a Minnesota Twins affiliate and played as members of the Class A level Western Carolinas League, placing 5th in the league standings. In their only season of minor league play, the Twins hosted minor league home games at Clark Griffith Park, sharing the ballpark with the Charlotte Hornets of the Class AA level Southern League.
On January 14, 1972, a Charlotte franchise entered the Class A level Western Carolinas League as the city's second minor league team. The new Twins franchise was part of an unusual arrangement that saw the Minnesota Twins operate two affiliate teams simultaneously out of Charlotte’s Clark Griffith Park. Both teams were owned and operated by the Twins and their owner Calvin Griffith. [1] The Charlotte Hornets of the Class AA level Southern League had begun minor league play in the league in 1937 when the Twins were still the Washington Senators, after being founded in 1892. 1972 proved to be the final year for both teams in Charlotte. [2] [3]
The Charlotte "Twins" became members of the six–team, Class A level Western Carolinas League, [4] as the Anderson Giants, Gastonia Pirates, Greenville Rangers, Greenwood Braves and Spartanburg Phillies joined Charlotte in beginning league play on April 14, 1972. [5] [6]
On opening day of April 15, 1972, Charlotte hosted both affiliate teams in their home openers. First, the Charlotte Twins hosted the Gastonia Pirates at 6:30 PM in the Western Carolina League season opener, followed by the Charlotte Hornets against the Montgomery Rebels in the Southern League second game. For the rest of the season, the two teams played home games at Clark Griffith Park while the other team was on the road. [2]
In their only season of play, the Twins placed 5th in the 1972 Western Carolinas League standings. [4] The Twins ended the regular season with a record of 50–79, finishing 37.5 games behind the 1st place Spartanburg Phillies. Bob Sadowski served as manager. It was the only season of play for the Class A Charlotte franchise. [7] [6]
Spartanburg (89–43) led the Western Carolinas League and were followed by the Greenville Rangers (71–57), Greenwood Braves (70–61), Gastonia Pirates (60–70), Charlotte Twins (50–79) and Anderson Giants (51–81) in the final regular season standings. [4] Spartanburg then defeated Greenville in a playoff to claim the championship. [8] [6]
Charlotte Twins players Lyman Bostock and Rob Wilfong both went on to major league careers. [9] Bostock, who played his first professional season for Charlotte after being drafted from California State University, Northridge was the son of former negro leagues player Lyman Bostock Sr.. [10] While playing for the California Angels, Bostock was shot to death in Gary, Indiana on September 23, 1978, after playing in a game at the Chicago White Sox earlier in the day. [11]
In September 1972, the Minnesota Twins announced that both the Twins and the Hornets would not play in Charlotte in 1973. After the 1972 season, the Minnesota Twins folded the Charlotte Twins franchise and relocated the Charlotte Hornets franchise. The Hornets moved to become the Orlando Twins, continuing play in the 1973 Southern League. [2] [12] In 1976, the Charlotte O's franchise rejoined the Southern League and resumed play at Clark Griffith Park. [13]
The Charlotte Twins hosted 1972 home minor league home games at Clark Griffith Park. The ballpark was constructed in 1941 and was later renamed as Jim Crockett Memorial Park and Knights Park. The ballpark hosted minor league baseball until the 1988 Charlotte Knights last played in the park after it was nearly destroyed by fire in 1985, reducing seating from 10,000 to 3,000. [14] The ballpark was located at 400 Magnolia Avenue ( Magnolia & Lyndhurst Avenue). The site today is residential. [15] [16]
| Year | Record | Finish | Manager | Attend | Playoffs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1948 | 50–79 | 5th | Bob Sadowski | 13,835 | Did not qualify |
The Charlotte Knights are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Chicago White Sox. They are located in Charlotte, North Carolina, and play their home games at Truist Field, which opened in 2014 and is located in Uptown Charlotte. The team previously played at Knights Park (1976–1988), Knights Castle (1989), and Knights Stadium (1990–2013).
The Charlotte Hornets were an American minor league baseball franchise based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The club was founded in 1901, and lasted in some form until 1973, capturing 11 league titles during its history. From 1937 to 1942 and 1946 to 1972, the Hornets were a farm system affiliate of the original Washington Senators franchise and its post-1960 successor, the Minnesota Twins. The 1931 and 1951 Hornets were recognized as being among the 100 greatest minor league teams of all time.
The Western Carolinas League was a Class D and a low Class A (1963–79) full-season league in American minor league baseball. The WCL changed its name prior to the 1980 season and has been known since as the South Atlantic League, a highly successful Class A circuit with teams up the Eastern Seaboard from Georgia to New Jersey.
The Gastonia Rangers were a class A minor league baseball team located in Gastonia, North Carolina. The team played first as the Rangers in the Western Carolinas League (1973–1974). In 1983 and 1984, they played as the Gastonia Expos, as an affiliate of the Montreal Expos. They later returned to the Rangers name in the South Atlantic League (1987–1992), and were affiliated with the Texas Rangers. Their home stadium was Sims Legion Park. After the 1992 season, the team moved to another North Carolina city, Hickory, and have been known as the Hickory Crawdads ever since.
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The Concord Weavers were a minor league baseball team based in Concord, North Carolina. Between 1936 and 1951, Concord teams played as a member of the Independent level Carolina League from 1936 to 1938 and the Class D level North Carolina State League from 1939 to 1942 and 1945 to 1951, winning two league pennants and one championship. The franchise played as the Concord Nationals from 1949 to 1950 and Concord Sports in 1951, with Concord teams hosting minor league home games at Webb Field.
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The Carolina Association was a minor league baseball league that played from 1908 to 1912. The Carolina Association played as a six–team Class D level league. The league consisted of teams based in North Carolina and South Carolina, with the same six franchises playing for the duration of the league.
Wearn Field was a ballpark located in Charlotte, North Carolina and home to amateur and professional baseball in Charlotte from 1912 to 1940. Wearn Field was built and owned by Hornets club owner J. H. Wearn alongside his lumber mill. Home plate was at the corner of South Graham and Winona Streets; the right field corner was at South Graham and Commerce.
The Rutherford County Owls were a minor league baseball team based in the Rutherford County, North Carolina cities of Spindale, North Carolina and Forest City, North Carolina. Between 1936 and 1960, the Rutherford County based teams played as members of the 1936 Carolina League, the Western Carolina League from 1948 to 1952, Tar Heel League from 1953 to 1954 and Western Carolina League in 1960, winning the 1949 league championship and qualifying for the playoffs six other times. The franchise played as the Forest City Owls in the 1948 and 1953 seasons.
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The Kannapolis Towelers were a minor league baseball team based in Kannapolis, North Carolina. From 1936 to 1941, the Towelers played as a member of the independent Carolina League from 1936 to 1938 and the Class D level North Carolina State League from 1939 to 1941, winning league pennants in 1937, 1939 and 1940. Kannapolis hosted minor league home games at the Kannapolis Ballpark.
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