Kannapolis Cannon Ballers, Atrium Health Ballpark

The Kannapolis Cannon Ballers held on to beat the Down East Wood Ducks, 2-1, in a Carolina League contest last Saturday night (June 11) with Angela and me in attendance. The home teams are now 3 and 0 in the games we have seen this season. The Ballers made it interesting as their 9th-inning reliever issued walks to the first two Woodies hitters, but stranded them to record the save. It wasn't pretty, but it counts the same. Player of the game was catcher Victor Torres, who threw out a would-be base stealer and launched a solo home run to left for Kannapolis's first run.

We were piddling around the house Saturday morning, neither of us in any apparent hurry, and I asked, "Are we gonna do this Kannapolis thing?" Mostly what I knew about Kannapolis is that it was at one time the Towel Capital of the World, built by (and named for) the Cannon Mills Corporation, which went the way of the rest of the N.C. textile industry in the 80s and 90s. I'd driven past Kannapolis on I-85 many times without ever stopping; I guess I figured I would find a dilapidated mill village, the ultimate company town whose company fled and left a crumbling wreck behind. 

We did do the Kannapolis thing (these ball games are not gonna attend themselves), and I'm glad. Kannapolis turns out to be an attractive town, with a busy central district that includes the ballpark. Angela and I were both struck by the Cannon Baller brand and logo. It pays tribute to the Cannon name as well as to Kannapolis native and NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt. (The picture above is of a statue of Dale, located downtown near the Kannapolis Amtrak station.) 

If you can stand to read news from the world of sports marketing, I found this article to be illuminating, both about the minor-league baseball biz and about Kannapolis's pursuit of a vision for itself that acknowledges the past but isn't burdened by it. 

Atrium Health Ballpark opened in 2020, part of the larger plan of downtown development; it is new and clean and fan-friendly. Being in a walkable neighborhood is a big plus in my book. 325' to left field, 315' to right.

Ballpark foods consumed were an Italian sausage and chicken sausage sandwich (tasty though we felt they were a little small given the price), and two cups of soft serve ice cream. Ballpark beers enjoyed: two by the Cabarrus Brewing Company of Concord, the Cabarrus Cotton Blonde Ale and the Concord Amber Lager. 

Shout-out to Sweet Meadow Cafe in downtown Salisbury, NC, who serve an excellent Sunday brunch in a cool, quirky atmosphere.

In searching for Central North Carolina Piedmont natives in the annals of baseball history, I almost overlooked two prominent contemporary players:

• Kyle Seager, Seattle Mariners third baseman from 2011 to 2021, now retired, and Corey Seager, Texas Rangers shortstop, 2020 World Series MVP as a member of the L.A. Dodgers. The Seagers were raised right in Kannapolis and both are All-Star caliber players.
• Billy Goodman was born and raised in the neighboring town of Concord. A long-time teammate of Ted Williams on the Red Sox, Goodman appeared in two All-Star Games and is credited as the AL batting champion for 1950, all while rarely holding down a regular spot in the defensive lineup. He could play almost anywhere in the field and had a knack for getting on base, which is a good recipe for a 16-year big league career. Goodman appeared in the 1959 World Series with the White Sox.
• The preceding guys were from Cabarrus County, but the neighboring county of Rowan produced notable major leaguers Vern Benson, Bill Baker, Clyde Kluttz, and Jay Ritchie. Benson and Kluttz each had long post-playing careers as coaches and scouts.