A sellout crowd of almost 4,200 people came to McCormick Field in mid-July to watch the Asheville Tourists play the Aberdeen (Maryland) IronBirds. Temperatures had dropped to near 80 degrees when the game ended, making for a perfect night for baseball in the mountains.
Walking out, I saw team owner Brian DeWine handing out team schedules and thanking fans for their attendance. The Tourists lost the game, and are having a rough season, but no one seemed to care.
“At a minor league game, it’s not about winning or losing,” says DeWine. “It’s about being outside and enjoying time with your family and friends.”
North Carolina may long for a major league baseball team, but 10 N.C. towns from Kinston to Asheville are still benefiting from minor league teams playing dozens of home games this summer.
“Our state loves baseball, and we have a lot of thriving communities in our state that can support baseball from the business side and the fans,” says DeWine.
McCormick Field has been around since 1924, but this year could have been its last. Major League Baseball gave its affiliate teams a deadline to bring stadiums up to standards. McCormick Field’s last big renovation came in 1992.
“The deadline was forced upon us, but the ballpark did need renovation,” says DeWine, whose family has owned the team since 2010. Last year, the city of Asheville, Buncombe County and the team agreed to fund $38 million in stadium improvements.
Winston-Salem-based Blum Construction will start the work once the season ends in September and complete renovations to clubhouses, lighting and the field by
April 1, 2026, DeWine says.
About 180,000 fans attend games each season at McCormick Field. The county estimates the team has a $10 million annual economic impact. The teams in Charlotte and Durham each attract about a half-million fans annually, ranking among the most successful minor-league teams.
After improvements, McCormick Field will offer more concerts, movie nights and other events on a year-around basis. “We’re going to try and provide affordable, family entertainment like we do now with baseball,” DeWine says.
Business North Carolina awards
National and state associations recently recognized Business North Carolina for its journalism.
The Alliance of Area Business Publishers awarded Edward Martin a first-place award for best personality profile for a story about Raleigh radio magnate Don Curtis. BNC
also was honored for its website.
In state awards, BNC entered the annual North Carolina Press Association contest for the first time.
Chris Roush won a first-place award for describing Kontoor Brands’ use of name, image and likeness deals with college athletes to sell Wrangler jeans to younger customers.
David Mildenberg and Martin won a second-place award for their story on Truist’s performance after the 2019 merger of BB&T and SunTrust.
A third-place award went to writer Shannon Cuthrell for her story on the financial troubles facing Charlotte’s Aldersgate retirement community. Roush also won a third-place award for a story about how Atlantic Coast Conference Commissioner Jim Phillips is handling athletic conference shakeups.
BNC also won first and second place awards for our Power List publication and our North Carolina Economic Development Guide, respectively. ■