SUMMER 2017

The Buies of Summer Professional in its purest form PHOTO BY LYDIA HUTH PHOTO BY LYDIA 32 SUMMER 2017 TAKE IT IN. SMELL THE PEANUTS. THERE WILL NEVER BE ANOTHER SUMMER LIKE THESE TWO.

MAGAZINE.CAMPBELL.EDU CAMPBELL MAGAZINE 33 FOR THE NEXT When it is all said and done, Buies Creek, and TWO YEARS, will have hosted roughly 130 days and nights of pro baseball in its purest form. Families eating CAMPBELL hot dogs and groups of local Little Leaguers UNIVERSITY chasing foul balls on warm summer evenings. Fans getting an up-close (really up-close) look IS HOME TO A at future stars like , Jason Martin, PROFESSIONAL and Franklin Perez. Take it in. Smell the peanuts. BASEBALL lot happens in the on-deck circle. It’s where a hitter takes practice swings before his turn There will never be another summer like TEAM. STRANGE these two. at the plate. It’s where he eyes the pitcher’s AS IT SOUNDS, mechanics and speed up close — a short window Ato get his timing down pat. Waiting in the wings The right fit. THE ASTROS before stepping on the main stage, the circle allows him a chance to take in his surroundings Even in the world of HAVE FOUND and mentally prepare for the spotlight. — where rural America, ballparks built near cornfields and intimate, familiar crowds are A PERFECT The Buies Creek Astros are in the on-deck attributes woven into the fibers of the game — (TEMPORARY) circle. Buies Creek is small. And when they take the field in April 2019 in It’s not technically the smallest — it’s HOME IN BUIES their brand new, $33 million-dollar stadium in actually 12 times larger than Sauget, Illinois CREEK. front of 5,000-plus fans, they’ll no longer have (population 250), home of the Gateway Creek in their name. They'll be the Fayetteville Grizzlies of the independent Frontier League. BY BILLY LIGGETT Fatbacks. Or the Fly Traps. Or the Jumpers But Sauget is 10 miles from the thriving or Wood Dogs or Woodpeckers. Whatever metropolis of St. Louis, Missouri. The Gateway the name and the accompanying mascot, the Arch can be seen from its ballpark. team will be the hottest ticket in the Carolina In other words, Buies Creek is no Sauget. League. They will have stepped up to the plate. The tallest structure seen from its ballpark By then, the Buies Creek Astros will be a is Kivett Hall, the centerpiece of Campbell memory. A Wikipedia entry. The answer University. You have to drive 40 miles north or to a tough baseball trivia question. A rare south to find anything resembling a city. Buies collectible hat or jersey on Ebay. Creek doesn’t have a stoplight. It’s not even technically a town (it’s a “census-designated But that’s 20 months away. place,” by definition).

For now, these are an important two years Yet there it was on Nov. 17, 2016, site for the for the Astros, an organization that kind of announcement many towns and cities has climbed from the cellar of the American would give their Main Streets for. There stood League to the top of the standings. And thanks — son of Hall of Fame pitching to its farm system, they look like a team built to legend and president of the stay at the top. — announcing the arrival of These two years are important to this . community, too. The Buies Creek Astros.

34 SUMMER 2017 The Buies Creek Astros belong to the Carolina League, an Advanced-A Minor League Baseball affiliation formed in 1945, just after World War II. Many famous Major Leaguers have started their careers in the league, including Johnny Bench, Wade Boggs, Barry Bonds, Rod Carew, Dwight Gooden, Chipper Jones, Joe Morgan, , Andruw Jones, Darryl Strawberry, Bernie Williams and Carl Yastrzemski. The 1988 film “Bull Durham” — starring Kevin Costner, Susan Sarandon and Tim Robbins — featured the , who were at the time members of the Carolina League. The current league consists of 10 teams (Major League affiliate in parenthesis):

NORTHERN DIVISION • Frederick Keys (Baltimore) • (Cleveland) • (Washington) • (Boston) • (Kansas City)

SOUTHERN DIVISION • Buies Creek Astros (Houston) • (Milwaukee) • (Texas) • (Chi Cubs) • Winston-Salem Dash (Chi Sox)

« has been one of the rising stars for the Buies Creek Astros this year. The Carolina League All Star drove in 41 runs and stole 36 bases in 114 games before being called up to Double-A Corpus Christi. | Photo courtesy of the Buies Creek Astros

MAGAZINE.CAMPBELL.EDU CAMPBELL MAGAZINE 35 PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE BUIES CREEK ASTROS

SMALL-TOWN A team named for the nation’s prominent Perry Stadium stood out immediately. space program located in a “place” that covers “When we first came to Campbell, we just fell BASEBALL roughly 2.2 square miles of mostly tobacco in love with it,” said Ryan, whose father pitched Buies Creek isn’t the smallest fields (and, of course, a university). one of his record-setting seven no-hitters town in America with a professional baseball team, The scene that November was surreal. Astros against Jim Perry in 1973. “This is a world-class but they’re close. Sauget and executives, local elected officials and Campbell facility, and so we targeted it as the spot we Loch Sheldrake are both home administration donned blue and orange wanted to be at. Luckily for us, we found an to independent teams, making ballcaps and shook hands at home plate in Jim administration and an athletics director happy Buies Creek currently the Perry Stadium. Camel cheerleaders unveiled a and willing to work with us.” smallest town to host a team associated with a Major League very Astros-looking logo with “BC” where the Ryan said part of the negotiating was “finding affiliate: big “H” should be. the best interests Campbell and the Astros.” • Sauget, Illinois: 159 As strange as it looked, it all somehow felt When the deal was made, Campbell was in • Loch Sheldrake, N.Y. 1,910 right. Even the weather on that mid-November the process of adding to its stadium more • Buies Creek, : afternoon felt more like a warm early-season seating, in-ground dugouts, a viewing deck, 2,942 game in May. For an organization that had new locker rooms and coaches’ offices, and a • Zebulon, North Carolina: 4,433 spent the previous eight seasons in Lancaster, state-of-the-art scoreboard. What it lacked • Bisbee, Arizona: 5,308 California — a city on the western edge of the was a professional-grade playing surface. The • Bluefield, Virginia: 5,444 Mojave Desert where average highs in the Astros fixed that by providing new synthetic • Wappingers Falls, N.Y.: 5,522 summer range from 95 to 100 degrees — North turf — a surface that “replicates a natural • Moosic, Pennsylvania: 5,719 Carolina was an oasis. baseball field’s look and playability” — installed • Alpine, Texas: 5,905 in January. • Princeton, West Virginia: Last October, the Astros officially announced 6,432 • Old Orchard Beach, Maine: it was buying a Minor League franchise in After some creative scheduling to allow for 8,624 Fayetteville — a move made to help streamline two teams to share one stadium from April to • Trinidad, Colorado: 8,771 its farm system to control player movement mid-May, the inaugural season of the Buies • Pulaski, Virginia: 8,909 more efficiently (the organization runs Rookie Creek Astros was set. The excitement from • Kodak, Tennessee: 9,273 League and Short Season A teams in the east Campbell’s side was palpable. and its Class-A squad in Iowa). Before the “Just the entire relationship with Houston purchase, Ryan and David Lane, Buies Creek’s and what this team can mean for our program general manager, were scouting cities and is immeasurable,” Athletics Director Bob towns near Fayetteville to host the team while Roller said on Opening Day in April. “Every the new ballpark was being built. day in the New York Times, the USA Today and Campbell University’s recently renovated Jim across the nation, ‘Buies Creek’ will appear in

36 SUMMER 2017 the standings. And the games themselves will " WHEN WE Love of the game. introduce a lot of people to Campbell’s campus. It’s great exposure.” FIRST CAME TO It’s a 350-step walk from their cramped locker rooms on the lower level of the Pope For Campbell President J. Bradley Creed, CAMPBELL, WE Convocation Center to the outfield gate at Jim having the Astros so close was extra special. JUST FELL IN Perry Stadium. The new rubber and artificial He grew up a few hours from Houston and grass turf — though ideal when it comes to attended his first Major League game in the LOVE WITH IT." ground balls, diving and base running — traps as a kid in the 1960s. heat so that 90-degree day games in June feel — Reid Ryan, president of the about 10 degrees hotter. And there’s only so “It makes this native Texan proud,” Creed Houston Astros and son of much Moe’s, Chick-fil-A and Subway a player said. “You’ll have local folks introduced to Hall of Fame pitching legend or coach can eat before they’re longing for this organization, and you’ll have Astros Nolan Ryan more dining-out options. fans around the world learning about this community and this University by following But it could be worse. It could always be worse. their team. I couldn’t be any happier with this partnership.” Catcher Anthony Hermelyn played Single-A ball last year in Davenport, Iowa, infamous for the smells emanating from the nearby Purina dog food and Oscar Mayer meat production plants both within a mile of the ballpark there. PHOTO BY BILLY LIGGETT PHOTO BY BILLY

MAGAZINE.CAMPBELL.EDU CAMPBELL MAGAZINE 37 Lancaster, California, where many on the “I love it, because as a manager, a quiet town Astros roster played a season ago before is exactly what I’m looking for,” he says. “The the team left for North Carolina, is a desert players stay out of trouble, and they focus on town. Had the team stayed, they would have baseball.” experienced a record-breaking 110-degree day And focus they do. When they reach the in June this year. And for pitchers, Lancaster Minor Leagues, players eat, breathe and sleep was a nightmare. baseball. From April 6 to Sept. 4 of this year, “The wind always blew out, and the air was the team had exactly 12 scheduled off days, super thin,” recalled pitcher Riley Ferrell. three of those in a row for the All-Star break in “From a pitching standpoint, we love being late June. Because of scheduling conflicts with here.” the Camels in the spring, Buies Creek agreed to GOING FAST play only 62 home games (instead of 70) and 78 When the Lancaster roster learned last year Campbell junior Noelle on the road. That meant a few more bus trips Beattie has worked the small it was heading east, they had a tool better and hotel stays. merchandise booth at every than Google to learn about their new home. home game this season, and They had former Campbell standout pitcher But even when they’re home, there’s little she’s noticed one thing in her time spent in the small trailer: Ryan Thompson, who pitched 20 games for time to relax. Players arrive at the convocation “Whatever they’re buying, Lancaster in 2016 before being called up to AA center around 1 p.m. on most days, earlier everybody wants the name Corpus Christi this season. if they need time in the trainer’s room. At ‘Buies Creek’ on it.” Because 1:30, they’re meeting with specialty coaches “Ryan loved it here, and he was excited for us,” the Astros’ stay in the Creek will (pitchers and catchers in one room, infielders only last two years, merchandise says pitcher Justin Ferrell. “He told us it was a in another, outfielders in another), and around for the team will become a nice, relaxed little town and that we’d have fun.” rarity. The team’s media and 2:30, they’re heading to the field for about event coordinator Ricky Ray says Though it’s small — both the community and two hours of practice — speedsters practicing he’s shipped hats and uniforms the locker rooms — and short on nightlife, their bunts, catchers running down popups to New York, California and and pitchers working on their windups. At Texas, among other states. “I’m Buies Creek has been a welcome change for sure they’ll pop up on eBay one many on the Astros’ roster. While some on 4, batting practice. By 4:15, the visiting team day,” he says. “But I can see the team have rented apartments closer to starts entering through the outside gate (after why people want it. It’ll be a Raleigh in towns like Fuquay-Varina or Garner, a similar 350-step jaunt from the arena), and at collector’s item, and you have the majority live a baseball’s throw from the 5, the Astros head to their lockers to get in their to admit it’s a clean and classy game uniforms and grab a quick bite before look.” stadium or a few miles out in Lillington. Off days in the middle of a homestand are few and heading back to the field before first pitch at far between in a 140-game schedule, but on 7. The average Minor League game runs three those rare occasions, the players have played hours — so it’s usually 10 p.m. when the team golf at Keith Hills, tried out tubing on the Cape heads back to the lockers and maybe 10:30 or Fear and have made short group trips to Sunni 11 before they’re heading to their apartments Sky’s Ice Cream in Angier. (some shared with four other guys) for food, sleep and no time for anything else. “No, it’s not been terribly exciting,” Hermelyn says with a grin. “At the same time, when “It’s not easy,” says Lopez, who’s given up his there’s not much to do around here, you own private office during this transition and become closer as friends and as a team.” instead has a small desk in the locker room he shares with six other coaches. “But baseball is It’s the ideal situation for head coach Omar a game of adjustments, and for these players, Lopez, a former Minor League player and life in professional baseball is a big adjustment. scout who’s been a manager in the Astros’ farm If you choose to play this game at this level, system since 2008. then baseball becomes your life. If you choose

38 SUMMER 2017 « Hector Perez was called up to Buies Creek in the spring after just four games in Class-A ball. A native of the Dominican Republic, Perez is one of more than a dozen foreign-born players on the team. | Photo by Lydia Huth

MAGAZINE.CAMPBELL.EDU CAMPBELL MAGAZINE 39 to do this, then you choose to do everything " A QUIET TOWN beisbol y vida. you can to be your best. Not everyone here is going to play in the Major Leagues, but if they IS EXACTLY For players like Franklin Perez, Carlos Sierra, can survive this, when they go to the outside Hector Perez and Yoanys Quiala, Minor League world, they’ll be mentally tough. They can do WHAT I'M Baseball is as much about adapting to the anything they want.” LOOKING FOR. United States and American culture as it is working on a split seam fastball or learning to Hermelyn has made several adjustments in his THE PLAYERS hit a slider. short time in the Carolina League, including learning to share time with third-round pick STAY OUT OF Latino players make up about 27 to 30 percent and prospect Jake Rogers, who was called TROUBLE AND of today’s professional baseball rosters, and up to the team in mid-May. Eating habits many arrive in the rookie or Single-A leagues change, he says, and it gets harder to maintain FOCUS ON knowing very little to no English. Fourteen of relationships with family and friends in his BASEBALL." the 32 players who make up the current Buies native Oklahoma. Creek roster are foreign-born young Latino men representing the Dominican Republic, — Buies Creek Astros “But if you love baseball, it’s what you do,” Venezuela, Cuba, Panama and Mexico. Manager Omar Lopez he says. “If my Minor League experience has shown me anything, it’s how much I really love The Astros organization is one of a handful in this game.” to offer programs to help players learn English and adapt to their

40 SUMMER 2017 new environment. And on days when the Buies graders, simultaneously sharpening their own COMING TO Creek club is in town for evening home games, skills and contributing to the community. its Latino players sit in a small classroom in AMERICA Gonzalez says the biggest struggle for most D. Rich Hall with Campbell University foreign Latino players make up about incoming Latino players isn’t the language, but language adjunct professor Brian Thomas 27 to 30 percent of today’s things like nutrition and housing. to not only learn the language, but American professional baseball rosters, and many arrive in the rookie or culture and important things like money “We’ve found that a lot of players really Single-A leagues knowing very management and social skills. struggle with not having the foods they grew little to no English. Fourteen of up with,” she says. “Many simply don’t enjoy the 32 players who make up the On this day, Thomas is joined by Doris eating American food. So a lot of them lose current Buies Creek roster are Gonzalez, the organization’s coordinator foreign-born young Latino men weight or don’t eat healthy enough to keep up of player acculturation and language representing the Dominican with the demands of the sport. They miss their development who has helped current Republic, Venezuela, Cuba, momma’s Dominican cooking.” Panama and Mexico. Major League All-Stars like Houston Astros The Houston Astros today second baseman Jose Altuve of Venezuela To assist with housing, Gonzalez helps find and shortstop of Puerto Rico feature two of the top host families in the areas surrounding the Latin-born players in Major during her career. Gonzalez routinely checks Astros’ Minor League teams across the League Baseball in second in on the programs at all levels of the Astros country. She says the team in Buies Creek baseman Jose Altuve organization and has developed a close bond benefits from having a manager from (Venezuela) and shortstop Carlos Correa (Puerto Rico). with many of her players, some of whom greet Venezuela who speaks their language and her with hugs and treat her like their mother. Altuve played in his fifth All-Star understands their struggles. game in 2017, and Correa “I myself was an English language learner became the first shortstop in “Omar Lopez is one of my favorite coaches,” Astros history to start in the and an immigrant, so I know how hard it is she says. “He’s just so committed to their well- Mid-Summer Classic. for them,” says Gonzalez. “They work twice being. I truly admire him.” as hard as others on the team, because not only are they working on the field, they’re Thomas brings an acoustic guitar to this taking these classes, studying and constantly particular class, and up until about 10 minutes learning and adapting. It can be tough. So I’m before it let out, he never reveals why. Finally, heavily invested in them, and I care about their he straps on the guitar and sits in front of the futures.” class, striking the first familiar chords of the folk blues song made famous by The Animals One particular class focuses on house in 1964, “House of the Rising Sun.” problems — who to call when the electricity goes out, the toilet is clogged or the roof There is a house in New Orleans, is leaking. Gonzalez and Thomas go over They call the Rising Sun ... the English names for these repairmen — By the second verse, the players — each with electrician, plumber and roofer — and get a lyric sheet in both English and Spanish in the players to stand in front of the class and front of them — are singing along. By the end, perform mock phone calls in their best English. the song is echoing throughout the halls of the Some of the players zone out, no doubt the mostly empty D. Rich building, and Thomas is result of fatigue from the previous night’s game, singing like the solo act in a concert hall. a loss to the Salem Red Sox that went well The end of the class, however, is bittersweet, beyond the typical 10 p.m. finish time. But most as Gonzalez is heading to Florida the next are happy to be doing this. Laughing as they day. She catches a few players at the door learn. Taking notes. Three days earlier, they to congratulate them on their progress and spent time at nearby Buies Creek Elementary assures them she’ll be checking in on them. School reading to kindergarteners and first

MAGAZINE.CAMPBELL.EDU CAMPBELL MAGAZINE 41 THE FARM Major League Baseball has an extensive system of Minor League affiliates, which each team having up to seven levels of development before players are called up to the “show.” The Houston Astros’ farm system looks like this:

• Dominican Summer League: Astros Orange • Dominican Summer League: Astros Blue • Rookie League: Greeneville (Tenn.) Astros • Rookie League: Gulf Coast League (Fla.) Astros • Short Season A: Tri-City (N.Y.) ValleyCats • Single-A: Quad Cities (Iowa) River Bandits • Advanced-A: Buies Creek Astros • Double-A: Corpus Christi (Texas) Hooks • Triple-A: Fresno (Calif.) Grizzlies

42 SUMMER 2017 “Not all of these guys will make this their Tucker smiles when asked about Fayetteville career, so when baseball’s done for them, in two years. Then — like a professional — he they’ll at least have these skills to fall back on,” gives the soundbite he knows the reporter is she says. “I tell them that whatever happens looking for: “Yeah, I’m anxious to see how that next, English is going to help them. I had one stadium turns out. I’m sure it’ll look awesome.” student write me from Panama telling me If Astros fans can claim anything when the they got a job because they were bilingual. team’s two years are up in Buies Creek, it’s that As a teacher, hearing things like that means they saw good baseball played by some of the everything to me.” league’s top rising stars.

Outfielder Jason Martin joined Tucker in Corpus Christi in May, but not before hitting road to stardom. three home runs in one game in a 12-6 win at It’s Media Day at Jim Perry Stadium just Myrtle Beach on May 7. Opening Day starting before the season opener, and Kyle Tucker pitcher Akeem Bostick needed just three — a 20-year-old power-hitting lefty picked starts in Buies Creek before getting the call fifth overall by the Astros in the 2015 draft to Double-A after going 2-1 with a 1.86 ERA. — is approached by a television reporter Yoanys Quiala went 5-1 with a 2.31 ERA in and cameraman from Raleigh. Already a Buies Creek before his promotion, and Nick millionaire (he received a $4 million signing Hernandez pitched in 24 games as a reliever, bonus when drafted) and the No. 11 top earning 9 saves and 1.59 ERA. None remain. prospect in the entire game according to , Tucker is asked by the As it typically happens to organizations with somewhat oblivious reporter if he’s excited to a strong farm system, Buies Creek hasn’t be playing in Fayetteville when the stadium suffered too much from the losses. Hernandez, opens in 2019. Franklin Perez and outfielder Myles Straw represented Buies Creek in the Carolina Tucker won’t be in Fayetteville in 2019. In fact, League All-Star game in June. And for each his time in Buies Creek only lasted eight weeks Corpus call-up, it seems another prospect is after he tore up Carolina League pitchers with waiting in the wings. Catcher Jake Rogers, a .554 slugging percentage, 9 home runs, 43 the Astros’ third-round pick in the 2016 draft, RBI and 13 stolen bases in just 177 at-bats. In was promoted to Buies Creek on June 1 and late May, Tucker was called up to Double-A hit 8 home runs in his first 40 games after the Corpus Christi, where he has 8 home runs and promotion. 20 RBI in his first 32 games. And then there’s 2016 first-round pick Forrest If all goes as planned, he’ll be in Houston in Whitley, a 19-year-old kid from San Antonio 2019, joining what’s currently the best team who received a $3 million signing bonus before in baseball. Or, as happens with many top ever suiting up. After striking out 67 batters in prospects in a winning organization, he may be 46 innings in Iowa, Whitley threw five innings trade bait for a team in need of a solid bat down of no-hit, shutout ball in his Buies Creek debut, the line. a 6-0 win over the Potomac Nationals.

Buies Creek went 37-33 in the first half of the season, finishing six games behind Myrtle « Justin Ferrell broke into the minors as a 36th-round draft pick in Beach in the Carolina League’s South Division. 2014 out of Connors State (Oklahoma) Community College. In 26 They faired much better in the second half of games with Buies Creek, Ferrell has a 7-5 record and three saves, the season, but still finished a half game behind striking out 84 in 79 innings pitched. | Photo by Lydia Huth

MAGAZINE.CAMPBELL.EDU CAMPBELL MAGAZINE 43 the Down East Wood Ducks to miss out on the RISING STARS night before. And it’s true. In addition to being postseason (despite finishing the year with the the smallest stadium capacity-wise in Minor Those who have attended a best overall record in the Carolina League's League Baseball, Jim Perry Stadium is also free Buies Creek Astros game this South Division, 74-65). season have witnessed future of the mascots and between-inning gimmicks Major Leaguers. The first half popular in most ballparks across the nation. It was a disappointing end to an otherwise of the season was dominated successful year in Buies Creek. But for Omar by top prospect Kyle Tucker, For some, that’s part of the charm. Lopez — as is the case for most Minor League and pitching phenom Forrest “For what it is, it’s excellent,” says Rick Hunt, managers —winning is only a small part of Whitley joined the squad after being called up from Single-A a lifelong baseball fan who’s attended every his job. More than anything, Lopez and his in the summer. Below are the Buies Creek Astros home game this season coaching staff are here to develop talent. top three prospects who have keeping statistics and tracking analysis for a played or are currently playing “Obviously, as a manager, you want to win for the local squad, ordered by company that sells this data to professional as much as you can,” he says. “But as an their Baseball America prospect teams. “I’ve attended several [Carolina] organization, you have to have a philosophy, and rankings: Mudcats games in recent years, and in many player development at this level is part of it. And ways, it’s better than a Mudcats game. The : Rated we have to follow that. There will be situations 11. Kyle Tucker, OF field’s nice, it’s a nice atmosphere, and here, the No. 11 top prospect in come up where development is more important all of baseball, the fifth- unlike some ballparks, the entertainment is than winning, whether it’s pitch counts or overall pick in the 2015 draft the ballgame. As a fan of the game, I appreciate situations a hitter faces. We’re here to make only lasted eight weeks that. Some teams go overboard with the these players better for down the road.” before being called up to gimmicks.” Double-A. His time in Buies That doesn’t mean Lopez disregards winning Creek was memorable, Luke Erickson of Virginia attended his first entirely. He just has a different way of phrasing though. Tucker hit 9 home Buies Creek game in May while vacationing runs and 43 RBI in just 46 it to his players. games. in Emerald Isle (a good two hours away). Erickson says he’s been to 45 to 50 Minor “Do we have to go out and win this game 32. Franklin Perez, P: Perez League parks in his lifetime, and the surface tonight? No,” he says. “But we have to go out threw five innings of one-hit at Jim Perry Stadium — artificial turf covering and be winners. We have to fight for everything. baseball in his Buies Creek everything except the pitcher’s mound — was Do our best every single day. You do that and debut in April. As of this the first of its kind he’d ever seen. you put everything together, and the wins will publication, he’s still in North Carolina, enjoying a solid come. And when you create a good atmosphere season with an ERA under “It’s definitely unique, and it’s part of what’s like that, it gets contagious. And you start 3.00, a complete game, 53 made this experience a good one for me so picking up your teammates who aren’t doing as in 54 innings and far,” says Erickson, a Potomac Nationals fan. well, and that becomes teamwork. just 16 walks. “I think overall, they’ve got a good thing here. Where else can you pay a [$5] and sit this close “We develop all that here and now, because at 58. Forrest Whitley, P: The to the field and see professional ballplayers? the Big League level, bottom line, it’s all about No. 1 pick in 2016, Whitley doesn’t turn 20 until It’s a great deal.” winning.” September. In his first two starts with Buies Creek, the The Astros drew a crowd of 1,117 on Opening Texas native gave up just Day, but on some nights, there are as few one earned run and struck as 200 people in the stands. Officially, the pure baseball. out 14 in 10 innings. team has drew an average crowd of 517 at The first thing you notice at a Buies Creek Astros home games this year. That was worst in the game is the lack of things to notice. Carolina League by a good margin (next was Lynchburg, draws an average of 1,899 fans) This is a line from an April 7 article on baseball and worst in all of Minor League Baseball in Buies Creek published by Baseball America, (next was the Dunedin Blue Jays in Florida, which sent a writer to the season opener the who average 611 fans).

44 SUMMER 2017 « The top prospect in the Houston Astros farm system and the 11th top prospect in all of Major League Baseball, Kyle Tucker, lasted just 46 games in Buies Creek before his call-up to Double-A. Tucker hit 9 home runs and drove in 43 runs during his short stint. | Photo by Bennett Scarborough

MAGAZINE.CAMPBELL.EDU CAMPBELL MAGAZINE 45 FAYETTEVILLE ?'S But that’s OK with the Houston Astros and here. The small crowds aren’t that bad.” Buies Creek Astros GM David Lane. The low In June, the future Astros’ One of the few people not in a uniform to attendance was expected. Fayetteville affiliate announced attend every Buies Creek home game is the Top 5 finalists for the team’s “It’s more about baseball, putting the guys in Ricky Ray, Campbell University’s associate new name and mascot when it takes the field in 2019 (it will the best situation with the best facilities so athletics director for external affairs and the be the Buies Creek Astros until they can develop and not be hindered,” Lane community and media liaison for the club then). The Top 5 names each told the Fayetteville Observer in May. “That’s during its stay locally. Ray, who worked in a have a Fayetteville connection: what it has been and we’re happy. Everybody’s similar role for the Carolina Mudcats before happy about it. Drawing 1,200 a night would coming to Campbell, says the attendance • Fatbacks: Derived from the fat of pigs that is prevalent have been overwhelming. It would have been figures don’t tell the whole story when it in Southern and French tough. We’d love to have it, but it’s more about comes to the community and its relationship cuisine. Fatback is one of the the baseball.” with the team. delicious, delectable pork products that is the result of Five-hundred people in a small stadium feels “The community has really enjoyed having a hog roast that brings the different than 500 people in a park built for this team here,” Ray says. “Many in the community together, the 5,000. Crowds at Buies Creek games are small area have opened their home to players and release says. and intimate, but they’re also loud at the right support the team at all times. The campus • Fly Traps: Refers to the times and supportive. According to pitcher here has worked hard to integrate pro flytrap plant native to the Justin Ferrell, small crowds have their benefits. baseball as seamlessly as possible. And I think wetlands of the Carolinas. It’s there will be a shared sense of pride as some also a baseball term — the “You hear everything on the field. of these players begin to make their way to the proper way to catch fly balls. Everything,” Ferrell says with a laugh. “As a Majors in a couple of years. pitcher though, I communicate better in our • Jumpers: A tribute to the 82nd Airborne, based at ballpark. We focus more on the game. And “Buies Creek will have played an important nearby Fort Bragg. when the fans do get loud, it seems to echo part in their journey.”

• Wood Dogs: A nod to the dogwood tree that dominates the city’s landscape and is the name of its largest festival. The mascot would be a dog, which “resonates with the city’s and military’s characteristics of loyalty, compassion and protection.”

• Woodpeckers: A tribute to the endangered red cockaded woodpecker, which calls the longleaf pine in the area home.

— courtesy MILB.com PHOTO COURTESY OF THE BUIES CREEK ASTROS

46 SUMMER 2017