Sims Legion Park is a 3,000-seat

baseball park A ballpark, or baseball park, is a type of sports venue where baseball is played. The playing field is divided into the infield, an area whose dimensions are rigidly defined, and the outfield, where dimensions can vary widely from place to pla ...

Gastonia, North Carolina Gastonia is the largest city in and county seat of Gaston County, North Carolina, United States. It is the second-largest satellite city of the Charlotte area, behind Concord. The population was 80,411 at the 2020 census, up from 71,741 in 2010 ...

that is the home field for

Gaston College Gaston College is a public community college in Dallas, North Carolina. Serving Gaston County and Lincoln County, Gaston College enrolls over 5,000 students each term in curriculum programs and about 16,000 students in continuing education pro ...

baseball. It has hosted the

Gastonia Grizzlies The Gastonia Grizzlies were a collegiate summer baseball team playing in the Coastal Plain League. The team played its home games at Sims Legion Park in Gastonia, North Carolina, where they were known for their unique promotional events and firew ...

of the

Coastal Plain League The Coastal Plain League (CPL) is a wood-bat collegiate summer baseball league, featuring college players recruited from throughout the nation. The league takes its name from the Class D level Coastal League which operated in the area from 19 ...

, as well as American Legion baseball. The Grizzlies moved to Spartanburg,

South Carolina )''Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no) , anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind" , Former = Province of South Carolina , seat = Columbia , LargestCity = Charleston , LargestMetro = ...

starting with the 2021 season and were renamed the

Spartanburgers The Spartanburgers are a collegiate summer baseball team playing in the Coastal Plain League. The team plays its home games at Duncan Park in Spartanburg, South Carolina. The team, formerly the Gastonia Grizzlies, relocated from Gastonia, North ...

. The stadium underwent a total rebuild in the 1970s in order to attract a Minor League Baseball team. Since then the stadium has seen many tenants come and go. An ongoing effort to build a new ballpark in Gastonia in 2021 produced CaroMont Health Park, home to the

Gastonia Honey Hunters The Gastonia Honey Hunters are a professional baseball team based in Gastonia, North Carolina. They play in the South Division of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, a "partner league" of Major League Baseball, at CaroMont Health Park i ...

of the Atlantic League. Sims Legion Park was further renovated between the 2021 and 2022 baseball seasons. Players who've played here include

Andy Van Slyke Andrew James Van Slyke (born December 21, 1960) is an American former Major League Baseball (MLB) center fielder. Career Van Slyke earned All-American honors in baseball as a senior at New Hartford Central High school in New Hartford, New York. ...

(Cardinals, Pirates),

Sammy Sosa Samuel Peralta Sosa (born November 12, 1968) is a Dominican-American former professional baseball right fielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for 19 seasons, primarily with the Chicago Cubs. After playing for the Texas Rangers and C ...

(Rangers, White Sox, Cubs, Orioles), Juan González (Rangers, Tigers, Indians, Royals),

Iván Rodríguez Iván Rodríguez Torres (born November 27, 1971), nicknamed "Pudge" and "I-Rod", is a Puerto Rican former Major League Baseball catcher. He played for the Texas Rangers (in two separate stints, comprising the majority of his career), Florida ...

(Rangers, Marlins, Tigers), and former Major Leaguer

Tug McGraw Frank Edwin "Tug" McGraw Jr. (August 30, 1944 – January 5, 2004) was an American professional baseball relief pitcher and long-time Major League Baseball (MLB) player, often remembered for coining the phrase "Ya Gotta Believe", which became th ...

(Mets, Phillies), who pitched one game for the Rangers in 1989.

References

External links

Ballpark Reviews - GastoniaDigital Ballparks
Buildings and structures in Gaston County, North Carolina Minor league baseball venues Baseball venues in North Carolina 1950 establishments in North Carolina Sports venues completed in 1950 Softball venues in the United States {{NorthCarolina-baseball-venue-stub