Inaugural Season of the Honey HuntersSeptember 3, 2021
Gastonia Honey Hunters vs. Lexington Legends BY: Matthew Preslar The Gastonia Honey Hunters play in the Atlantic League. Our visit to CaroMont Health Park came in September of their inaugural season in 2021. 
I have always considered it an honor to get to umpire in ballparks I have paid to watch professional games*. This instance was actually the reverse. I umpired the first game played in this park for Perfect Game. After losing a lot of sweat on this turf field, I knew I wanted to come back and relax and just watch the professional players in action.
Being so acclimated to the ballpark left me with few surprises. However, this allowed me to be somewhat of a tour guide to my family. As pictures indicate, CaroMont Health Park is built different. The field is meant to be all purpose and can host soccer and football amongst other events. This allows a unique viewing experience that won’t be found in your traditional baseball only ballparks. The backstop is approximately fifteen feet behind home plate, much closer than the norm. For anybody that thinks they can umpire balls and strikes… here you go. GOOD LUCK. The park also features a lot of seating designed for comfort. There are areas of rocking chair seating, areas of picnic tables, areas of bar tops. There are multiple bar areas around the park and concession stands also strategically placed as well. There is a very large walking concourse behind the outfield wall. Something we love… it is not overly commercialized. The Honey Hunters didn’t have the random merchandise stands. They didn’t have too many random snack stands. This keeps walkways clear and the experience more comfortable for people who prefer a small town environment. Lastly, the Honey Hunters step out from the traditional red/white/blue baseball uniforms. The uniforms are black and gold: much of their presentation features assorted logos dripping honey. This makes for a look very unique in professional baseball with nothing comparable coming to mind. This speaks very strongly to a brand identity that hopefully Gastonia and the surrounding areas will support more and more for years to come. For a different presentation in uniforms, in playing field and everything else that comes from affiliated professional ball, get to CaroMont Health Park…home of the Gastonia Honey Hunters. *After our family visit in late 2021, I was assigned to umpire a Division II NCAA game during the 2022 season. It's a privilege to get paid to work in these professional stadiums where I’ve watched games. I love my life! |
CAROMONT HEALTH PARK
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