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Baseball Fan With No Arms Set To Throw Out The First Pitch

Baseball fans should be prepared to be amazed tomorrow (9/19). A very special man will throw out the ceremonial pitch at the Yankees and Blue Jays game…using only his feet….

Tom Willis, who's 64 ,was born without arms or hands
Doug Pensinger/Getty Images

Baseball fans should be prepared to be amazed tomorrow (9/19). A very special man will throw out the ceremonial pitch at the Yankees and Blue Jays game…using only his feet. Tom Willis, who's 64 and from Washington DC, was born without arms or hands. He will amazingly take part in his 29th toss at an MLB game.

Learning to use his lower limbs to make up for his missing upper limbs, Willis says he started playing baseball with his feet and uses the same method for cooking, writing and even driving a car. Willis, whose motto is “No hands, no arms, no problem,” is just one part away from fulfilling his dream of throwing out pitches at all 30 baseball stadiums.

Do You Know Every North Carolina Minor League Baseball Team?

Baseball is widely regarded as America's pastime. Without a major league team closer than Atlanta or DC minor league baseball takes the stage in North Carolina. So it's a good thing that we have plenty of North Carolina minor league baseball teams to be a fan of! It can seem like there are so many teams that it's hard to make sense of what they all mean. It seems like every town has a baseball team. Are they all the same level?

The short answer is no. Minor league baseball is made up of several different levels. These are used for player development and getting players ready to hopefully one day compete in the "big leagues". Each major league team has 4 minor league teams affiliated with them for a total of 120 teams in the country. Additionally, there are other independent baseball leagues that players can play in and fans can take in games.

Minor league baseball can be a fun and relatively inexpensive outing for families and friend groups alike. Most tickets are very affordable with fun promotions as well as food and drink specials. North Carolina is home to 10 official minor league teams in the triple A, high A, and single A levels. We also have 5 independent baseball teams. Keep reading to learn a little about each of the teams, where they are located, their major league affiliate, and their level!

Triple A Teams

Triple-A is the level just under the major leagues. These players are often good enough to play in the major leagues but there just isn't space on them on the roster. They can easily be called up due to injury or other situations. North Carolina has 2 Triple-A teams.

Charlotte Knights

Major League Team: Chicago White Sox

Location: Charlotte, NC

Durham Bulls

Major League Team: Tampa Bay Rays

Location: Durham, NC

High A Teams

High-A formerly known as Class A-Advanced the third-highest level of play in Minor League Baseball. North Carolina has four High A Teams. 

Asheville Tourists

Major League Team: Houston Astros

Location: Asheville, NC

Greensboro Grasshoppers

Major League Team: Pittsburgh Pirates

Location: Greensboro, NC

Hickory Crawdads

Major League Team: Texas Rangers

Location: Hickory, NC

Winston-Salem Dash

Major League Team: Chicago White Sox

Location: Winston-Salem, NC

Single A Teams

Single A or Class A is is the fourth-highest level of play in Minor League Baseball. North Carolina has 4 single A teams.

Carolina Mudcats

Major League Team: Milwaukee Brewers

Location: Zebulon, NC

Down East Wood Ducks

Major League Team: Texas Rangers

Location: Kinston, NC

Fayetteville Woodpeckers

Major League Team: Houston Astros

Location: Fayetteville, NC

Kannapolis Cannon Ballers (Formerly Intimidators)

Major League Team: Chicago White Sox

Location: Kannapolis, NC

Independent League Baseball Teams

North Carolina is also home to 5 teams that play in independent baseball leagues that are not part of Major League Baseball.

Burlington Sock Puppets

League: Appalachian League

Location: Burlington, NC

Gastonia Honey Hunters

League: Atlantic League

Location: Gastonia, NC

High Point Rockers

League: Atlantic League

Location: High Point, NC

High Point Thomasville HiToms

League: Coastal Plain League

Location: Thomasville, NC

Wilson Tobs

League: Coastal Plain League

Location: Wilson, NC

ManeyEditor
Steve Maney’s radio career has taken him all over the US, from interning with Howard Stern to working with Elvis Duran, this radio veteran now calls Charlotte and Kiss 95.1 home. He is Kiss’ staple entertainment guy writing about his thoughts on local news and funny topics like the name of the male Karen. It’s so much to know, but Maney will deep dive into any topic to get you a great piece to read.