The Gastonia Rockets were a minor league baseball team based in

Gastonia, North Carolina Gastonia is the most populous city in and the county seat of Gaston County, North Carolina, United States. It is the second-largest satellite city of the Charlotte, North Carolina, Charlotte area, behind Concord, North Carolina, Concord. The po ...

, United States. The Rockets played as members of the Class B level

Tri-State League The Tri-State League was the name of six different circuits in American minor league baseball. History The first league of that name played for four years (1887–1890) and consisted of teams in Ohio, Michigan and West Virginia. The second league ...

in 1952 and 1953, winning the 1952 league pennant before the team folded following the 1953 season. The Rockets were a minor league affiliate of the

Chicago White Sox The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The club plays its ...

and hosted home games at

Sims Legion Park Sims Legion Park is a 3,000-seat baseball park in Gastonia, North Carolina that is the home field for Gaston College baseball. It has hosted the Gastonia Grizzlies of the Coastal Plain League, as well as American Legion baseball. The Grizzlies ...

, which is still in use today.

History

Gastonia first hosted minor league baseball in 1923, when the Gastonia "Comers" played a partial season as members of the Class B level

South Atlantic League The South Atlantic League, often informally called the Sally League, is a Minor League Baseball league with teams predominantly in states along the Atlantic coast of the United States from New York to Georgia. A Class A league for most of its h ...

. The Gastonia Rockets were immediately preceded in minor league play by the 1950 Gastonia "Browns," who played the season as members of the Class D level Western Carolina League, finishing last in the league standings with a record of 40-70. In 1952, Gastonia resumed minor league play as a minor league affiliate of the

, when the "Rockets" became members of the eight-team Class B level Tri-State League. Gastonia replaced the Greenwood Tigers franchise in joining the league. The Anderson Rebels,

Asheville Tourists The Asheville Tourists are a Minor League Baseball team of the South Atlantic League and the High-A affiliate of the Houston Astros. It is located in Asheville, North Carolina. Asheville teams have played under the Tourists moniker in different ...

Charlotte Hornets The Charlotte Hornets are an American professional basketball team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Hornets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference. The team ...

Greenville Spinners The Greenville Spinners was a primary name of the minor league baseball teams located in Greenville, South Carolina between 1907 and 1962. Greenville teams played as members of the South Carolina League in 1907, Carolina Association (1908–19 ...

Knoxville Smokies The Knoxville Smokies are a Minor League Baseball team based in Knoxville, Tennessee. The team, which plays in the Southern League, is the Double-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs. The team was based in Kodak, Tennessee, a Knoxville suburb, fr ...

Rock Hill Chiefs The Rock Hill Chiefs were a minor league baseball team based in Rock Hill, South Carolina, USA between 1947 and 1955. The Rock Hill "Chiefs" teams played as members of the Class D (baseball), Class D level Tri-State League, winning the 1950 league ...

and Spartanburg Peaches joined Gastonia in beginning league play on April 16, 1952. The "Rockets" moniker corresponds to aviation history in Gastonia. In 1946, the Gastonia Airport was opened. In their first season of league play, the Gastonia Rockets won the 1952 Tri-State League pennant. The Rockets ended the Tri-State League regular season with a record of 89-50, finishing first in the standings, 1.5 games ahead of the second place Charlotte Hornets. Hal Van Pelt served as the Gastonia manager. In the first round of the four-team playoffs, the Spartanburg Peaches defeated the Rockets three games to two. Alex Cosmidis of Gastonia scored 122 runs to lead the Tri-state league in that category. The Rockets continued play as the 1953 Tri-State League reduced to six teams, in what proved to be the final season of the team. Gastonia did not qualify for the 1953 playoffs, as the Rockets placed fifth in the Tri-State League regular season standings with a 66–81 record. With Hal Van Pelt returning as manager, the Rockets ended the season 28.5 behind the first place Spartanburg Peaches. Gastonia was replaced by the

in the 1954 Tri-State League, after Knoxville had disbanded in 1953. Gastonia, North Carolina next hosted minor league baseball in 1959, when the Gastonia Pirates played a partial season as members of the Class A level

The ballpark

In their two seasons of play, the Gastonia Rockets hosted minor league home games at

. The original ballpark was built in 1950, with a major renovation in 1977 and again in 2021. Still in use today, the ballpark is located at 1001 North Marietta Street.

Timeline

Year–by–year records

Notable alumni

* Alex Cosmidis (1952) *

Zeb Eaton Zebulon Vance Eaton (February 2, 1920 – December 17, 1989), nicknamed "Red", was an American right-handed pitcher. He played professional baseball for 11 seasons between 1939 and 1956, including two seasons in Major League Baseball with the Det ...

(1952) *

Mike Garbark Nathaniel Michael Garbark (February 3, 1916 – August 31, 1994) was an American Major League Baseball player. Garbark played for the New York Yankees in and . He batted and threw right-handed. He was born in Houston, Texas and died in Charlott ...

(1953) * Rudy Hernandez (1953) * Howie Moss (1952) *

Gastonia Rockets players Gastonia may refer to: * ''Gastonia'' (plant), a genus in the ivy or ginseng family * ''Gastonia'' (dinosaur), a genus of ankylosaur * Gastonia, North Carolina, United States ** Gastonia station, an Amtrak train station * Gastonia, Texas, an uninco ...

References

{{reflist

External links

Gastonia - Baseball Reference
Baseball teams established in 1952 Baseball teams disestablished in 1953 Defunct minor league baseball teams Defunct baseball teams in North Carolina Defunct Tri-State League teams Chicago White Sox minor league affiliates Gastonia, North Carolina