From 1937 to 1942 and 1946 to 1972, the Hornets were a farm system affiliate of the original Washington Senators franchise and its post-1960 successor, the Minnesota Twins.
For just one season in 1936, the Charlotte Hornets were a member of the independent Carolina League with players like "Alabama Pitts" and "Struttin Bud Shaney", who was quite a character.
The team's top pitcher was right-hander Charles "Struttin' Bud" Shaney, who led the league with a 24–10 record.
In 1954 at age 54 he played in his annual Tri-State Leaguye game with the Asheville Tourists and was still good enough to pitch five innings of four-hit shutout ball for a victory.
The team took first place in the league on May 15 and remained there for the rest of the season, finishing 15 games ahead of Asheville.
The Hornets' Francisco "Frank" Campos led the league in batting (.368) with only 20 strike outs in 566 plate appearances.
Bob Oldis played parts of seven seasons in the Major Leagues as a catcher, and later was a longtime MLB coach and scout.
A host of major league stars played for the Charlotte Hornets including Van Lingle Mungo (1929), Early Wynn (1939), Harmon Killebrew (1956), Tony Oliva (1962) and Graig Nettles (1967).
Another player, Archibald "Moonlight" Graham, appeared as a right fielder in a single major league game on June 29, 1905, but he never had an at bat, nor a fielding play.
His unusual story came to the attention of author W. P. Kinsella and was popularized by his novel Shoeless Joe and the subsequent 1988 film Field of Dreams.
The next era of Charlotte baseball began in 1976, however the three years prior, (1973-75) the stadium sat empty and deteriorating.
Eventual major-league superstars Eddie Murray (the first baseman of the 1974-75 Asheville O's, then 1976 Charlotte O's) and Cal Ripken (1979-80) played for the O's during this period.
On March 17, 1985, Crockett Park (mostly wood-framed) was destroyed by a massive fire after a high school baseball game.
After the 1987 season concluded, George Shinn, owner and founder of the NBA Charlotte Hornets, bought the team from the Crockett family.
(Alabama) ) In 1993, Charlotte got apor new AAA International League expansion franchise, which was affiliated with the Cleveland Indians from 1993 to 1994, the Florida Marlins from 1995 to 1998 and the Chicago White Sox from 1999 - Present.
The team played in York County, South Carolina until 2013, when BB&T Ballpark was built in uptown Charlotte.