Statesville teams played as minor league affiliates of the Chicago Cubs (1945–1946), New York Giants (1952), Los Angeles Angels (1961), Boston Red Sox/Houston Colt .45s (1964), Detroit Tigers (1966–1967) and Cleveland Indians (1969).
Statesville first began minor league baseball play in 1900, as charter members of the Independent level North Carolina Association.
Other charter members were the Charlotte Presbyterians, Durham Bulls, Raleigh Senators, Tarboro Tarheels and Wilmington Giants.
[5] Joining the Owls as Tar Heel League charter members were the Gastonia Cardinals, Hickory Rebels, Lenoir Indians, Newton-Conover Twins and Shelby Nationals.
[7] [8] In 1940, the Statesville Owls finished with a record of 73–37 to place first in the regular season standings, winning the league pennant.
The North Carolina State League ceased play after the 1942 season due to World War II.
After fifth place finishes in 1949 and 1950, the Owls advanced to the 1951 finals, where they were swept by the High Point-Thomasville Hi-Toms.
The Owls finished with a record of 41–68 to place fifth in the 1952 six–team North Carolina State League final standings.
First, the Statesville Blues joined as members of the reorganized ten-team Tar Heel League.
[26][27] The 1900 Statesville team was noted to have played minor league home games at Athletic Park.
[28] The Statesville Owls were referenced to have hosted home minor league games at Cooper Field from 1939 to 1942.
The ballpark had a capacity of 4,000 in 1939 and dimensions (Left, Center, Right) of 410–410–325 in 1939. Cooper Park is still in existence as a public park, located at Wilson Lee Avenue &, Goldsboro Avenue, Statesville, North Carolina[29][30][31] In the seasons between 1945 and 1969, Statesville minor league teams played home games at Senior High Stadium, located at Statesville High School.