The Charlotte Knights, Triple-A affiliate of the Chicago White Sox, have been around since 1989, when they debuted as Double-A farm club in the Chicago Cubs’ system. One of the franchise’s predecessors in North Carolina’s Queen City was the Charlotte Hornets, who first played in 1892 and existed in various permutations through 1972.
Over the course of eight decades, the Hornets (not to be confused with a certain contemporary basketball team) won a handful of championships in several leagues at different levels, including 1969, when the team, then an affiliate of the Minnesota Twins, took the title in the Double-A Southern League. The city’s current franchise will commemorate the 50th anniversary of that championship team with throwback uniforms for a game this season.
The throwback game will take place Saturday, June 22, against the Louisville Bats. The jerseys will be auctioned off after the game.