Patriot Wealth - April 2020

NORTH CAROLINA’S BASEBALL HISTORY ROOT, ROOT, ROOT FOR THE HOME TEAM

Grab your peanuts and Cracker Jacks! Baseball is back. There’s no better way to spend a spring or summer day than catching a game at the local ballpark, and while you’re there, impress your friends and fellow fans with these fun facts about North Carolina’s contribution to baseball.

PASSING TIME IN THE JAIL YARD

Baseball’s origins in North Carolina can be linked all the way back to the Civil War. When Union troops were captured and held at Salisbury Prison, they played the game to pass the time. After the war, the game spread throughout the state, and nearly every town in North Carolina had its own team. College and high school teams dominated, but by the early 20th century, North Carolina became a hub for professional minor league teams. In fact, at one point, only Texas had more minor league teams comprised of players vying for a spot on a major roster. More than 300 major leaguers can call North Carolina their home state, and six of those players have been inducted into the Major League Baseball’s (MLB) Hall of Fame. These include Luke Appling, Rick Ferrell, Jim “Catfish” Hunter, Buck Leonard — who got his start playing in the Negro Leagues — Enos Slaughter, and Hoyt Wilhelm. In addition to these superstars, North Carolina legend Durham Bulls’ fame hit the silver screen with the 1988 movie “Bull Durham.” The movie and North Carolina’s prestige as a minor league state pushed it into the upper echelons of baseball training. Of course, no list of North Carolina sports facts is complete without mentioning our Tar Heels. Last year, our boys were just one win away from back-to-back College World Series appearances, and this year, the team is using that loss as motivation. The Tar Heels have a long storied history of producing championship-winning teams. The college’s first appearance in college baseball’s biggest game came in 1960. The team also became the first and only ACC baseball team in history to boast an undefeated record in conference play in 1964. How’s that for some Tar Heel pride? A HALL OF FAME STATE THE TAR HEELS’ REDEMPTION

EASY DEVILED EGGS

INGREDIENTS

Inspired by TasteOfHome.com.

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise • 2 tbsp milk • 1 tsp dried parsley flakes • 1/2 tsp dill weed • 1/2 tsp fresh chives, minced • 1/2 tsp ground mustard

• Salt, paprika, garlic powder, and pepper, to taste • 2 large eggs, hard-boiled • Fresh parsley, minced, and paprika for garnish

1. In a large bowl, combine mayonnaise, milk, parsley flakes, dill, chives, mustard, salt, paprika, garlic powder, and pepper. Mix well and set aside. 2. Cut eggs lengthwise and remove yolks carefully to preserve egg whites. 3. In a small bowl, mash yolks. 4. Mix mashed yolks with mayonnaise mixture. 5. Spoon or pipe the mixture back into the egg whites. 6. Garnish with fresh parsley and paprika. Refrigerate before serving. DIRECTIONS

For more North Carolina facts, visit NCPedia.org/baseball.

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