The town of Zebulon’s crest hanging in Town Hall. Zebulon has been home to the Carolina Mudcats for over 30 years, but now the team is moving to Wilson, NC. | Graphic by Carson Elm-Picard
Story by Kelly Kendall
Graphic by Carson Elm-Picard
ANCHOR INTRO:
A major move in minor-league baseball. The Carolina Mudcats have played in the town of Zebulon for over three decades, but now, it’s leaving and moving to another town. Reporter Kelly Kendall looked into the impact this move is having on Zebulon. Kelly?
STANDUP:
Shock and disappointment. Zebulon town leaders say those are the emotions they felt when they learned the Carolina Mudcats would be moving to the nearby town of Wilson. But in the face of cultural and financial loss, an unexpected story of hope emerged. Take a listen.
PKG:
Nat: DuPree 9:10- 9:18 “There’s a love affair between America and baseball that goes down through more than a century.”
For 33 years, residents of Zebulon would drive down old U.S. Highway 264, park on a gravel parking lot, and head into Five County Stadium for one purpose: to watch the Carolina Mudcats play ball.
Scott DuPree, Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance, Executive Director
DuPree 1:23: “They are such a part of eastern Wake County, the tradition there, the culture and the history.”
But now, the Mudcats are leaving Zebulon and moving down the road to Wilson…a move that is already being felt by the town, according to Scott Dupree, the Executive Director of the Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance.
Scott DuPree, Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance, Executive Director
4:12-4:17 “It’s a big loss. There’s no question it’s a big loss for Zebulon and Wake County.”
It all started when the Mudcats became affiliated with a major league team, the Milwaukee Brewers, in 2017. Four years later, in 2021, the major league mandated stadium improvements for minor league facilities, including Five County Stadium.
Joe Moore, Zebulon City Manager
9:03-9:07 “We were negotiating in good faith; we wanted them to stay.”
Joe Moore, Zebulon’s city manager says upon learning about the requirements, the town wanted to fulfill them and keep the Mudcats. However, initial cost estimates for the upgrades were between $7.5 and $22.5 million. Moore says the price was too steep for the town and county, but not for Wilson, which is now planning to build a brand new stadium for the Mudcats.
Joe Moore, Zebulon City Manager
9:33-9:39 “That was going to be fundamentally hard for Wake County and the town of Zebulon to compete against.”
Moore says the Mudcats were not a huge financial generator for the town, but DuPree says it’s about more than the economics.
Scott DuPree, Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance, Executive Director
9:41 “It’s more of an intangible, intrinsic aspect of the thought of losing baseball.”
But despite the initial feeling of loss, Zebulon’s town leaders are hopeful for the future. Glenn York, the town’s mayor, describes himself as an optimist and says he sees this move as benefitting the whole region.
17:07-17:17 “If they can grow, it grows the region, it grows us, it grows the state. So it’s a win-win.”
As for Five County Stadium, Moore says the town wants to bring sports, such as travel baseball, and other entertainment to it. But to York, it’s more than that. It’s a chance for the town to evolve.
7:26-7:36 “It’s growth, and it’s change. So, what’s next is what’s exciting because the opportunities are, gosh, just limitless.”
TAG:
The Carolina Mudcats will continue to play in Zebulon for the next two years while their new stadium is being built in Wilson. It’ll be the final two years that Zebulon residents will drive down old U.S. Highway 264 and see the mudcats logo on the town’s water tower. In Zebulon, I’m Kelly Kendall.
