Cannon Ballers' new digs 'super fan-friendly'

CHICAGO -- The Kannapolis Cannon Ballers, who are the White Sox Low-A affiliate, have one of the youngest rosters in the Minors.

Their 30-72 record, 15-game losing streak in August and minus-273 run differential is a bit startling but certainly not unexpected or concerning. The goal at this level is to develop top young talent, such as pitchers Jared Kelley, Matthew Thompson and Andrew Dalquist, not to mention infielder Jose Rodriguez, who was recently promoted to High-A Winston-Salem.

And the Cannon Ballers are fortunate to go through that development with a new stadium: Atrium Health Ballpark in downtown Kannapolis, N.C.

“It’s definitely added life to the experience, and that’s really not a knock on the prior stadium and setup,” said White Sox Minor League assistant general manager/player development Chris Getz. “It certainly was a place that a lot of players enjoyed playing, but to go over to this new stadium and what they have done in the surrounding area, it’s an attractive place for people to watch a game and players to play.

“I’ve been there for midweek games, and you see the attendance and the crowds -- it’s been impressive. For some of these young players -- and it is one of the younger teams in the Minors, let alone for us -- a lot of players who haven’t experienced professional baseball outside of a complex, to have that [support], it’s only going to really accelerate their development.”

Getz talked about the upgraded dual indoor cages and weight room for the Cannon Ballers. He added that the locker room is impressive, with offices for manager Guillermo Quiroz as well as the coaching staff.

“It ranks up there with one of the better stadiums in Minor League Baseball,” Getz said. “They’ve done an excellent job with the fan experience, which only helps the players get excited on a daily basis.

“There’s a real community following and passionate baseball fans. We are fortunate with the affiliates that we have, and now to see what Kannapolis has done with us, it just adds to our whole development system.”

When the new stadium was proposed, with an original opening date of 2020 pushed back by the COVID-19 pandemic, Getz didn’t know downtown Kannapolis really existed. He then traveled there for the breaking-ground ceremony and was able to see the area's potential.

“You fast forward to where we are today, not only to the beautiful stadium, but commerce has followed as well,” Getz said. “They have shops and restaurants and bars. There’s an apartment complex [where] players and staff stay within walking distance. You are really getting a full fan experience, but also the added benefits of having everything within walking distance.

“I’ve enjoyed going down there. I know our roving staff and our staff on a regular basis, along with the players, enjoyed it. It’s a walkable downtown. But I do see that it’s bringing fans to the stadium, bringing people to the area. It’s only going to continue to grow. They have a vision of making this kind of an area in an untapped market, and they have done a really good job so far.”

Kannapolis pitching coach John Ely spoke of how Atrium Health Ballpark meets the visual aesthetic test and has outstanding functionality. He agreed with Getz on the great support in a fan-friendly environment, where they can watch batting practice and bullpen sessions alike, not to mention the development of the surrounding area with nice restaurants and breweries.

Ely previously served as pitching coach at Great Falls, where the stadium wasn’t nearly as modern. So he thoroughly appreciates being able to work with and teach the pitchers in a great setup.

“It’s all directly related to development. When we were in Great Falls, I had to go out and fix the mound or do something like, it was this and this needs to be done,” Ely said. “Half of my job was putting out fires, the other half is teaching these guys how to play. There’s a woodchuck in the batter’s box, we have to chase that out of here before we can hit. This is strictly development and a breath of fresh air.

“Their inner-workings are great. They have a nice little weight room, there’s a cage setup there. It’s all super fan-friendly. There’s a dugout club in there. The place is absolutely phenomenal. The GM [Matt Millward] is incredible. We love being there.”