Gastonia Rangers

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The Gastonia Rangers were a Class A minor league baseball team based in Gastonia, North Carolina. They played in the Western Carolinas League in 1973–1974 as the Gastonia Rangers. From 1977–1982 they were the Gastonia Cardinals, then in 1983–1984 they became the Gastonia Expos, affiliated with the Montreal Expos. In 1985 they were the Gastonia Jets, and in 1986 the Gastonia Tigers. From 1987–1992 they were again the Gastonia Rangers, affiliated with the Texas Rangers, in the South Atlantic League. They played their home games at Sims Legion Park.

After the 1992 season, the team moved to Hickory, North Carolina and became the Hickory Crawdads; that franchise continues today. George Shinn bought the Gastonia team before the 1989 season, which helped him move the Charlotte Knights to Fort Mill, South Carolina without a territorial challenge. He later sold the Gastonia club to Donald Beaver, who moved it to Hickory. Since then Gastonia has not had a South Atlantic League team. Since 2002, Gastonia has hosted the Gastonia Grizzlies of the Coastal Plain League and the Gastonia Honey Hunters of the Atlantic League.