Free to a good home. Well-mannered. Quiet. Ready for adoption this May.
Not puppies. Grizzlies.
The Gastonia Grizzlies need host families to take in the guys for the summer. This year, the team needs host families more than ever. Of the 25 players, 22 are from somewhere else -- Hawaii, Texas, New York, you name it.
"Our team could not survive without host families," said general manager Jesse Cole.
The Grizzlies are part of the Coastal Plain college summer league, which gives college players from all over the U.S. a chance to show their skills to major league scouts.
The Grizzlies players, all freshmen, sophomores or juniors, don't get paid for playing. Or, rather, they can't get paid, otherwise the NCAA would cut off their college eligibility. And they can't really afford apartments.
It's not a big deal to take in a player, Cole said. You only have to provide a place to sleep and shower. Most families include their player in family meals, but, technically, the players are on their own for food and transportation.
Typical college rowdiness isn't a factor. The kids are in Gastonia to play baseball and that's about all they do, Cole said. They have games six nights out of seven and are at the ball park most days. The only factor, usually, is that players get home late from games and occasionally, inadvertently wake up their hosts, he said.
Since players are often the best college players, hosting a Grizzlie means you may be taking in a future major leaguer, Cole said. Players usually become close to their host families and keep in touch with them for years. Down the road, you get those "I knew him when" bragging rights.
And on top of everything else, you can make Gastonia shine, Cole said. Players who have a good experience here remember the town fondly and talk it up to other future summer league players.
Oh yeah, and you get free season tickets, including tickets to Flatulence Fun Night, the Grizzlies Grandma beauty pageant and Dig for the Diamond night, when women can dig for a diamond under the diamond with a kitchen spoon.
If you're interested in taking in a Grizzlies player, call Cole at 704- 866-8622.
Opening night is May 28 against the Martinsville Mustangs.
Teri Walley
