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New for 2021: Gastonia Honey Hunters

We have the branding for the new Gastonia team entering the independent Atlantic League in 2021 and playing out of a new downtown ballpark: the Gastonia Honey Hunters.

The name was chosen from a final list of Gastonia Fire Ants, Gastonia Hogzillas, Gastonia Honey Hunters, Gastonia Hotshots, and Gastonia Uppercuts in a name-the-team contest.

“Honey Hunters was chosen to reflect the shared traits between the City of Gastonia and those of the most fearless animal in the world: fearless, determined, and resilient,” said Team Owner Brandon Bellamy via press statement. “From Day One, I was inspired by Gastonia’s embodiment of these attributes, particularly as they relate to their unwavering commitment to ‘continuous improvement,’ or as we like to say, the hunt for honey,’ which is something we can all relate to.”

What’s a honey hunter? Here’s the description from the name-the-team contest:

Gastonia Honey Hunters: Now charging the field, your Gastonia Honey Hunters! But, a word of caution – DO NOT get in our way.

Undersized? Yeah. Disrespected? Always. Chip on our shoulder? One or two. Going to prove you wrong? WATCH. Scared to come into our burrow? You should be.

We know no quit. No halfway. We are ALL IN. All the time. We will NOT be outworked, for there is no sweeter taste than victory. There is no task too small or mountain to steep –we WILL scrap our way to the top. You won’t catch us wasting time running our mouths or worrying about others opinions. We’re too busy grinding, hunting – on the pursuit for something sweet.

But here in Honey Hunter Territory, we do things a little bit differently, too. Here, we run in packs – nothing is stronger than community and uniting around the pursuit of greatness. Together, we honor our rich history, but have our sites set on the horizon, running full speed ahead to the future. Each day, the rising golden sun serves as a reminder that we have the opportunity to be whatever we chose – to achieve new heights. That through hard work and determination, grit and grind, passion and tenacity, there is no stopping us.

And, we know that with each cotton candy sunset, packs grow stronger by coming together over a cold glass of sweet tea and digging into a plate of North Carolina barbeque to share a few laughs and offer our neighbors a shoulder to lean on. We take pride in putting a roof over our family’s head and food in their bellies – to us, it really doesn’t get much sweeter than that.

And speaking of history, our namesake pays homage to the original Honey Hunter, Ransom Hunter – Gaston County’s first freed slave and African American land owner. Our self-taught, self-made hometown hero turned “useless land” into a place where dreams were realized, and could often be heard saying, “Strive to better yourself, but always remember where you came from.”

It’s the Ransom Hunter spirit that pulses through our veins. That fuels our bodies and drives us to hunt, without excuses or limitations, for the sweetest golden honey. And if you didn’t know, we came to play.

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