With Earnhardt on board, Boll Weevils will now be called Intimidators

BY STAFF REPORTS
SALISBURY POST

How powerful is Dale Earnhardt?

The guy buys into a team with one of the best nicknames in minor league baseball and the moniker immediately changes.

In other words, the Boll Weevils have been stepped on and smashed by the Intimidators.

The Kannapolis Intimidators.

What better name for a baseball team with Dale Earnhardt as one of the owners?

Earnhardt who hails from Kannapolis, has joined Bruton Smith and Larry Hedrick to form Carolina Baseball Inc. In honor of having Earnhardt on board, the owners decided to do away with “Boll Weevils” and introduce “Intimidators.”

“My entire family and I have been huge baseball fans all our lives,” Earnhardt said. “And the city of Kannapolis and the whole region is very important to all of us.

“To be able to join Larry and Bruton and contribute a little bit to my hometown by being part of this baseball team is exciting for me. I’m looking forward to getting out to the ball park next week and making it official.”

Earnhardt won the Winston Cup championship in 1980, ‘86, ‘87, ‘90, ‘91, ‘93 and ‘94. He finished second this season to Bobby Labonte in the points race.

The ownership trio of Earnhardt, Smith and Hedrick form a unique trifecta of racing interests — driver speedway owner and race team owner. It unites NASCAR and professional baseball for the first time.

A press conference is planned next week to unveil the new logo.

The owners will be joined by NASCAR’s premier artist Sam Bass, the creator and designer of the new logo.

The Boll Weevils, er, Intimidators, have seen many changes in the past couple of months. The Philadelphia Phillies got out of their agreement with the team and the Chicago White Sox have taken over.