In 1972, the class A Charlotte Twins disbanded, the Minnesota Twins relocated the AA Hornets to Orlando, and an attempt at a "Charlotte Pines" AAA Red Sox franchise to relocate from Louisville, failed. Charlotte was without baseball for the next three years, which meant Griffith Park was sitting empty. Even threatened to be torn down for warehouse space, until wrestling promoter Jim Crockett jr. (left photo) and his family decided to save the park. Jim bought Griffith Park from the Minnesota Twins, and baseball was to return to Charlotte by way of relocating a AA level franchise in the Southern League from their old location to Charlotte. Ultimately the news was that Charlotte would either get an Athletics affiliate (Birmingham A's),  or an Orioles affiliate (Asheville Orioles).

On November 14, 1975, Jim met with A's farm director Syd Thrift, and other A's officials for 4 hours about the potential of an A's affiliate (Birmingham) to come to Charlotte. Ultimately, the Birmingham A's moved to Tennessee to become the new Chattanooga Lookouts, (1976 - 1977 Athletics affiliate) playing at historic Engel Stadium, which was then decked out in Athletics green and yellow. (Rickwood Field in Birmingham was green with gold seats.) Which meant Charlotte got the Asheville Orioles ball club, and with it came a future Hall of Famer, Eddie Murray. Murray only played one season in Charlotte, his last in AA (1974-75 Asheville, 1976 Charlotte) before AAA (1977 Rochester Redwings), then Baltimore in 1978.

When the O's came to the Queen City, Griffith Park got improved seating, and a fresh coating of paint on everything. Francis Crockett (right photo) would become the first female general manager of a ball club. The O's, Francis Crockett, and the Crockett family would become a memorable part of Charlotte's baseball and sports history. In 1977, Griffith Park was renamed as Jim Crockett Memorial Park, or more commonly known by many as "Crockett Park". Many names would pass through the historic park. Storm Davis, future Seattle Mariner Mike Parrott, and Tim Stoddard to name a few. In 1979 the team would drop the Baltimore style cartoon Oriole Bird, and adopt a new "O's" logo, before eventually using the nickname as their team name in 1980. The Charlotte Orioles never did make it to a Southern League

Championship in the 1970's. The closest thing to a Championship that the 70's Charlotte Orioles

experienced was losing in the first round of the Southern League Playoffs two times. In 1976 they

lost to the Orlando Twins, and lost to the Columbus Astros in 1979. By 1980, a new era of Charlotte

baseball would begin, many faces, new and old would play for Charlotte, but still existing would

be the same air of happiness, fans, and a love for the all-american game of baseball.