1995. Upon completion in late 1995, during the winter, the stadium seated 4,700 fans. The stadium changed names on April 3, 2012, under a new naming rights agreement for the 2012 season. For 2016, the naming rights deal quietly ended, with the name reverting to Intimidators Stadium. Current or former Major League Baseball players to pass through Kannapolis include Jimmy Rollins and Dave Coggin of the Philadelphia Phillies, as well as Jack Egbert, Gordon Beckham, Chris Getz, Brent Morel, and Clayton Richard of the Chicago White Sox. Marlon Byrd, Jorge Padilla, Ryan Madson, and Brett Myers played for the 2000 Piedmont Boll Weevils. Also, NFL running back Ricky Williams played for the Boll Weevils during the late 1996 and 1997 seasons while he was also playing college football for the University of Texas. On October 30, 2018, ground was broken on a new ballpark in downtown Kannapolis as part of a mixed-use redevelopment plan. The stadium was scheduled to be ready for the team's 2020 season opener on April 16, 2020, but the Minor League season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The stadium quietly opened to fans in early May as a public park, following appropriate COVID-19 protocols. With the move, the team announced in February 2019 that it would seek ideas for a new name to be introduced at the same time. The new owners cited their inability to widely market the Intimidator name due its association with Earnhardt, and trademark rights held by his estate. On October 23, 2019, the team unveiled its new identity as the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers. Team leadership looked for a name that reflected both the city's heritage and its association with auto racing. "Cannons" was among the most popular suggestions, which was refined into "Cannon Ballers" for a broader appeal. The mascot — a baseball-headed stuntman — has a mustache reminiscent of Earnhardt's. A public vote was held to determine the mascot's name, with "Boomer" announced as the winner on January 15, 2020. In conjunction with Major League Baseball's restructuring of Minor League Baseball in 2021, the Cannon Ballers were organized into the Low-A East. In 2022, the Low-A East became known as the Carolina League, the name historically used by the regional circuit prior to the 2021 reorganization. Ownership Smith Family Baseball, owned by Illinois businessman Dale Smith and his son Brad (the team's President) bought the team from Dale