team that won the World Series. The Eagles became affiliated with the new Atlanta Braves during and , under the management of Andy Pafko. From through the Eagles were affiliation with the New York Yankees; the fans saw a lot of future all-stars pass through the city including a young Ron Guidry who would soon establish himself as one of the best pitchers in the American League. During the 1970s the popularity of minor league baseball reached its lowest point and the attendance in Kinston fell to only 30,000 for the season. The city needed a revival of interest, and the Expos were turned to for help. The young Montreal franchise boasted a strong farm system with a lot of talent. So much talent in fact, that they decided to experiment with having two High A affiliates. Instead of dividing the players evenly between the two, all the top players were placed in the West Palm Beach club, while the newly renamed Kinston Expos had to make do with castoffs. The Kinston team soon found itself overmatched among its Carolina League rivals. The Expos fell to last place and attendance fell to only 27,000 for the year. Montreal declared the experiment a failure and withdrew from Kinston following the season. With no major league sponsor and very little fan support, Kinston likewise withdrew from the league. Grainger Stadium The Kinston Expos, and all the Kinston teams since 1949, played their home games at Grainger Stadium located at 400 East Grainger Avenue in Kinston. The original structure was built by architect John J. Rowland in 1949 at a cost of $170,000 inclusive of everything except the land. $150,000 of the money was raised by bond issue. The stadium is owned by the city and leased by the team. A dedicatory plaque identifies the structure as "Municipal Stadium", but it has been called Grainger Stadium since it was first built. The name Grainger comes from its location on Grainger Avenue as well as its use early on by Grainger High School. Grainger is a prominent old family name in Lenoir County. Season by season results TABLE NOTES: Sources No Hitters Conrad Noessel (6/11/1966) vs the Tidewater Tides (7 innings) William Olsen (5/11/1970) vs the Burlington Senators Bob Elliott (6/14/1970) vs the Lynchburg Twins (7 innings) See also Grainger Stadium Carolina League Bibliography Autobiographies and biographies League histories Newspapers – Issues for all