Trace Fowler, 9, tries on a new Woodpeckers hat while shopping with his dad, Wes, and brother Alex, 13. The new team name was revealed during a celebration at Festival Park on Nov. 4. [Melissa Sue Gerrits/The Fayetteville Observer]

Baseball fans, the Observer's got you covered

Baseball is best when fans are involved.

That's why we hope you'll follow The Fayetteville Observer's coverage of the Woodpeckers and join our Called Third Strike community. Last season, five former Buies Creek Astros made their Major League Baseball debuts. Who will be the first Woodpecker to make "The Show?" That's part of the fun of the minor leagues.

 

OUR COVERAGE TEAM

Sammy Batten (@FO_SammyBatten) and Sonny Jones (@FOSonnyJones) have covered local sports for decades, including minor league Fayetteville teams in the 1980s and '90s. You'll hear Sonny on the Observer's podcasts, and he oversees our Called Third Strike platforms.

• Web: No one else covers local sports like the Observer at fayobserver.com

• Social media: Follow us on Facebook and Twitter @fayobserver, @910Preps and @FO_Sports

• Contacts: Sports@fayobserver.com or 910-486-3530 or 910-486-3534.

CALLED THIRD STRIKE

Called Third Strike is our blog, podcast and Facebook group for people in Fayetteville and around the world to talk about baseball, from high school to the majors. Relive the history of the national pastime through photos, stories and news updates.

• Facebook: Facebook.com/groups/CalledThirdStrike

Blog: Fayobserver.com/blogs. Get insider scoops on the Woodpeckers and baseball history in Fayetteville.

• Podcast: Fayobserver.com/podcast. Look for new episodes of Called Third Strike each Thursday night featuring interviews with coaches and players from the pros to college and high school. Subscribe through iTunes or your favorite podcast service.

Why is it Called Third Strike? After all, that's the worst possible at-bat one could have. Well, let's just say if you had seen Sonny Jones play as a youngster, you'd understand. We wish it could've been named "Hittin' A Tater," but the baseball gods had other ideas.

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Called Third Strike is a place for people in Fayetteville and the Sandhills area of North Carolina to talk about baseball, from the majors to high sch...