How I Fell Down the Tobs Rabbit Hole-

Good morning gentle JOCO readers,

How I Fell Down the Tobs Rabbit Hole-

I love baseball. How could you not? But I’ll be honest: I had no interest in the Tobs story. None.

Then I had some time on my hands this weekend, and I started digging.

What I found wasn’t a story about a ballpark or a team moving down the road. It was decades of history. I talked with people who grew up in Wilson, and what they told me about Fleming Stadium and the Tobs, the generations who went to games there, and what that place means to them, hooked me. I learned an immense amount, and the more I read, the more I wanted to know. It’s truly amazing how things work, who’s involved, and where the money goes.

So, I’m not stopping at a weekend of reading. This week I’m meeting with the team to learn more, and I’ve been invited for a tour. I honestly can’t wait.

What follows below is what I’ve pieced together so far, with the sources named. It’s a work in progress, and I’ll keep updating as I learn more.

From Zebulon to Wilson: The Carolina Mudcats Become the Warbirds

Where the Mudcats came from-

According to Wikipedia, the Mudcats came to Zebulon from Columbus, Georgia, after the 1990 season, when owner Steve Bryant moved the club to the Raleigh suburb. The Spring Hope Enterprise reports that Raleigh was the original goal, but Durham Bulls owner Miles Wolff used a radius rule barring another minor league team within 35 miles. The same article says the Privette family, who grew tobacco on the land, sold most of the ground for the stadium.

Carolina Mudcats

The ballpark wasn’t ready in time. Mudcats opened their 1991 home schedule at Fleming Stadium in Wilson on April 19, the home of the Wilson Tobs, whose story overlaps with this one.

The Spring Hope Enterprise counts 35 seasons at Five County Stadium, with seven MLB affiliates, three minor league levels and two championships. Brew Crew Ball lists those affiliates as the Pirates, Rockies, Marlins, Reds, Guardians, Braves and Brewers. Per Wikipedia, the stadium is owned 85% by Wake County and 15% by the Town of Zebulon and was extensively renovated in 1999.

The team changed levels in 2011: the Double-A Mudcats moved to Pensacola, and the Kinston Indians moved to Zebulon and continued as the Mudcats at Class A-Advanced. The City of Wilson states that the Mudcats are owned and operated by the Milwaukee Brewers.

The Wake Weekly reported in October 2023 that the Mudcats extended their Five County Stadium lease through Dec. 31, 2027, at about $32,000 a year. The same report noted the team wasn’t obligated to play in Zebulon and could seek to terminate the lease if it moved to Wilson.

Stadium Journey and WPTF both report that Five County Stadium no longer met Major League Baseball’s required standards. Wilson Warbirds page says the Brewers’ decision was largely based on funding concerns, with lack of funding from Wake County regarded as a major reason.

Wilson proposed a new downtown stadium, which it would own and lease to the team. The City of Wilson reported that on February 16 the council approved a nonbinding MOU with Mudcats Baseball to explore a redevelopment project, with the city owning the facility and leasing it to the team. The city’s release doesn’t give the year, but a Wilson Times report from October 2023 describes the MOU as signed that February, so it was 2023.

On September 7, the council unanimously authorized notice of its intent to enter a lease, with the terms still under negotiation. The Wilson Times reported the site was a six-acre property near Vollis Simpson Whirligig Park.

In December 2023, the Wilson Times reported that the council voted unanimously on four resolutions, including the lease with Mudcats Baseball LLC.

Terms as reported by the Wilson Times:

A 25-year lease with base rent of about $8,233,000 over the term, ending Jan. 31, 2051, with five two-year options through 2061.

A stadium estimated at $69 million, with bond financing not to exceed $73 million. The City of Wilson’s own announcement used $63.6 million, so figures vary by date.

A private development agreement with NSV Wilson guaranteeing $212 million in downtown development.

“Wilson” added to the team’s name.

According to the City of Wilson, the Local Government Commission approved the bond financing on February 6, 2024. Baseball Parks reports the debt is paid down by a special taxing district, Wilson County, the Healthcare Foundation of Wilson, and the Brewers, and that the Brewers bought a couple million dollars of equipment and contributed another $250,000 for kitchens.

At the groundbreaking, WRAL reported that City Manager Grant Goings said a very small portion of the cost would fall on taxpayers, and eventually it could be “none of those costs.” Thursday in May 2024.

Brew Crew Ball reported that the move was set for after the 2025 season, with the team rebranding as the Wilson Warbirds for 2026. Stadium Journey says the name comes from vintage military aircraft, a nod to Wilson’s aviation history. WRAL reported the new ballpark holds up to 4,500, about 2,000 fewer than Five County Stadium. Raleigh Magazine notes the complex features a hotel directly connected to the stadium.

The Tobs connection:

WPTF reported that the Mudcats’ contract with Wilson includes a clause barring any Coastal Plain League team from playing in the new stadium, and a provision letting the city stop the team from moving within 25 miles. The Tobs, a Coastal Plain League team, were Fleming Stadium’s tenants, and WPTF reported they had been in talks with Wilson in 2022 about improving Fleming or a downtown stadium.

That is all for now folks more to come about.

Carry on!

©2026 The JOCO Sass Dispatch

Sources

Wikipedia: Carolina Mudcats; Wilson Warbirds; Wilson Ballpark; Nomaco Park

Spring Hope Enterprise, “Goodbye to the Mudcats”: springhopeenterprise.com/columns/goodbye-to-the-mudcats-fea8cee3

Brew Crew Ball, Mudcats set to move to Wilson: brewcrewball.com/2024/11/23/24304265

Stadium Journey, Wilson Ballpark: stadiumjourney.com/stadiums/wilson-ballpark-wilson-warbirds

Baseball Parks, Wilson Ballpark: baseballparks.com/indepth/wilson-ballpark/

WRAL: wral.com/story/carolina-mudcats-moving-to-new-stadium-in-wilson/21196293/ and wral.com/story/wilson-breaks-ground-on-new-mudcats-stadium/21422331/

WPTF, “Politics, baseball culture muddle feelings on Carolina Mudcats’ move”: wptf.com

Restoration NewsMedia (Wilson Times, Wake Weekly): restorationnewsmedia.com (lease extension, stadium site, $69M stadium, council approval)

City of Wilson: wilsonnc.org news releases (notice of intent; council approval) and its govdelivery bulletin on the MOU

Raleigh Magazine, “Wilson Warbirds Take Flight as Downtown Evolves”: raleighmag.com