GWU Announces Major Gift, Naming Of John Henry Moss Baseball Stadium
March 26, 2009 | Baseball
BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. – Gardner-Webb University announced
Thursday a major gift from baseball legend John Henry Moss, and
will name a new stadium in Moss' honor.
John Henry Moss Stadium will be built on the Gardner-Webb
University campus in the same location as its current baseball
playing field.
Moss, a native of nearby Kings Mountain, N.C., has been a driving
force in the sport of baseball during his lifetime, including 50
years as president of the popular South Atlantic League.
With Moss' keen eye for promotion, the South Atlantic League grew
from an eight-team league in western North Carolina to a 16-team
circuit that had played in 43 cities and eight states by 2007.
Known for affordable, quality, family entertainment, the South
Atlantic League is widely regarded as the model of success in
baseball circles. Moss, who was honored by the league with a
lifetime contract in 1990, retired following the 2007 season. He
became the youngest person elected president of a professional
baseball league with the Western Carolina League in 1948.
Through the years, Moss has accumulated countless regional and
national awards and recognitions. His achievements include
selection into five Halls of Fame, among them the North Carolina
Sports Hall of Fame, the North Carolina American Legion Baseball
Hall of Fame, the Kings Mountain Sports Hall of Fame, and the
Cleveland County Sports Hall of Fame. He was named as the King of
Baseball at the baseball winter meetings in Los Angeles in 1990. He
also was an inaugural member of the South Atlantic League Hall of
Fame.
In addition to his league responsibilities, John Henry Moss served
as the Mayor of Kings Mountain from 1965-1989, during which time he
earned national recognition for securing more than $40 million in
federal grants. Newsweek magazine called him the "mayor with the
Midas touch." Moss Lake was established in 1974 as a reservoir for
the City of Kings Mountain, North Carolina.
"This has been a wonderful experience with Mr. Moss," said Woody
Fish, Gardner-Webb's Associate Vice President of Development and
Alumni Relations. "He is by far one of the most gifted and
innovative marketing geniuses around. He is also an example of what
young people can accomplish in life, as he came from a small town
to become ‘The Grand Gentleman of the Game of Baseball.' "
Gardner-Webb plays baseball as a member of NCAA Division I and the
Big South Conference. The Runnin' Bulldogs have enjoyed strong
success on the diamond over the years, and played for the 2008
Atlantic Sun Conference Tournament Championship last May in DeLand,
Fla.
Under current head coach Rusty Stroupe, the Runnin' Bulldogs have
seen four players drafted since 2003 and two more sign professional
contracts, including 43rd round draft pick Adam Bullard (Rome, A,
Atlanta Braves) last summer. Bullard, Zach Ward (New Britain, AA,
Twins) and Blake Lalli (Tennessee, AA, Cubs) are still active in
their clubs' respective minor league systems.
The Shelby, N.C., architectural firm of Holland, Hamrick and
Patterson is handling the design of John Henry Moss Stadium. More
naming opportunities are available in connection to the stadium by
calling Woody Fish at 704-406-4254.
Located in Boiling Springs, NC, Gardner-Webb University is home to
nearly 4,000 students from 39 states and 21 foreign countries.
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