No doubt you’ve already heard that the Charlotte Knights and York County have finally reach a deal that will keep the team at Knights Stadium in Fort Mill for the next four years. I’m very happy about it – my kids love going to those games, and having the stadium in Charlotte insures cheap entertainment for me during the spring and summer months.

One of the major terms that York County asked for in signing the new deal was that funds be set aside for improvements to the surrounding property. The new lease requires the Knights commit up to $150,000 annually from parking revenues for improvements in and around the Stadium. The county will also be contributing a share of the parking revenues for those improvements.

The Knights have a loyal following in Fort Mill – for five straight years they have had increasing attendance (allowing beer sales on Sundays this past season definitely helped). It’s a long way off, but the first home game of the 2010 season will be April 15, and I have a feeling that it’s going to have a good crowd there to cheer on the Knights, which are the Triple-A affiliate of the Chicago White Sox.

I guess we’ll find out this weekend.

Sunday’s Charlotte Knights is going to the dogs. That is, they welcoming man’s best friend to attend Sunday’s 2:15 p.m. game. RULE: All dogs must be leashed. The Knights are playing the Toledo Mud Hens and the first 100 dogs will receive a free dog leash courtesy of BB&T.

Gates open at 1 p.m., and tix are $7. Woof woof! Have fun!

The Knights are already a couple games into the season, with high hopes of it being their best yet (as attendance has been steadily increasing in recent seasons). Now, Sunday afternoon games are sure to be more popular than ever since beer is now on sale at Knights Stadium on Sundays.

I certainly know Mr. ScoopMill is more likely to check out the weekend games if he knows he can buy beer even on Sunday afternoons. There’s one additional attendee right there!

Are you planning a trek to see the Knights play? Do you go every year, or will you be going this year because it may be their last season in Fort Mill?

photo credit: allygirl520

Thursday is the start of the Charlotte Knights season, and it is possibly the LAST season they’ll play in Fort Mill. I predict, in answer to one of the questions asked by The Herald, that attendance WILL be up, as people take advantage of what might be the last year minor league baseball is so readily available to see in person!

The battle continues in Charlotte over whether the Knights should get their own stadium. Some want to hold out for a major league team, others disagree with the placement of the projected new stadium. Regardless, the debate now begins in Fort Mill about what to do with Knights Stadium once it goes dark:

…leaders asked residents to submit ideas for the site.

Among the suggestions were an animal shelter, a football stadium, a shopping mall, a sports training facility and a big development that incorporates retail, sports, office space, homes, hotels and entertainment.

Do you have any ideas? That’s a lot of great land over there – and I have to admit I’d love to have a large shopping mall (with movie theaters, please!) in town rather than having to drive to Pineville or Rock Hill.

It’s April, which means it’s time to start getting your tickets for this year’s Charlotte Knights season. The season begins at home on April 9, during which the Knights play the Gwinnett Braves.

Tickets are available now. If you are up for some fireworks, they have assigned Saturday, April 11 as the first fireworks night of the season.