The league is announcing a major transition as the Chicago White Sox have officially declared their intention to relocate following the 1996 season. After joining the DBL in 1985 and spending more than a decade in Chicago, the organization has decided to begin a new chapter.

Starting with the 1997 season, the franchise will move to Charlotte, North Carolina, where they will take the field as the Charlotte Knights.

Charlotte’s connection to baseball stretches back more than a century. The city’s first professional team, the Charlotte Hornets, debuted in 1892, playing a single inaugural season that sparked a long legacy. Over the years, Charlotte has been home to numerous teams, leagues, and baseball traditions — each adding to a deep community passion for the sport.

Now, Charlotte is taking another historic step as it becomes home to a Doubleday Baseball League franchise for the first time. The arrival of the Knights not only marks the return of top-level professional baseball to the city but also strengthens Charlotte’s long-standing place within the baseball landscape.

The league welcomes the Charlotte Knights and looks forward to this exciting new era of baseball in the Queen City.