GREENSBORO, N.C. — “The first game I went to in Greensboro with the Greensboro Yankees, I was 8 years old, and I remember the score,” 75-year-old Daniel Benoy said. “We played the Durham Bulls, and we won 11 to nothing.”

Benoy has been following baseball for a long time.

What You Need To Know

  • The MLB and the MLB Players Association ended a three-month lockout to start the season about two weeks late

  • The Benoys are huge Greensboro Grasshoppers fans

  • Daniel Benoy has been following the sport since he was 8

“Love baseball season,” he said. “I always wait for the winter, so it’ll hurry up and come on.”“Love baseball season,” he said. “I always wait for the winter, so it’ll hurry up and come on.”

Benoy and his wife, Ramona Benoy, have been fans of the Greensboro Grasshoppers for more than half a century. A game is a special night for them.

“That’s our date together!” Ramona Benoy said, laughing.

On their limited budget, they try to hit about six games a year. One of those is Thursday.

“I get to run my big mouth,” Ramona Benoy said with a big smile.

Back in the day, Daniel Benoy used to travel with the team as a fan.

“I’ve been to Asheville, Shelby, Gastonia, Spartanburg,” he said. 

This year, they worried about missing several games but not because of their schedule.

Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association ended a three-month lockout just last month, clearing the way for the season to start two weeks late.

“Oh, I didn’t like that. I didn’t like that,” he said. “I was hoping they would settle it, and they finally did.”

Now though, the season is on and the excitement is high. Benoy makes sure he looks through the calendar, so he can make his games.

“We’re planning on going to see them play Asheville on a Thursday night in May,” he said.