Obviously the first Charlotte Hornets were the Charlotteans who fought in the Battle of Charlotte during the Revolutionary War and received this nickname! Ever since then there have been countless things in Charlotte and the surrounding region adorned with the Hornets name in honor of the fighting spirit of this community!
The first NBA franchise in Charlotte was not the first sports team in the area to have the name. Starting 1901 one of the original Charlotte Hornets was a minor league baseball team which was a feeder team for the Washington Senators. They were on and off until about 1973. Then Jim Crockett Jr. bought the Asheville Orioles (affiliates of the Baltimore Orioles) and they became the Charlotte Orioles. Some names you might recognize from the Major Leagues that played for the O’s at the beginning of their careers were Eddie Murray, Cal Ripken, and Curt Schilling!
In the late 80’s the team was bought by George Shinn ( Yes, the very same George Shinn who founded the Charlotte Hornets NBA team) then renamed them the Charlotte Knights which we know and love today!
Here are some cool pics of the Charlotte Hornets Minor League Baseball Team!
Bring Back the Buzz Blog 
the Charlotte Hornets played minor league baseball from 190*-1972
then played as a world football league team from 197*-19**
then played nba basketball from 1987-2002
will soon be playing nba basketball from 2014-present
1892, hornets played in southern league in latta park only 1 season
1901-08 new hornets team forms and plays in latta park
(yes the ballpark probably owned by Edward Dilworth Latta)
1909- late 1910’s hornets play in new wearn field built by J.H. Wearn
late 1910’s – early 20’s world war 1 happens and hornets cease operations
early 1920’s – 1928 hornets play at wearn field
1929 hornets are apparently partially affiliated with the yankees and play against the great bambino and the yanks at wearn field as well as play against the orioles and walter johnson and the senators
1930-35 hornets play at wearn field / hayman park 1931 hornets are first place team of their league
1936 hornets are part of outlaw league with players like former phila A’s and eagles player “alabama” pitts
1937-40 hornets become senators affiliate and play at hayman park / wearn field
1941-61 hornets play at griffith park named after senators president clark griffith and in 1955, clark griffith passes away
1961-1972 calvin griffith, clarks son, relocates senators to minneapolis as the minn twins, so hornets are now twins affiliate
1972 mlb twins bring their single a sarasota club to the QC as the charlotte twins, but the team lasted one season and at end of 1972 season are relocated to orlando fl as the orlando twins, and the minn. twins apparently turned their back on the hornets club and they stopped playing ball.