Hagerstown Flying Boxcars

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Hagerstown Flying Boxcars
Hagerstown Flying Boxcars Logo.png Hagerstown Flying Boxcars cap.png
Team logoCap insignia
Information
League Atlantic League of Professional Baseball  (North)
Location Hagerstown, Maryland
Ballpark Meritus Park
Founded2024 (planned)
ColorsRed, navy, blue, gray, white
     
MascotCaptain Stryker
OwnershipDowntown Baseball LLC [1] [2] [3]
ManagerMark Mason
General ManagerDavid Blenckstone
Media The Herald-Mail
Website flyingboxcars.com

The Hagerstown Flying Boxcars are a professional baseball team planned to begin play in 2024 in Hagerstown, Maryland. The franchise will compete in the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball in the North Division and play their home games at the under-construction Meritus Park.

Contents

History

The team's creation was announced on September 1, 2021, with the intent to start playing in 2023. [1] The delay to 2024 was announced in March 2022 based on the time needed to complete the stadium. [3]

Flying Boxcars was announced as the team name on July 20, 2023. [4] The name honors Fairchild Aircraft's production of C-82 and C-119 cargo planes at the Hagerstown Regional Airport. [4] Fairchild Aircraft was at one point the largest employer in Washington County, Maryland, which Hagerstown is the county seat of. [5] The Flying Boxcar became synonymous with Hagerstown, so much so that Hagerstown was occasionally referred to as the "Home of the Flying Boxcar." [6] [7] The name was chosen through a name the team contest, with the other choices being Battle Swans, Diezel Dogs, Haymakers, and Tin Lizards. [8] [9] [10] [11]

The Flying Boxcars unveiled team logos in September 2023 showing a pilot wearing an aviator hat and baseball uniform astride a C-119. [12]

In November 2023, the club held a contest to name the team's mascot. [13] [14] The mascot was unveiled in February 2024 as Stryker, a fictional man whose parents were technicians at Fairchild Aircraft in Hagerstown, where the Flying Boxcars namesake C-119 plane was manufactured. Stryker was also a test pilot for Fairchild before enlisting in the Air Force when he one day embarked on a mission in the late 1960's and never returned until over a half-century later when he landed at Hagerstown Regional Airport with a new mission; to tell the story of Fairchild, and to bring back baseball to Hagerstown. [15]

In February 2024, the club announced a partnership with Meritus Health that included Meritus becoming the sports medicine provider for the team as well as Meritus acquiring the naming rights for the stadium, naming it Meritus Park. [16] [17]

Management

The locally based ownership, Downtown Baseball LLC, consists of Howard "Blackie" Bowen (President), Don Bowman, James Holzapfel, and Frank Boulton. [1] [2] [3] [18]

In April 2023, David Blenckstone was named the team's general manager and first employee. Blenckstone stepped down as athletic director at St. Maria Goretti Catholic High School after 13 years. Blenckstone worked for 14 years for the Hagerstown Suns, a team his father owned from 1986 to 2001. He was the Suns' general manager from 1996 to 2001. [8]

On November 13, 2023, Mark Mason was named the team's first ever manager. [19]

On February 20, 2024, the team announced that Enohel Polanco would be the team's hitting coach and Manny Corpas would be the team's pitching coach for the 2024 season. [20]

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References

  1. 1 2 3 Schweigert, Keith (September 1, 2021). "New baseball team in Hagerstown, MD will join the Atlantic League in 2023". WPMT . York, Pennsylvania . Retrieved March 9, 2023.
  2. 1 2 "Atlantic League Officially Approves New Team Coming to Hagerstown, Maryland". mdstad.com (Press release). Maryland Stadium Authority. September 1, 2021. Retrieved March 9, 2023.
  3. 1 2 3 McMillion, Dave (March 1, 2022). "New Hagerstown baseball stadium expected to be completed in 2024" . The Herald-Mail . Hagerstown, Maryland: Herald-Mail Media. Archived from the original on March 1, 2022. Retrieved March 9, 2023.
  4. 1 2 McMillion, Dave (July 20, 2023). "Hagerstown Flying Boxcars to be the name of new Atlantic League baseball team". The Herald-Mail . Hagerstown, Maryland: Herald-Mail Media. Archived from the original on July 21, 2023. Retrieved July 21, 2023.
  5. ↑ Lewis, Mike (October 29, 2019). "Former Fairchild factory becomes New Heights Industrial Park". The Herald-Mail . Hagerstown, Maryland: Herald-Mail Media. Retrieved September 14, 2023.
  6. ↑ Reichard, Kevin (July 21, 2023). "New for 2024: Hagerstown Flying Boxcars". Ballpark Digest. August Publications. Retrieved September 14, 2023.
  7. ↑ Epstein, Bob (August 12, 2007). "Hagerstown museum lets aviation history come alive". Frederick News-Post . Retrieved September 14, 2023.
  8. 1 2 Mason, Andy (April 24, 2023). "David Blenckstone set to take charge of Hagerstown's new Atlantic League baseball team". The Herald-Mail . Hagerstown, Maryland: Herald-Mail Media. Retrieved April 25, 2023.
  9. ↑ McMillion, Dave (June 21, 2023). "Swans, dogs, boxcars and more. New baseball team searches for its identity". The Herald-Mail . Hagerstown, Maryland: Herald-Mail Media. Retrieved June 22, 2023.
  10. ↑ Nicewarner, Jordan (April 25, 2023). "New Hagerstown Baseball Club names it's [sic] first General Manager". The Panhandle News Network | WEPM & WCST. Retrieved May 24, 2023.
  11. ↑ "Name The Hagerstown Baseball Team". gannettcontests.com. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
  12. ↑ Deinlein, Joseph (September 14, 2023). "New Hagerstown Flying Boxcars logo 'reflective' of city's aviation history". The Herald-Mail . Hagerstown, Maryland: Herald-Mail Media. Retrieved September 16, 2023– via Yahoo! News.
  13. ↑ Sales, Skyler (November 3, 2023). "Nominations open for the naming of the Hagerstown Flying Boxcars' mascot". DC News Now . Retrieved November 13, 2023.
  14. ↑ McDonald, Fynn (November 1, 2023). "November 2023 Newsletter". Hagerstown Flying Boxcars. Retrieved November 13, 2023.
  15. ↑ Mason, Andy (February 13, 2024). "Hagerstown Flying Boxcars announce stadium naming partner, unveil mascot". The Herald-Mail . Retrieved February 14, 2024.
  16. ↑ "Meritus Health sponsorship name will adorn new Hagerstown Ballpark". Tri-State Alert. News Talk WEEO 103.7 FM. February 14, 2024. Retrieved February 14, 2024.
  17. ↑ "Flying Boxcars and Meritus Health Announce Partnership". Hagerstown Flying Boxcars. February 14, 2024. Retrieved February 14, 2024.
  18. ↑ Parasiliti, Bob (September 1, 2021). "Atlantic League approves new baseball team for Hagerstown" . The Herald-Mail . Hagerstown, Maryland: Herald-Mail Media. Archived from the original on September 18, 2021. Retrieved March 9, 2023.
  19. ↑ McDonald, Fynn (November 13, 2023). "Flying Boxcars Name Mark Mason Manager". Hagerstown Flying Boxcars. Retrieved November 13, 2023.
  20. ↑ "Flying Boxcars Announce Coaching Hires". Hagerstown Flying Boxcars. February 20, 2024. Retrieved February 20, 2024.
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