Location | 274 Memorial Boulevard East Hagerstown, MD 21740 |
---|---|
Coordinates | 39°37′58″N77°42′45″W / 39.63278°N 77.71250°W |
Owner | City of Hagerstown |
Capacity | 4,600 |
Field size | Left Field: 335 feet Center Field: 400 feet Right Field: 330 feet |
Surface | Grass |
Construction | |
Broke ground | March 13, 1930 [1] |
Opened | May 8, 1930 [1] |
Renovated | 1954, 1981, 1995 |
Demolished | May 9, 2022 |
Construction cost | $14,000 [2] ($245,251 in 2017 dollars [3] ) |
Architect | J.B. Ferguson Company |
Tenants | |
Hagerstown Hubs (MAL / BRL) 1930–1931 Hagerstown Owls/Braves/Packets (PL / IL) 1941–1955 Hagerstown Suns (SAL / EL / CL) 1981–2020 Hagerstown Braves (SPL) 2021 |
Municipal Stadium was a stadium in Hagerstown, Maryland, United States. It was primarily used for baseball and was built in 1930 in a short time period of six weeks [4] and had a capacity of 4,600 people. The ballpark was demolished in Spring 2022.
From 1915 to 1929, Hagerstown's minor league team played at Willow Lane Park, where Bester Elementary School is now located. When the city made the decision to build the school, the need for a new stadium was urgent. The Field and Athletic Association was created to find land and build a stadium. The organization struck a deal with the city, leasing a tract of land for 99 years at $1 per year. Municipal Stadium was quickly built on the land in a mere six weeks, just in time for the first home game on May 8, 1930. Since then, the stadium has undergone two major renovations.
Hagerstown's Municipal Stadium hosted several games featuring Negro league teams during the first decade and a half of its existence. Among the Negro league teams that played in Hagerstown were the Indianapolis Clowns, Homestead Grays and the Pittsburgh Crawfords. [5]
From 1941 to 1949, the Hagerstown Owls played in the Class B Interstate League and called Hagerstown's Municipal Stadium home. In 1950, the Hagerstown entry in the Class B Interstate League was sold and was renamed the Hagerstown Braves. The Hagerstown Braves remained in existence from the 1950 season through the 1953 season. The Braves won one championship with the Interstate League in 1952.
A major renovation took place in 1981, when Minor League Baseball returned to Hagerstown after a 26-year absence from the city. About $546,000 was put into the stadium overhaul, which included the installation of a public address system, stadium lights, underground electricity, and new seats and bleachers. In 1995, $500,000 worth of improvements to the stadium were made, such as the installation of new seats, and upgrading the VIP section to include cup holders. The Sunset Grille and bar area was also added at this time.
In 1990, sitting president, George H. W. Bush enjoyed a Hagerstown Suns game at Municipal Stadium. Although he later visited the Frederick Keys for two games at their stadium, the visit to the Suns game was the first presidential visit for a minor league baseball team. [6]
In 2005, a movement arose to rename an adjacent street to honor Willie Mays, who played his first game at the park as a minor league rookie. The proposal, however, was shot down due to protests by various American war veterans groups who wanted to keep the original road name of Memorial Boulevard. [7]
The playing surface was renovated following the 2010 season. In addition, seating improvements and the installation of a state-of-the-art video board enhanced the fans experience in 2011. In April 2014, Hagerstown and the Suns agreed to a two-season lease extension on Municipal Stadium for 2015 and 2016 which could be voided by mutual agreement. [8]
Municipal Stadium was one of the three oldest Minor League baseball stadiums in the country when the Hagerstown Suns were disbanded in 2020. [9]
Prior to the 2021 season, the semi-professional Hagerstown Braves (not to be confused with the former minor league team of the same name that played at Municipal Stadium in the early 1950s) announced they would return to play their 2021 season at Municipal Stadium.[ citation needed ]
On March 24, 2022, the Hagerstown City Council voted 5–0 to proceed with the demolition of Municipal Stadium. As part of the demolition effort, more than 60 bidders attended an auction of stadium seats. [10]
On the underside of the first-base stands was the Hagerstown Suns Hall of Fame. For each member, there was a commemorative plaque.
The right field wall at Municipal Stadium honored five individuals.
There were other important dates at Municipal Stadium.
Besides professional baseball, Municipal Stadium hosted numerous other events.
Henry Louis Aaron, nicknamed "Hammer" or "Hammerin' Hank", was an American professional baseball right fielder and designated hitter who played 23 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), from 1954 through 1976. Considered one of the greatest baseball players in history, he spent 21 seasons with the Milwaukee / Atlanta Braves in the National League (NL) and two seasons with the Milwaukee Brewers in the American League (AL). At the time of his retirement, Aaron held most of the game's key career power-hitting records. He broke the long-standing MLB record for home runs held by Babe Ruth and remained the career leader for 33 years. He hit 24 or more home runs every year from 1955 through 1973 and is one of only two players to hit 30 or more home runs in a season at least fifteen times.
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The Hagerstown Suns were a Minor League Baseball team based in Hagerstown, Maryland. They were a member of the South Atlantic League and, from 2007 through 2020, were the Class A affiliate of the Washington Nationals. They played their home games at Municipal Stadium which was opened in 1930 and seats 4,600 people. The team mascot was Woolie, a giant woolly bear caterpillar.
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Prince George's Stadium is a multipurpose sports venue located in unincorporated Prince George's County, Maryland, near Bowie, primarily used for baseball. It is home of the Baltimore Orioles' Double-A affiliated Bowie Baysox in the Eastern League. The stadium is the result of a cooperative venture between Maryland Baseball Limited Partnership and the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, and is built on park property.
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Ralph Allen Garr, nicknamed "Road Runner", is an American former professional baseball player, scout, and coach. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as an outfielder from 1968 through 1980 — most notably as a member of the Atlanta Braves — and eventually with the Chicago White Sox and California Angels.
Richard Robert Volk is an American former professional football player who was a safety in the National Football League (NFL) for the Baltimore Colts, New York Giants, and Miami Dolphins. He retired with 38 career interceptions and 13 fumble recoveries, and totaled 574 yards on interception returns and 548 yards on punt returns.
Nicholas James Adenhart was an American right-handed baseball starting pitcher who played parts of two seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. In just four career games, Adenhart pitched 18 innings and posted a win–loss record of 1–0.
The Rocky Mount Pines was an American minor league baseball team located in Rocky Mount, North Carolina which competed in the Class A Carolina League for the 1980 season. They were the 42nd and final team to represent Rocky Mount in minor league baseball during the 20th century, beginning in 1909.
Hagerstown is a city in and the county seat of Washington County, Maryland, United States. The population was 43,527 at the 2020 census. Hagerstown ranks as Maryland's sixth-largest incorporated city and is the largest city in the Maryland Panhandle.
The Hagerstown Hubs were a Minor League Baseball team based in Hagerstown, Maryland, United States. The team played predominantly in the Blue Ridge League (1915–1930) and briefly in the Middle Atlantic League (1931). Their home games were in Willow Lane Park from 1915 to 1929 and Municipal Stadium during the 1930 and 1931 seasons.
The Hagerstown Owls were a Minor League Baseball team based in Hagerstown, Maryland, United States. The team played in the Inter-State League (1941–1952) and the Piedmont League (1953–1955). Their home games were played in Municipal Stadium.
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The Hagerstown Suns Minor League Baseball team was established in Hagerstown, Maryland, in 1981. The Suns remained in the Carolina League through 1988. In 1989, team ownership purchased the Williamsport Bills franchise of the Double-A Eastern League (EL) and relocated the team to Hagerstown. The Double-A Suns carried on the history of the Class A team that preceded it. After just four seasons, the Eastern League franchise left. The Myrtle Beach Hurricanes franchise of the Class A South Atlantic League (SAL) relocated to Hagerstown for the 1993 season where they became the Suns and continued the previous Suns teams' history.
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 and play their home games at the under-construction Hagerstown Multi-Use Sports and Events Facility.
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