Municipal Stadium (Hagerstown, MD)

Municipal Stadium

Hagerstown, MD

Dimensions: left field – 335; center field – 400; right field – 330.

Mascot: Woolie

Considered one of the three oldest minor league stadium, Municipal Stadium has been the host of several Hagerstown teams over the years at various levels. The stadium has a nostalgic and intimate feel. It continues to have a hand-operated scoreboard over the left field fence, which is good because the video board frequently has problems. Among the teams that played at Municipal Stadium were the Hagerstown Owls (1941-49) and the Hagerstown Braves (1950-53), both of the Class B Interstate League. According to historical signs inside, Municipal Stadium hosted a number of Negro League teams, including the Indianapolis Clowns, Homestead Grays and the Pittsburgh Crawfords.

The Hagerstown Suns became the occupants of Municipal Stadium in 1981. In 1990, the sitting President of the United States, George H.W. Bush, attended a Hagerstown Suns game at Municipal Stadium. In September 2010 the new owners of the Suns announced that they would try to make the team successful and upgrade the stadium to maintain the Nationals affiliation. It was the first time that there was local ownership since 1993. In an effort to upgrade the stadium, a new field was to be installed and in doing so, “work will be done to get rid of the legendary hump in left field by removing a huge rock deposit to make the surface level.” Nevertheless, after years of negotiations and discussion about building a new stadium in Hagerstown, the ownership of the Suns announced that they would move the team to Fredericksburg, Virginia. As of the end of the 2014 season, the team is scheduled to move following the 2015 season.

Prior to the construction of Municipal Stadium, Hagerstown was the home of the Hagerstown Hubs, a member of the Class D Blue Ridge League. The Hubs played games at Willow Lane Park, where Bester Elementary School is currently located.

Retired numbers: 42 (Jackie Robinson), 24 (Willie Mays), 50 (John Henry Moss, South Atlantic League President), Adenhart (a major league rookie from Hagerstown who was killed in an automobile accident early in his rookie year in 2009).

Woolie (2014)

Municipal Stadium (2015)

Municipal Stadium (2015)