Municipal Stadium
Hagerstown, MD
Team: Hagerstown Suns
Affiliation: Toronto Blue Jays
Capacity: 4,600
League: South Atlantic League
Completed: 1930

Hagerstown's Municipal Stadium was built in a mere six weeks.  Compared to the stadiums being built today, that's remarkable.  But, all it takes is one visit, and you'll understand how it was possible.  This is not a particularly luxurious stadium.  The grandstand, the seating area of which was rebuilt during a recent renovation, is constructed out of aluminum and consists mostly of benches with backs, with a few rows of box seats at field level.  There are also two sets of back-less bleachers along each line.  A picnic area, grill, and children's playground can be found beyond the left field bleachers. 

I've seen this stadium under both non-game and game conditions, and I must say, there's a big difference.  The facilities themselves don't really do much for me.  The place looks like it was built on the cheap, and the aluminum stands reduce the sense of "history" one might otherwise sense when visiting a 1930s-era park.  But, with a crowd, the place takes on a different personality.  Even though they don't get many sellouts, the folks who do come love their baseball and root heartily for their Suns.  One of the things I enjoyed was the ability to stand alongside other fans behind the Suns dugout while watching the game.  The newer parks usually have seats immediately behind the dugouts. 

Although it's not readily visible from my pictures, one of the more unique aspects of the park is a slight hill in left field.  Other unique aspects, however, are less intriguing.  For example, this place has the worst scoreboard I've seen in the affiliated minors.  Many bulbs are out, making for a line score that's difficult to read.  And, despite the relatively small size of the roof-covered grandstand, there seemed to be a lot of view-obstructing girders.

Still, for all the complaining I could do about the facilities here, the fans seemed to be having a great time.  And, before I posted this review, I received a few emails from locals who were anxious for me to get a look at their "great" ballpark.  Go figure.  I must admit that what the place lacks in amenities, it makes up for in atmosphere.  The whole is much more than the sum of the parts here.

Hagerstown also has a rich baseball history.  Willie Mays played his first professional game here.  The Negro League made a few stops here, including visits from the Indianapolis Clowns, the Pittsburgh Crawfords, and the Homestead Grays.  And several other teams of varying classifications played here as well. 

The Bottom Line: The ballpark itself is below average, but the atmosphere and the game experience are average, if not slightly above. 

A dugout hangout