Municipal Stadium (Hagerstown)


Municipal Stadium is a stadium in Hagerstown, Maryland, United States. It is primarily used for baseball and is the home field of the Hagerstown Suns minor league baseball team. It was built in 1930, as a project of the Works Progress Administration, in a short time period of six weeks. It holds 4,600 people.

Image Gallery

Historical Plaques

Around the base of the stands are several plaques commemorating historical baseball events in Hagerstown.

George H.W. Bush at Municipal Stadium

In 1990 as a 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.

Jim Palmer at Municipal Stadium

Hall of Fame pitcher Jim Palmer spent a week with the Hagerstown Suns on a rehabilitation assignment in 1983. Palmer pitched for the Orioles from 1965 to 1984 and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1990.

Amateur Baseball in Municipal Stadium

Since its construction in 1930, Municipal Stadium has hosted countless high school, American Legion and semi-pro games.

The Negro Leagues at Municipal Stadium

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.

The Hagerstown Owls (1941-1949)

From 1941 to 1949, the Hagerstown Owls played in the Class B Interstate League and called Hagerstown's Municipal Stadium home.

The Hagerstown Braves (1950-1953)

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.

Hall of Famers in Hagerstown

A number of major league Hall of Fame inductees have played in Hagerstown. From 1915 to 1931, the Hagerstown Hubs played in the Class-D Blue Ridge League, which featured teams from the towns surrounding the Blue Ridge Mountains - including Hagerstown, Frederick, Martinsburg, Chambersburg, and Waynesboro. The Hubs played their games in Willow Lane Park, where Bester Elementary School is now located. The league featured several greats from the early years of baseball, such as Robert Moses "Lefty" Grove and Lewis "Hack" Wilson. Willie Mays played his first professional game at Hagerstown's Municipal Stadium on June 24, 1950. On that historic day, the Trenton Giants played against the Hagerstown Braves of the Class-B Interstate League.

Hagerstown Suns Hall of Fame

On the underside of the first-base stands is the Hagerstown Suns Hall of Fame. For each member, there is a commemorative plaque.
The right field wall at Municipal Stadium honors five individuals.
Besides professional baseball, Municipal Stadium has hosted numerous other events.
Besides those dates listed above, there were other important dates at Municipal Stadium.
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.

Tenants