2011-03-29

Hagerstown Packets

Hagerstown Suns

Hagerstown Suns
Founded in 1981
Hagerstown, Maryland
HagerstownSuns.PNG
Team Logo		 Hagerstown Suns Cap Logo.PNG
Cap Insignia
Class-level
  • Single-A (1981-1987) (1993-present)
  • Double-A (1988-1992)
Minor league affiliations
Major league affiliations
Name
  • Hagerstown Suns
Ballpark
Minor league titles
League titles 1981
Division titles
Manager: Brian Daubach
General Manager: Bill Farley

The Hagerstown Suns are a Minor League Baseball team based in Hagerstown, Maryland, United States. They play in Municipal Stadium, which was opened in 1930 and seats 4,600 fans.

The team, which plays in the South Atlantic League, is a Class A affiliate of the Washington Nationals.

History

Baseball has been a staple in Hagerstown for the better part of the past century. In 1915, the Hagerstown Blues joined the Class D Blue Ridge League, where they remained for the next 16 seasons. Throughout this time, they won five pennants and donned four different names: the Blues, the Terriers, the Champs and the Hubs. One month into the 1931 season, the league disbanded and the Hubs moved to Parkersburg, W.Va.

Professional baseball returned to Hagerstown in 1941 when Owen Sterling moved his Detroit Tigers affiliate to town. The newly-named Hagerstown Owls (Owen, Win, Luck and Sterl ing) joined the Class B Interstate League. Gene Raney purchased the team from Sterling in 1950, and the renamed Hagerstown Braves became an affiliate of the Boston Braves.

The team moved to the Piedmont League in 1953 and once again had a name and affiliation change. The new Washington Senators affiliate, the Hagerstown Packets, competed until the league disbanded after the 1955 season.

Hagerstown was without a professional team until 1981 when Lou Eliopulos began the era of Hagerstown Suns baseball. The Baltimore Orioles affiliate competed in the Class A Carolina League, winning the league championship in its inaugural season.

The Suns became the Double-A affiliate for the Orioles in 1989 with a move to the Eastern League, where they remained until the team moved to Bowie, Md., in 1992.

Winston Blenckstone relocated his Myrtle Beach Hurricanes to Hagerstown in shortly after the Suns departure in 1992. This team was a Toronto Blue Jays affiliate and member of the Class A South Atlantic League. With the move, the Hurricanes became the new Hagerstown Suns.

The Suns remained affiliated with the Blue Jays until 2000 when a four-year partnership with the San Francisco Giants began under the new ownership of Andy Rayburn. Mandalay Entertainment Group purchased the team in 2002. Hagerstown once again changed affiliates in the 2005, having a two-year stint with the New York Mets before becoming a member of the Washington Nationals farm system in 2007.

A new ownership group with local ties, Hagerstown Baseball, LLC, purchased the Suns in September 2010. The group is led by Florida businessman and general manager of Polo Trace Country Club Bruce Quinn. Tony Dahbura, corporate vice president of Hub Labels in Hagerstown, Dr. Mitesh Kothari of Hagerstown, and Quinn's sister, Sheri, complete the group. Following the announcement of the new ownership, the Nationals renewed their affiliation with the Suns through 2012.

Notable former players

Rivals

The Suns have an in-state rivalry with the Delmarva Shorebirds, an affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles. This particular rivalry is also fueled by the regional rivalry between the two parent clubs.

Radio

All Hagerstown Suns Games are broadcast on WJEJ AM 1240. Hagerstown Suns Games preempt or cause rescheduling of all programing including CBS News.

Roster

Hagerstown Suns roster
Players Coaches/Other

Pitchers

  • 35 Paul Applebee
  • -- Patrick Arnold
  • 41 Mitchell Clegg
  • 40 Paul Demny
  • 39 Shane Erb
  • -- Ben Graham
  • -- Shane McCatty
  • 27 Kyle Morrison
  • 36 Billy Ott
  • 17 Josh Smoker
  • -- Sammy Solis
  • 33 Wanel Vasquez
  • 29 Dean Weaver
  • 26 Colton Willems

Catchers

  • 6 Sandy Leon
  • 12 Adrian Nieto

Infielders

  • 23 Justin Bloxom
  • 14 Justino Cuevas
  • 18 Rick Hague
  • 21 Stephen King
  • 37 Jeff Kobernus
  • 30 Brett Newsome
  • 8 J.P. Ramirez
  • 36 Mills Rogers
  • -- Adrian Sanchez
  • 13 Steven Souza
  • -- Michael Taylor

Outfielders

  • 18 J.R. Higley
  • 22 Destin Hood
  • 37 Randolf Oduber
  • 3 Eury Perez

Manager

Coaches


Injury icon 2.svg 15-day disabled list
* On Washington Nationals 40-man roster
∞ Reserve list
§ Suspended list
‡ Restricted list
# Rehab assignment
Roster updated January 19, 2011
Transactions
→ More rosters

See also

References

External links






Retrieved from : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hagerstown_Suns
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