I've been going to see the Frederick Keys for the last 4 years. I really enjoy the games. The park is very nice and we have reserved seats for under $10/game. The play is a little weak, but we go more to socialize with our friends than for the fierce competition.

We just moved to Hagerstown and we're wondering what the local ball park is like.

Can someone give me the details for Suns games? Is there assigned seating, what are the costs? Is there good food (burgers, fries, the norm).

How well did they do this year?

Thanks for any info.

Hmmmm.....I guess it's safe to say that you get what
you pay for when comparing Frederick with Hagerstown...
Frederick costs more because of the teams affiliation with
the Carolina League....the South Atlantic League doesn't
carry the same level of prestige as the Carolina League, IMO...
the quality of baseball is better in the Carolina League also,
from what I've observed at Frederick, Lynchburg, and Salem,
vs. many Hagerstown Suns games...

Municipal Stadium is quite old, but has alot of character, and
you'll always see many of the same faces there night after
night. You can buy reserved seats for just $7, and general
admission is only $5. There are ticket plans that can get
you in for just $3/game. We often buy GA tickets and move
down into the reserved seats, since they rarely sell out, and
no one seems to mind anyway. Food is reasonable, and many
promotions run each weeknight, like Thirsty Thursdays with
$1 domestic draft beer, or All-You-Can-Eat Monday, where a
$10 ticket gets you a general admission ticket and literally
all the food you can eat from the concession stands....how
can you beat that ??? Parking is right next to the field and
there is virtually no traffic problem when the games end.

If you're a baseball fan, you'll enjoy watching the Hagerstown
Suns.

(oh yeah...forgot to mention that they ended up 33-35 in the
second half of the season...they were contending for a
playoff spot for most of August but they let it slip away...)

Thanks, that sounds great. The stadium in Frederick is very nice but the prices can be high. Like $3.50 for a bottle of water. $7 for chicken strips and fries. It adds up. The Keys started the second half well but they also slipped. Oh, I just checked their site and they finished 3rd. Not that bad.

Thanks for taking the time to type such an informative post.

I will definitely be seeing some games there next season.

Going to the Keys or Suns games are great experiences but the only drawback with Hagerstown is the limited visabilty. The seats behind the plate are completely covered by the netting and the seats on the base lines are limited. It is though a classic minor league stadium. Harry Grove was one of the first "cookie cutter" minor league parks and now you see the rest of the parks owned by Comcast being built in the same manner. Two years ago my son and I took a tour of the whole Carolina League and we thought that Ernie Shore Stadium in Winston Salem was the best for seating, food, prices, visibility, fans, etc. Another classic old time minor league stadium.

The stadiums being built now a days are almost, if not better, than some of the pro ball parks I've been to. I went to a Jackson, Tenn. JACKS ball game and couldn't believe the size and elegance of the stadium. I felt like I was in a pro park but with cleaner seats and bathrooms! Some major league teams do see the value in the farm system and help pour millions into promoting these guys in hopes of one day having a bigger return on their investment. I like the minor league stadiums being around, because it gives us all a little sense of hometown pride.

I hope that you are not including the Oriolies in this category? The Orioles do not own the Sunbirds, Keys, Baysox, or the team in Aberdeen. They were owned by Maryland Sports Inc. and sold to Comcast about two years ago. All the Orioles do is supply the teams with players and managers. Nothing more.