Hagerstown Suns

MiLB infobox
name =Hagerstown Suns
founded =1981
city =Hagerstown, Maryland
misc =
logo =HagerstownSuns.pnguniformlogo =Hagerstown_Suns_Cap_Logo.pngclass level =Single-A (1981-1987) (1993-present)
past class level=Double-A (1988-1992)
current league =South Atlantic League (1993-present)
conference =
division =Northern Division
past league =*Eastern League (1988-1992)
*Carolina League (1981-1987)
majorleague =Washington Nationals (2007-present)
pastmajorleague =New York Mets (2005-2006)
*San Francisco Giants (2001-2004)
*Toronto Blue Jays (1993-2000)
*Baltimore Orioles (1981-1992)
nickname =Hagerstown Suns
pastnames =
ballpark =Municipal Stadium
pastparks =
leaguechamps =1981
divisionchamps =
misc6 =
owner =Mandalay Sports Entertainment
manager =Darnell Coles
gm =Will SmithThe Hagerstown Suns are a minor league baseball team based in Hagerstown, Maryland. 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

The current Hagerstown Suns got their start in 1981 when Lou Eliopulos moved his minor-league team from Rocky Mount, North Carolina, to Hagerstown. The Suns were first part of the Class A Carolina League and were associated with the Baltimore Orioles.

In 1988, the Suns were "upgraded" by the Orioles to Class AA and became part of the Eastern League. This association and affiliation remained until 1992 when the Orioles moved the franchise to Bowie, Maryland.

In 1993 Winston Blenkstone moved the Myrtle Beach Hurricanes of the South Atlantic League, and a class A affiliate of The Toronto Blue Jays to Hagerstown, MD. In 2000, the affiliation switched again when the Jays replaced them with the Charleston Alley Cats, and the Suns became connected to the San Francisco Giants. In 2005 the team became a New York Mets affiliate.

On September 20, 2006, the Suns announced a new two year affliation with the Washington Nationals that began with the 2007 season. The Nationals now have three minor league affliates within 125 miles of Washington, D.C.: the Suns (72 miles), the Potomac Nationals in Woodbridge, Virginia (22 miles), and the Harrisburg Senators in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania (121 miles)

Notable former players

*Jim Palmer
*Sam Horn
*Brady Anderson
*Matt Cain
*Boof Bonser
*Clay Hensley
*Francisco Liriano
*Brad Hennessey
*Orlando Hudson
*Vernon Wells
*Jay Gibbons
*Mike Mussina
*Steve Finley
*Shannon Stewart
*Mike Coolbaugh
*Alex Rios
*Felipe López
*Cesar Izturis
*Arthur Rhodes
*Reed Johnson
*Fred Lewis
*Carlos Gomez
*Chris Marrero
*Justin Maxwell

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.

ee also

*South Atlantic League

External links

* [http://www.hagerstownsuns.com Official web site]
* [http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/clubs/ip_index.jsp?sid=milb&cid=t563 Minor League Baseball site page]
* [http://www.nbc25.com/main/modules/news/article.php?storyid=3453 Announcement of Suns-Nationals affliation]