Posts tagged Hagerstown Suns

Celebrating Washington County Heritage With The Hagerstown Suns

This Saturday Night, June 20th, the Hagerstown Suns are holding “Washington County Baseball Heritage Night,” as part of the Suns’ 35th Anniversary celebration at Municipal Stadium.

Looking Forward To Heading Back to Hagerstown

Looking Forward to Heading Back to Municipal Stadium in Hagerstown, Maryland

I am honored to be participating in a book signing during the game, along with local authors Bob Savitt (The Blue Ridge League) and Austin Gisriel (Boots Poffenberger: Hurler, Hero, Hell-Raiser). In case you are wondering why I would be included as part of the Washington County Heritage Night, my book Deadball: A Metaphysical Baseball Novel, prominently features Municipal Stadium.

Former Washington County Big Leaguers or their families will be in attendance Saturday night as well. Included in the list of players who made it to the Majors is John Wilson (1913), Ike Powers (1927-1928), “Boots” Poffenberger (1937-1939), Vic Barnhart (1944-1946), Dave Cole (1950-1955), Leo Burke (1958-1965), Mike Draper (1993) and Nick Adenhart (2008-2009). The Suns also are honoring Mickey Billmeyer, a major league coach, and Clyde Barhnhart, a long-time county resident and father of Vic Barnhart.

And if that isn’t enough, the first 1,000 fans receive a free poster featuring Hagerstown Suns players from years past.

For more information about the event, click HERE.

 

Walking In Williamsport on the Trail of Boots Poffenberger

One way for baseball fans to bridge the chasm between the last out of the World Series and the arrival of pitchers and catchers for spring training is to delve into the history of the game – maybe read a book or take a day trip to a nearby town or landmark with a connection to the National Pastime. Austin Gisriel’s Boots Poffenberger: Hurler, Hero, Hellraiser is an excellent choice if you are looking for a book to help pass the time until baseball arrives again this Spring.

Perhaps better, however, is spending an afternoon with Austin walking  in the footsteps of Boots Poffenberger through Williamsport, Maryland, the ballplayer’s home town. Austin was kind enough to show me around Williamsport this past November, just as the San Francisco Giants and Kansas City Royals were cleaning out their lockers and scattering for the Winter.

If you have read Austin’s book, or if you know anything about Boots Poffenberger, you know that Boots had at least two great loves, baseball and beer. So it was fitting that our Williamsport Boots Tour touched on both aspects of his life. We started on the banks of the Potomac River at the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park in Williamsport.

Williamsport, Maryland, at the confluence of the Conococheague Creek and the Potomac River

Williamsport, Maryland, at the confluence of Conococheague Creek and the Potomac River

Boots was born on July 1, 1915, According to Austin, Boots was named for his grandfather who piloted a boat  on the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal in and around Williamsport.

C&O Canal Lock 44, Williamsport, Maryland

C&O Canal Lock 44, Williamsport, Maryland

A rookie phenom pitcher with Detroit Tigers in 1937, Boots’s sporadic baseball career is well detailed in Austin’s book, as well as in the  SABR Baseball Biography Project article about Boots, also authored by Austin. When Boots wasn’t playing baseball (either during the off season or during those periods when he simply chose not to play, or was not allowed to play), he could be found at local establishments such as Ern’s Tavern at 35 North Conococheague Street in Williamsport. Now known as The Third Base Tavern (the “Last Stop Before Home” according to the sign), Ern’s was one of Boots’s favorite haunts.

Author Austin Gisriel In Front of Third Base Tavern, One of Boots Poffenberger's Favorite Haunts

Author Austin Gisriel In Front of Third Base Tavern, One of Boots Poffenberger’s Favorite Haunts

Boots’s legend lives large inside the Third Base Tavern. A table in the spot where Boots’s booth of choice once resided sits next to the tavern’s front window.

Where Boots Rested His Weary Legs - Third Base Tavern, Williamsport, Maryland

Spot Where Boots Rested His Weary Legs – Third Base Tavern, Williamsport, Maryland

A picture on the windowsill next to the table shows Boots in action, sitting in his booth at the Third Base Tavern.

Boots in his Booth at Erns Tavern, Now Third Base Tavern, Williamsport, Maryland

Boots in his Booth at Ern’s Tavern, Now Third Base Tavern, Williamsport, Maryland

As Austin has learned having written the book on Boots, there is no shortage of people in Williamsport who have stories to share about Boots. During the short time we visited the Third Base Tavern we met several such residents.

Continuing the baseball theme, we stop next stopped at Doubleday Hill, named after Abner Doubleday, the Union general who famously did not invent baseball (but did fire the first shot by the Union Army at Fort Sumter, South Carolina). During the Civil War, General Doublday commanded an artillery battery in Williamsport on a hill overlooking the Potomac River.

Doubleday Hill, Williamsport, Maryland

Doubleday Hill, Williamsport, Maryland

It is on that same hill, in Riverview Cemetery, that Boots is interred. Boots died in Williamsport on September 1, 1999.

The Final Resting Place of Cletus Elwood “Boots” Poffenberger

The Final Resting Place of Cletus Elwood “Boots” Poffenberger

As noted on his grave marker, Boots served in the Marines during World War II where, according to Austin, Boots spent much of the time entertaining the troops by playing baseball for the company team. Weeds covered a good portion of Boots’s plaque when we arrived, so it took a few minutes to find Boots. Austin made sure the headstone was cleared before we left.

Author Austin Gisriel Next to Boots Poffenberger's Grave Marker, Riverview Cemetery

Author Austin Gisriel Next to Boots Poffenberger’s Grave Marker, Riverview Cemetery

The last stop on our Boots Tour took us eight miles north of Williamsport to Hagerstown, Maryland. Boots’s played many games in Hagerstown at Municipal Stadium, including his last game as a professional ballplayer in 1948, when he as a member of the Class B Interstate League  Hagerstown Owls.

Municipal Stadium, Left/Center Field Wall Facing South Cannon Avenue, Hagerstown, Maryland

Municipal Stadium sign, Left/Center Field Wall Facing South Cannon Avenue, Hagerstown, Maryland

Municipal Stadium is one of the oldest minor league ballparks still in use in the United States and currently is the home field of the South Atlantic League Hagerstowns Suns, an affiliate of the Washington Nationals. Out beyond Municipal Stadium’s center field fence  is the Stadium Grill and Tavern located at 401 South Cannon Avenue.

View of Municipal Stadium through Center Field Gates Near Parking Lot to Stadium Grill and Tavern, Hagerstown, Maryland

View of Municipal Stadium through Center Field Gates Near Parking Lot to Stadium Grill and Tavern, Hagerstown, Maryland

Although Boots played many games at Municipal Stadium, Austin could not say definitively whether Boots ever frequented the Stadium Grill and Tavern.

Stadium Grill and Tavern, With Municipal Stadium in Background, Hagerstown, Maryland

Stadium Grill and Tavern, With Municipal Stadium in Background, Hagerstown, Maryland

It seems a safe bet, however, that Boots would have stopped by the establishment from time to time given the bar’s proximity to the ballpark (the current incarnation of the Stadium Grill and Tavern dates back some 50 plus years). The exact history of the building housing the Stadium Grill and Tavern, and its use during Boots’s last few years of professional ball, is another story for another day.

The Stadium Grill and Tavern Is Casual, But with Limits, No Backward Hats!

The Stadium Grill and Tavern Is Casual, But with Limits, No Backward Hats!

Even though we could not prove a direct link between Boots and the Stadium Grill and Tavern, we nonetheless stopped there for lunch.

Interior of Stadium Grill and Tavern, Hagerstown, Maryland

Interior of Stadium Grill and Tavern, Hagerstown, Maryland

With a view from our booth of the last ballpark where Boots played professionally, it seemed a fitting place to end our Boots Tour.

A Room With A View of Hagerstown Municpal Stadium From the Stadium Grill and Tavern

A Room With A View of Hagerstown Municpal Stadium From the Stadium Grill and Tavern

If you haven’t read Austin’s book yet, do yourself a favor and pick up a copy. And if you find yourself anywhere near Williamsport, Maryland, and are interested in a tour, I am almost certain Austin would be willing to show you around.

Gordy’s View From The Hagerstown Suns Dugout

Municipal Stadium, Current Home of the Hagerstown Suns

Municipal Stadium, Current Home of the Hagerstown Suns

The news last season that the Hagerstown Suns would be moving after the 2014 season to a new ballpark in Fredericksburg, Virginia, was not surprising given the age of the ballpark and many costly improvements that would be necessary to bring Municipal Stadium up to the current standards for a professional baseball park. Still, as a hopeless fan of old ballparks, the news sadden me nonetheless and I vowed to take in as many games at Hagerstown as possible during the 2014 season.

Gordy Schlotter, ESPN 1380 Radio Host Interviewing Hagerstown Suns Manager Patrick Anderson

Gordy Schlotter, ESPN 1380 Radio Host Interviewing Hagerstown Suns Manager Patrick Anderson

And so it was that my youngest son and I made such a trip in mid-May to see the Suns take on the Kannapolis Intimidators, a game which the Suns won 3-1. After the game I had the chance to sit in on an interview of Hagerstown Suns Manager Patrick Anderson by my good friend Gordy Schlotter, of ESPN 1380. The Suns Manager talks about the current season, as well as his record-setting season in 2013, leading the Gulf Coast League Nationals to a record of 49-9 and a .845 winning percentage.

To hear Gordy’s interview, click here: Gordy’s Sports World’s View from the Hagerstown Dugout with Patrick Anderson

Also, be sure to tune into Gordy’s Sports World every Thursday during the baseball season for the latest in local and national baseball brought to you by Gordy and his multi-talented baseball analyst Austin Gisriel.

And as for the future of the Suns in Hagerstown, reported delays in land acquisition and planning in Fredericksburg suggest that the Suns may remain in Hagerstown one more year, through the 2015 season.

A Day Of Discovery, A Night At The Suns

On Saturday, August 4th I spent the day and night in Hagerstown, Maryland, as part of my continuing mission to get the word out about Deadball, A Metaphysical Baseball Novel. During the day, I had a table at the Discovery Station, an interactive children’s museum in downtown Hagerstown. Marie Byers, the mastermind behind the Hagerstown landmark, invited me to sell books at the grand opening of  the museum’s new exhibit “Take Me Out To The Ballgame . . . More Than Just A Game.”

The Mayor of Hagerstown, Surrounded By Local Luminaries,Cuts The Ribbon

Attending the event was former major leaguer and Hagerstown native Leo Burke. Burke played for several teams during his several years  in the majors, including the Baltimore Orioles, the California Angels, and the Chicago Cubs.

Calvin Stinson and Former Major Leaguer Leo Burke

Also attending from the world of baseball were two current Hagerstown Suns pitchers Brian Rauh and Ben Hawkins, both of whom commented on how early it  was to be in uniform (10 am) following the night game they played the previous evening.

Ben Hawkins, Calvin Stinson,and Brian Rauh

Hagerstown Herald-Mail reporter Alicia Notarianni covered the event and filed this story Herald-Mail Discovery Station Article (in which she generously mentions by book).

Included at the museum on the first floor is an exhibit of Hagerstown Suns memorabilia on loan from Hagerstown resident Sean Guy, which includes an autographed jersey, fielder’s glove and cleats, once belonging to Bryce Harper.

Waiting For Customers In Front Of The Discovery Station's Bryce Harper Exhibit

That evening, the Suns game was the place to be in Hagerstown as the team was giving out Bryce Harper garden gnomes to the first 1000 gfans through the gnate. The line to enter the stadium snaked its way through the parking lot at the time  the gates opened at 6:05 pm. If only they had been lining up to meet yours truly.

Suns Fans Line Up To Enter The Stadium For Bryce Harper Garden Gnome

Many thanks to the Suns fans who stopped by my table during the game to talk baseball and Deadball. Thanks also to Suns’ concessionaire extraordinaire Tyler Breeze who, after selling me one of his signature cheesy pretzels, came out to my table during his break and bought a copy of Deadball. As the game was winding down I could see him across the concourse already engaged in the first few pages of Deadball.

Hagerstown Suns' Concessionaire Tyler Breeze Filling The Time Between Customers By Reading His Just-Purchased Copy Of Deadball

Tyler – I hope you enjoyed the story of Byron Bennett.

You know You’ve Made It As An Author When . . .

On Friday July 6th I set up a table at the Hagerstown Suns game where I had the pleasure of selling and signing books for fans who had come out on Nora Roberts Night to see the Suns take on the Lexington Legends (the Suns won 5-4 in the bottom of the 9th).

Author David B. Stinson At Hagerstown Suns Game

While I truly enjoyed talking with Suns fans who stopped to chat or buy a book, nothing compared to the sense of accomplishment, the sense of the pride I felt when, quite unexpectedly, I saw my name posted in an Official Hagerstown Suns Publication on the stadium wall . . .

My Name Amongst The Fine Print

just above a men’s room urinal . . .

My Name Up In . . . Well, Up Above The Urinal!!

“What a relief,” I thought, as I read the flyer’s text: Author David Stinson will be available selling his new book, Deadball, and autographing copies for fans. The words flew off my lips.  I read it a second time just to make sure I wasn’t dreaming. Seeing my name above the urinal in an official Suns publication (as opposed to scrawled in pen on the cinder block as if back in Jr. High) I knew I had attained a new level of, um, well, I’m not sure exactly what, but certainly a new level of something.

Admittedly, I felt a bit uncomfortable bringing my camera into the men’s room to document my level of attainment. But persevere I did, and now I can share with you the proof that I’ve made it.

In a couple weeks I’ll be selling and signing books at the Bowie Baysox – July 22nd to be exact. Here’s hoping I’ll have made it there as well.

Weekend Trifecta – Hagerstown Suns, Turn the Page Bookstore, and WBAL

They say good things come in threes, right?  Or is it bad things?  Well, whatever it is, this weekend’s Deadball trifecta includes two book signings and a radio interview:

On Friday July 6th I’ll be signing books at the Hagerstown Suns Game starting at 6 pm.

Here’s the link:  Hagerstown Suns Official Site

On Saturday July 7th I’ll be signing books at Turn the Page Bookstore in Boonsboro Maryland, starting at noon.

Here’s the link to the event: Turn The Page Bookstore 17th Anniversary Celebration

On Sunday July 8th I’ll be interviewed by Brett Hollander on WBAL Radio at 2:40 pm before the start of the Orioles/Angels game. Once the interview is aired, it will be posted on the WBAL website.

Here is a link to where you will be able to find it: Brett Hollander Show on WBAL

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