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Hagerstown Suns

The Hagerstown Suns were a Minor League Baseball team based in Hagerstown, Maryland. They were a member of the South Atlantic League and, from 2007 through 2020, were the Class A affiliate of the Washington Nationals. They played their home games at Municipal Stadium which was opened in 1930 and seats 4,600 people. The team mascot was Woolie, a giant woolly bear caterpillar.[1]

Hagerstown Suns
Team logo Cap insignia
Minor league affiliations
ClassClass A (1993–2020)
Previous classes
  • Double-A (1989–1992)
  • Class A (1981–1988)
LeagueSouth Atlantic League (1993–2020)
Previous leagues
Major league affiliations
TeamWashington Nationals (2007–2020)
Previous teams
Minor league titles
League titles (1)1981
Division titles (7)
  • 1981
  • 1986
  • 1994
  • 1998
  • 2005
  • 2013
  • 2014
Team data
NameHagerstown Suns (1981–2020)
ColorsRed, navy blue, white
     
MascotWoolie B. (2001–2020)
Jay-Jay (1993–2000)
Sunny (1987–1992)
BallparkMunicipal Stadium (1981–2020)
Owner(s)/
Operator(s)
Hagerstown Baseball, LLC

History edit

Toronto Blue Jays (1993–2000) edit

The ownership of the previous Double A Hagerstown Suns chose to move their existing Hagerstown franchise to Bowie as the Bowie Baysox.[2] Hagerstown would not go without, though. Winston Blenckstone immediately relocated his Myrtle Beach Hurricanes franchise in the Class A South Atlantic League (SAL) to Hagerstown after the 1992 season and promptly renamed them the Suns.[3]

The change brought a competitive team to Hagerstown for the 1993 season. The offense got steady power production from Mike Coolbaugh, who led the team with 16 home runs. The best all-around hitter on the team proved to be D.J. Boston. Boston hit .315 with 13 home runs and 93 runs batted in (RBI). Those numbers were good enough to earn him league Most Valuable Player (MVP) honors.[4] Two outfielders, Rickey Cradle and Jose Herrera, put together solid seasons at the plate for the Suns. Herrera hit .317 in 95 games, while Cradle belted 13 home runs. Brad Cornett led the team in earned run average (ERA), with a 2.40 mark, and also innings pitched, with 172.1. Silva went 12–4 with a 2.52 ERA in 142.2 innings. In that time frame, Silva struck out 161 batters.

In 1994, the Suns reached the playoffs for the first time since 1991. On offense, the team was led by former first round draft choice Shannon Stewart. Stewart hit .324 with 4 home runs and 25 RBI in an injury-shortened season. Tom Evans returned from the 1993 squad, hitting .273 with 13 home runs and 48 RBI in 95 games. The power was supplied by Lorenzo Delacruz and Ryan Jones, who hit 19 and 18 home runs, respectively. Jones also had a team leading 72 RBI. Edwin Hurtado went 11–2 with a 2.95 ERA in 33 games, 16 of which were starts. The bullpen was headlined by Steve Sinclair and Dave Sinnes. Sinclair appeared in 37 games out of the bullpen and picked up a total of 9 wins with 105 innings pitched. Sinclair only made one start for the Suns all year. Closer Sinnes tied for the South Atlantic League lead with 37 saves.[5]

In 1995, veteran Jeff Ladd was the home run leader on the team. Ladd hit 19 home runs in 95 games before a promotion to Double-A Knoxville. That turned out to be Ladd's last professional season. Bobby Llanos hit 17 home runs and produced a team leading 63 RBI. The Suns got stable production behind the plate from Julio Mosquera. Mosquera hit .291 in 108 games for the team. Brian Smith pitched his way to a 9–1 record in 47 games out of the bullpen and picked up 21 saves along the way. He also had 101 strikeouts in 104 innings. Doug Meiners proved to be the Suns' best starter of the season, as he went 8–4 with a 2.99 ERA in 18 starts. Another highlight from the starting staff was Tom Davey, who went 4–1 with a 3.38 ERA in 8 starts.[6]

The 1996 campaign was the Suns' first losing year in the SAL. First basemen Mike Whitlock led the team in home runs (20) and RBI (91) with a .252 batting average while drawing a franchise record 108 walks. He did this in 131 games at the age of 19, yet never played a game in the major leagues. Another player who displayed power was Craig Wilson. Wilson hit 11 home runs with 70 RBI while maintaining a .261 batting average. Craig Stone returned from the 1995 squad, batting .310 with 10 home runs and 35 RBI in 56 games. Mike Johnson won a staff-leading 11 games and also had a team-leading total of 162.2 innings pitched. He made his major league debut a season later with the Baltimore Orioles. Tom Davey won 10 games and had a 3.87 ERA in 26 starts.[7]

In 1997, the offense was led by Luis Lopez, who put together one of the best individual years by a Sun ever. Lopez batted .358 with 11 home runs and 99 RBI. These numbers would give him SAL MVP honors.[8] The pitching staff was led by Clint Lawrence, who won a team-leading 13 games in 26 starts. One pitcher who had a bizarre season was starter Gary Glover. Glover posted a 3.73 ERA and threw a team leading 173.2 innings. He, along with John Bale, tied for the team lead in strikeouts with 155. Despite these advantages, his overall record was 6–17. Those 17 losses set a franchise record. The Suns finished in last place, 11 games behind first place Charleston (West Virginia).

The 1998 offense got power from catcher/first basemen Bobby Cripps. Cripps hit 29 home runs and also led the Suns with 88 RBI and threw out 47 percent of would-be base stealers in 56 games behind the plate. Mike Young batted .282 with 16 home runs and 86 RBI at second base. Two other future major league All Stars on the Suns that year were Vernon Wells and César Izturis. Wells batted .285 with 11 home runs and 65 RBI. Izturis meanwhile had a .262 average with a team-leading 20 stolen bases. John Sneed had one of the best seasons ever by a Suns pitcher, as he won a franchise record 16 games, while losing just 2, with a 2.56 ERA in 27 starts. He also collected 200 strikeouts in 161.1 innings pitched. Clayton Andrews returned from the 1997 squad and nearly matched Sneed's dominance. He went 10–7 with a 2.28 ERA and had 193 strikeouts in 162 innings pitched. The Suns closer was Jaron Seabury, who had a 1.65 ERA in 45 games with 17 saves. The Suns won the first-half division title and finished with the best record in the Northern Division. They made the playoffs and won in the first round, but did not advance to the championship because the league now had a three-round playoff format featuring 8 out of 14 teams. In the second round, the Suns would lose to the eventual league champion Capital City Bombers.[9]

In 1999, Jay Gibbons was the best all-around hitter. In 71 games, Gibbons batted .305 with 16 home runs and 69 RBI. Second basemen Jorge Nunez batted .268 with 14 home runs and 61 RBI, while leading the team with 51 stolen bases. Outfielder Ryan Fleming hit .335 in 61 games. Tyler Thompson led the team with 17 homeruns and RBI with 81. Pasqual Coco went 9–1 in 14 starts with a 2.21 ERA. Scott Cassidy won a team-leading 13 games in 27 starts in 170.2 innings. He struck out 178 batters, leading the team. The Suns bullpen got a strong season from closer Jarrod Kingrey. Kingrey had 27 saves and 69 strikeouts in 61 innings. he Suns made the playoffs by winning the first-half division title and wound up with the best overall record in the SAL. They were knocked out of the first round by their division rival, the Cape Fear Crocs. This was the last season that the SAL used a three division (North, Central, and South) format.[10]

The Suns had a losing season in 2000. Reed Johnson hit .290 with 8 home runs and 70 RBI in 95 games. Kevin Cash led the team in home runs with 10, while also contributing 27 RBI in 59 games. He displayed great defense by throwing out 55 percent of potential base stealers. Shortstop Brandon Jackson led the team with a .312 batting average, while outfielder Shannon Carter stole a team-leading 33 bases. Marcos Sandoval led the Suns with 163.2 innings pitched, while Travis Hubbel posted a 3.89 ERA in 19 starts. Matt Ford, a 19-year-old left-hander, went 5–3 with a 3.87 ERA in 18 games, 14 of which were starts. He struck out 86 batters in 83 innings with the team. Rob Hamman picked up 8 wins while pitching in 34 games, but only one of them was a start. The most unusual aspect of the season was the bench–clearing brawl that occurred in July against the Columbus Red Stixx at Municipal Stadium. The Suns were losing when Reed Johnson was hit by a pitch that caused outfielder Auntwan Riggins to charge the pitcher from the dugout. The brawl led to so many ejections that Columbus was unable to field a full team and had to forfeit the game to the Suns. Officially, Hagerstown was declared the game's winner by a 9–1 score.[11]

San Francisco Giants (2001–2004) edit

The 2001 season brought on a lot of changes for the Hagerstown Suns. After eight seasons with the Toronto Blue Jays, the team switched its parent club to the San Francisco Giants. The team was also sold to Andy Rayburn.[12] On the field, the Suns returned to winning. The offense got power from Dan Trumble, who led the team with 26 home runs. Outfielder Jason Ellison put together a good season, as he batted .291 with a team leading 19 stolen bases in 130 games. Adam Shabala would post a solid .313 batting average in a span of 70 games. The pitching staff was the best that the Suns had since joining the South Atlantic League, as two pitchers won over 10 games. Boof Bonser tied the Suns' record for wins in a season with 16, while losing just 4 games. He also struck out 178 batters in 134 innings, earning him the South Atlantic League Pitcher of the Year Award. Another player with 10 plus wins was Jeff Clark. Clark would go 14–9 while posting a solid 3.65 Earned Run Average (ERA) in 27 games. The most impressive season for the Suns may have come out of the bullpen, as closer Jackson Markert put together a memorable year. Markert broke the Suns' save record by picking up 39 saves and posting a 2.82 ERA. His success was a big reason why the Suns advanced to the playoffs. After winning the Northern Division second-half title, the Suns entered the playoffs, but came up short as Lexington swept them in two games.[13]

The Suns missed the playoffs in 2002, suffering a losing record. Tyler Von Schell led the Suns in home runs with 14. Julian Benavidez led the way in RBIs. Brandon Florence may have been the best all-around hitter on the team with an batting average of .303, with 11 home runs, and 63 RBI in 109 games. On the pitching side, Anthony Pannone led the Suns with nine wins and led innings pitched with 168.2. Ryan Hannaman put together a nice season with a 2.80 ERA and 145 strikeouts in 131.2 innings. Suns fans also saw a glimpse of what was to come with Francisco Liriano. Liriano went 3–6, but had a 3.59 ERA and struck out 85 batters in 80 innings as an 18-year-old. The Suns finished 20.5 games back of the first place, and eventual league champions Hickory Crawdads.[14] Mandalay Entertainment Group purchased the team from Andy Rayburn.[15]

The team scraped together a winning season in 2003 but did not make the playoffs. The Suns' best power hitter in 2003 was Carlos Sosa, who led the team in both homeruns and RBI with 10 and 63. Derin McMains hit a solid .289 in 54 games before he was promoted to High-A San Jose. Brian Buscher would come to the Suns in the second half and hit .275 in 54 games. The strength of the Suns in 2003 lied in their pitching staff, in which several pitchers had great seasons. Merkin Valdez went 9–5 with a 2.25 ERA in 26 starts. He also led the Suns in innings pitched with 156, and strikeouts with 166. Josh Habel led the team with 11 wins in 36 games, 16 of which were starts. Habel also accumulated 127 strikeouts in 122 innings. Brian Stirm was also solid, as he went 8–5 with a 2.86 ERA in 17 games. Other noteworthy starters for the Suns in 2003 were Clay Hensley and Matt Cain. Hensley went 4–3 with 3.18 ERA in 12 starts before he was promoted to High–A San Jose, but one start in particular was noteworthy. On May 3, 2003, Hensley threw the Suns' only perfect game. He did this by retiring 21 consecutive batters in the second game of a double header against the Kannapolis Intimidators.[16] Meanwhile, Matt Cain went 4–4 in 14 starts with the Suns, while posting a 2.55 ERA. He struck out 90 batters in just 74 innings. In the bullpen, Matt Palmer would have a great season as he went 5–0 with a 1.20 ERA and 25 saves. The Suns pitching staff in 2003 stands out among the best in franchise history.[17]

The 2004 season turned out to be one of the worst seasons for the Suns. They finished in last place in the South Atlantic League North Division, 34.5 games behind the eventual league champion Hickory Crawdads. In his short stay with the team, Nate Schierholtz proved to be the best hitter. He batted .289 with 15 homeruns and 54 RBI in just 59 games. Another productive hitter on the team that year was Travis Ishikawa. Ishikawa had exactly the same home run and RBI total as Schierholtz, with a .257 average in 97 games. Both players were promoted to High-A San Jose before the season's end. Designated hitter Jason Columbus led the team in RBI with 87. The Suns' leader in wins was Juan Serrato, who compiled 8 wins in 26 games, 21 of which were starts. The Suns' best all-around pitcher in 2004 was reliever Joe Bateman. Bateman went 7–5 with a 2.14 ERA in 36 games. He picked up 81 strikeouts in just 70 innings of work before he was promoted to Double-A Norwich. One pitcher of note in the Suns bullpen was Brian Wilson. Wilson's numbers in Hagerstown were not impressive, 2–5 with a 5.34 ERA in 23 games and 3 starts. However, Wilson's later major league performances earned him a spot in the Hagerstown Suns Hall of Fame.[18]

New York Mets (2005–2006) edit

Hagerstown once again changed affiliates in 2005, initiating a two-year stint with the New York Mets. Minor League Baseball teams are known for their promotions, and the Suns had one consistent with the cold weather that Hagerstown has early in the baseball season. The Suns unveiled their "Eskimo Day" promotion including giving every fan a free ice cube and granting free admission to fans indigenous to Alaska, Canada, or any place where Eskimos are part of the culture. There was also a special contest for fans at the ballpark: guessing how long it would take a bucket of ice to melt.[19] On the field, the season began with a seven-game winning streak. On May 8, Hagerstown and Asheville combined for 35 runs in the Suns' 19–16 victory. Hagerstown broke a 16–16 tie with three runs in the 12th inning. The clubs set a South Atlantic League record with 20 extra-base hits, while the 41 hits–23 for Hagerstown—matched a league mark.[20] Also in May, Hagerstown committed seven errors in a game against Delmarva. In June, the Suns qualified for the playoffs in dramatic fashion. Pitcher Gaby Hernandez's 115–pitch no-hitter in a 1–0 win over the West Virginia Power on June 19 set up a one-game playoff between the Suns and Lexington Legends on June 25 for the first-half crown. Both teams completed the first–half regular schedule with 42–28 records. In the one game playoff, the Suns defeated the Legends, 9–4, with Hernandez again taking the mound and the win.[21] The Suns slumped badly during the second half of the season, finishing last in the Northern Division. In September however, Hagerstown won the Northern Division by defeating the second-half Northern Division champion Delmarva Shorebirds two games to one. The Suns were ultimately unsuccessful in their quest for the South Atlantic League championship, losing to the Kannapolis Intimidators, three games to one.

The Suns' prowess in promotions was recognized in 2006 with the award of the "Veeckie" Award from ESPN The Magazine for their "They even gave away the Kitchen Sink" kitchen sink giveaway promotion. The award, named after famous baseball promoter Bill Veeck, is given annually by the magazine to recognize the industry's top promotions each season. The Suns have received a "Veeckie" in three of the previous five years. Earlier winning promotions included the Guinness World Record for the Youngest Broadcaster ever (2002) and the Free Funeral Giveaway (2003), which was also selected as the Promotion of the Year by ESPN the Magazine and was named as one of the top five baseball promotions of all time by Sports Illustrated.[22] The most noteworthy event on the field was an 8–7 loss at Lakewood, a 22-inning marathon that took nearly a week and a half to complete. The game began on April 26, but was called in the 17th inning due to league rules that state an inning cannot be started after 12:30 a.m. It was finally completed on May 6, taking 7 hours and 47 minutes. The 22 innings bested the previous 21-inning South Atlantic League record.[23]

Washington Nationals (2007–2020) edit

In 2007, the Suns became a member of the Washington Nationals farm system. The Suns won few games as the talent-poor Nationals organization rapidly promoted Suns players with potential. Of four players selected for the South Atlantic League All-Star Game (Leonard Davis, Cory VanAllen, Mike Daniel, and Chris Marrero), none actually played because they had been promoted to the Class A-Advanced Potomac Nationals by the time the game occurred.[24] In the promotions area, romance novelist Nora Roberts was honored with a Nora Roberts bobblehead on July 6.[25] Roberts is a resident of Washington County, Maryland, where Hagerstown is located and has been honored by the Suns several times.[26]

There were two significant milestones for the Suns organization in 2008. The first occurred on May 30, when the number 50 was retired in honor of in honor of SAL President Emeritus John Henry Moss. Along with the number-retiring ceremony, the Suns honored Moss with a bronze plaque placed in Municipal Stadium, highlighting his 50 years of service to the league.[27] The second milestone occurred on November 13 when Hagerstown native and Suns Director of Business Operations Carol Gehr was selected as the Rawlings Woman Executive of the Year. The Rawlings Award honors an outstanding woman executive from either Major League or Minor League Baseball. Gehr was with the club in many capacities over a 25-year career spanning six different ownership groups.[28]

A bright spot to an otherwise dismal season in 2009 was the performance of catcher Derek Norris. He led the SAL with a .413 on-base percentage and 90 walks while being named the SAL's Most Outstanding Major League Prospect. He also finished among the top five in the SAL in homers (23), extra-base hits (53), RBIs (84), runs (78), and slugging percentage (.513). He was selected as the designated hitter to the Class A Topps/MiLB All-Star Team, which includes both A-Advanced and A level leagues.[29]

On July 15, 2010, Hagerstown players Steven Souza and J.R. Higley were suspended for using performance-enhancing drugs. Each received 50-game suspensions after testing positive for methylphenidate and ritalinic acid, performance-enhancing substances in violation of the Minor League Drug Prevention and Treatment Program.[30] Souza was a 2010 SAL All-Star. On the field, Eury Perez's four stolen bases in seven innings against Delmarva on August 19 was nominated as one of the Class A games of the year for 2010.[31] Finally, a new ownership group with local ties, Hagerstown Baseball, LLC, purchased the Suns in September 2010 for a reported $6.7 million from Mandalay Sports Entertainment.[32] Mandalay used proceeds of the sale to purchase the Oklahoma City Redhawks Triple-A franchise. The new ownership 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.

 
Bryce Harper playing for the Suns in 2011.

Two number one draft picks dominated the news for the Hagerstown Suns in 2011. Bryce Harper, the overall first pick in the 2010 Major League Baseball draft, started the season with the Suns. Before he moved to the Double-A Harrisburg Senators in mid-season, he played well enough to be selected for the SAL All-Star Game.[33] Later in the season, the 2009 Major League Baseball draft overall first pick, Stephen Strasburg, pitched at Hagerstown on a rehabilitation assignment.[34]

The 2012 season had a tragic beginning when Mitchell Akers, an 18-year-old high school senior who was working with the team, died on April 11. Sources within the league said he fell off the back of a John Deere Gator at Municipal Stadium and later died from his injuries.[35] On the field, 2012 proved to be a banner year for Suns third baseman Matt Skole. He led the SAL in home runs (27), bases on balls (94), on base percentage (.438), and slugging percentage (.574).[36] In addition, Skole was also elected as the Nationals' Minor League Player of the Year and the SAL Player of the Year.[37] The Suns made the divisional playoffs; however, they were swept by the defending SAL champion Greensboro Grasshoppers, two games to none.[38] Discussions concerning the relocation of the Hagerstown Suns to Virginia began circulating.[39] A letter from the Washington Nationals was sent to Suns majority owner Bruce Quinn stating that Hagerstown's 80-year-old Municipal Stadium was no longer up to Major League Baseball standards. Initially, Quinn began discussions with the Winchester Economic Development Authority to relocate the team to Winchester, Virginia, to begin play in 2014. The negotiations failed in part because of the refusal of the Winchester community to provide public funding for a new stadium

In 2013, Hagerstown led the SAL in the offensive categories of runs scored (692), runs batted in (608), and on base percentage (.341).[40] Improving over 2012, the Suns won the SAL Northern Division, but fell to the Savannah Sand Gnats, three games to one in the league championship. Tony Renda was selected as the initial recipient of the Bob Boone Award, granted to the Washington Nationals' minor league player "who best demonstrates the professionalism, leadership, loyalty, passion, selflessness, durability, determination, and work ethic required to play the game the Washington Nationals way."[41] In October 2013, the Suns formally applied to Minor League Baseball to relocate to Fredericksburg, Virginia, for the 2015 season.[42] The Suns and their partners, New Jersey-based Diamond Nation and a Fredericksburg-area automotive company,[43] agreed to purchase a 38-acre stadium site inside the Fredericksburg city limits.[44] The facility was initially planned to be ready for the start of the 2015 season at a cost of $29 million.[45] However, in November 2014 Diamond Nation announced that it was terminating its option to purchase the Suns.[46] A contributing factor in this decision was the increase in estimated cost to build the facility to $53 million.[47]

Hagerstown began the 2014 season with a record of 31 wins and 8 losses, which was the highest winning percentage in the minor leagues. However, the team then went 13–18, finishing with a first-half season record of 44–26. The Greensboro Grasshoppers shared the 44–26 record. However, because Greensboro defeated Hagerstown in three out of four games during the first-half season, Greensboro was awarded the SAL Northern Division first half title. The second-half season proved to be a repeat of the first. Once again, Greensboro and Hagerstown finished in a tie for first, this time with identical 43–27 records. The tie breaker system worked in the Suns' favor this time, because Hagerstown won five of seven games against Greensboro in the second half. Shining brightest among the Suns' everyday players in 2014 was SAL Most Valuable Player Wilmer Difo. The middle infielder led the SAL with 176 hits, placed second with 49 stolen bases, and fourth with 90 runs batted in. Additionly, Difo was the recipient of the 2014 Bob Boone Award.[48] Fellow SAL End-of-Season All-Star Rafael Bautista led the league with 69 steals. The pitching was also a team strength, led by Lucas Giolito who was honored as the league's top pitcher and top major league prospect.[49] The Suns improved their playoff performance over 2013, but it was still not enough to claim the John Henry Moss Cup, symbolic of the SAL championship. The Suns lost the SAL championship series, three games to two, to the Asheville Tourists.[50]

The most unusual game of 2015 occurred on April 15 when the Suns won a 1–0 game against the West Virginia Power despite having no hits. The lone run in the game crossed the plate in the top of the first inning. The Suns loaded the bases after being issued two walks and one batter getting hit. With two outs, left fielder Jeff Gardner drew a walk to force home right fielder Narciso Mesa from third to score the only run of the game.[51] This was the first minor league no-hitter resulting in defeat in a full-season league since 2008.[52] During the year Suns majority owner Bruce Quinn entered into negotiations with Spotsylvania County, Virginia officials to move the Suns. Quinn proposed a 5,000-seat, $30 million stadium, with $28 million borrowed by the county and $2 million paid by the Suns, who would pay a rent of $175,000 annually. Minor League Baseball gave Quinn until July 31 to complete the deal. The deadline passed with no further action.[53]

The 2016 campaign saw a return to postseason play for Hagerstown as the Suns won the first-half Northern Division title by one-half game over the Delmarva Shorebirds. In the Northern Division championship the Suns were swept 2–0 by the Lakewood BlueClaws. The Suns SAL End-of-Season All-Stars were Kevin Gutierrez (third base), Ian Sagdall (utility infielder), and Patrick Anderson (manager).[54]

There were several noteworthy games during the 2017 season. On April 30, the Suns set a single-game record SAL record with 30 hits in a 22 to 4 victory over the Lexington Legends. Hagerstown and Lexington also tied the SAL record of 42 combined hits during the game.[55] Games from June 1 to June 4 set a four-game series attendance record (22,578) at Municipal Stadium as Tim Tebow visited Hagerstown with the Columbia Fireflies.[56] On June 7, Hagerstown and the Greensboro Grasshoppers played a game at Burlington, North Carolina's Burlington Athletic Stadium, home of the short-season rookie Appalachian League Burlington Royals. This was the first full-season Class A game in Burlington since 1964.[57] On Father's Day (June 18) in Lexington, inclement weather caused the Suns and Legends to end their game in an unusual 5 to 5 tie.[58] Ross Combs was recognized as the SAL Sales Executive of the Year.[59]

In 2018, Brandon Groomes was recognized as the SAL Batperson of the Year for the fourth year in a row.[60]

2019 was noteworthy in three respects. It was the last year the Suns fielded a team. Patrick Anderson had a record breaking sixth year managing the team. Finally, the Suns had a record low attendance of 59,686 fans during the season.[61]

Team folds edit

Following the cancelled 2020 season, the team announced in an email to season ticket holders on November 21, 2020, that the Washington Nationals were not renewing their affiliation with the Suns. Team General Manager Travis Painter noted "It is with a heavy heart that I’m writing to let you know that the Washington Nationals have decided not to renew their affiliation with the Hagerstown Suns. This brings 40 years of Hagerstown Suns baseball to a close."[62] On December 9, 2020, the Nationals announced that the Fredericksburg Nationals, formerly the Potomac Nationals of Woodbridge, Virginia, would take over as the club's Low-A affiliate.[63] As part of the minor league restructuring process, Major League Baseball did not invite the Suns to affiliate at any level or with any team, formally ending affiliated minor league baseball in Hagerstown.[64]

South Atlantic League All-Stars and season leaders edit

Major league Baseball (MLB) players who played for the South Atlantic League (SAL) Suns edit

Note: MLB players with Carolina League or Eastern League Suns experience can be found at History of the Hagerstown Suns

List of Hagerstown Suns individual records edit

Note: These records also include Suns players from the Carolina League era (1981–1988). Suns Double-A records are at History of the Hagerstown Suns.

Rivals edit

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

Hagerstown Suns South Atlantic League (SAL) Team Season-by-Season Record edit

Further reading edit

  • Johnson, Lloyd and Wolff, Miles, editors: Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball. Durham, North Carolina Publisher: Baseball America, 2007. Format: Hardback, 767 pp. ISBN 978-1-932391-17-6

References edit

  1. ^ "2013 Mascot Mania". MiLB.com. Retrieved May 8, 2018.
  2. ^ Morgan, Jon (June 24, 1992). "Bowie, Wilmington to get teams in minors shuffle". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved May 4, 2014.
  3. ^ Baker, Kent (September 16, 1992). "Single-A team moves to Hagerstown; Blue Jays affiliate fills city's void". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved May 4, 2014.
  4. ^ Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball. Baseball America. 2007. p. 650.
  5. ^ Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball. Baseball America. 2007. p. 656.
  6. ^ Spedden, Zach (September 15, 2010). "30 Teams in 30 Days: 1995". Hagerstown Suns Fan Club. Retrieved November 11, 2014.
  7. ^ Spedden, Zach (September 16, 2010). "30 Teams in 30 Days: 1996". Hagerstown Suns Fan Club. Retrieved November 11, 2014.
  8. ^ Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball. Baseball America. 2007. p. 673.
  9. ^ Spedden, Zach (September 18, 2010). "30 Teams in 30 Days: 1998". Hagerstown Suns Fan Club. Retrieved November 11, 2014.
  10. ^ Spedden, Zach (September 19, 2010). "30 Teams in 30 Days: 1999". Hagerstown Suns Fan Club. Retrieved November 11, 2014.
  11. ^ Spedden, Zach (September 20, 2010). "30 Teams in 30 Days: 1999". Hagerstown Suns Fan Club. Retrieved November 11, 2014.
  12. ^ Greene, Julie (January 13, 2001). "New Suns owner has passion for baseball". The Herald-Mail. Hagerstown, Maryland. Retrieved September 25, 2014.
  13. ^ Spedden, Zach (September 22, 2010). "30 Teams in 30 Days: 1981". Hagerstown Suns Fan Club. Retrieved September 25, 2014.
  14. ^ Spedden, Zach (September 22, 2010). "30 Teams in 30 Days: 1982". Hagerstown Suns Fan Club. Retrieved September 25, 2014.
  15. ^ Butki, Scott (December 6, 2002). "New Suns owner has passion for baseball". The Herald-Mail. Hagerstown, Maryland. Retrieved September 26, 2014.
  16. ^ "Hensley Achieves Perfection". Baseball America. September 23, 2010. Retrieved September 25, 2014.
  17. ^ Spedden, Zach (September 22, 2010). "30 Teams in 30 Days: 2003". Hagerstown Suns Fan Club. Retrieved September 25, 2014.
  18. ^ Spedden, Zach (September 22, 2010). "30 Teams in 30 Days: 2004". Hagerstown Suns Fan Club. Retrieved September 25, 2014.
  19. ^ Justic, Eric (September 28, 2005). "Flashback: April in the South Atlantic League". mlb.com. Retrieved May 6, 2014.
  20. ^ Justic, Eric (September 29, 2005). "Flashback: May in the South Atlantic League". mlb.com. Retrieved May 6, 2014.
  21. ^ "South Atlantic League Notebook for June 22, 2005".
  22. ^ "Suns cap season with ESPN 'Veeckie' award". milb.com. September 19, 2006. Retrieved May 9, 2014.
  23. ^ Storm, Stephanie (May 8, 2006). "South Atlantic League Notebook for the week ending May 6". milb.com. Retrieved May 9, 2014.
  24. ^ "Davis joins Sally All-Stars". MiLB.com. June 26, 2007. Retrieved May 17, 2014.
  25. ^ "Hagerstown celebrates Nora Roberts". milb.com. May 26, 2007. Retrieved May 17, 2014.
  26. ^ "Suns release 2007 promotional schedule". MiLB.com. April 2, 2007. Retrieved May 17, 2014.
  27. ^ "Suns to honor John Henry Moss". MiLB.com. May 29, 2008. Retrieved May 17, 2014.
  28. ^ "Suns' Gehr is top Woman Executive of 2008". milb.com. November 13, 2008. Retrieved May 17, 2014.
  29. ^ "Topps, MiLB name Class A All-Stars". MiLB.com. November 25, 2009. Retrieved May 18, 2014.
  30. ^ "All-Star Souza banned for 50 games". MiLB.com. July 15, 2010. Retrieved May 18, 2014.
  31. ^ "Cast your ballot for MiLB's Top Games". milb.com. October 25, 2010. Retrieved May 18, 2014.
  32. ^ "Hagerstown Suns baseball team reportedly sold to investor group". Cumberland Times-News. Cumberland, Maryland. September 18, 2010. Retrieved May 18, 2014.
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External links edit

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hagerstown, suns, this, article, about, south, atlantic, league, carolina, league, eastern, league, history, were, minor, league, baseball, team, based, hagerstown, maryland, they, were, member, south, atlantic, league, from, 2007, through, 2020, were, class, . This article is about the Hagerstown Suns of the South Atlantic League For the Hagerstown Suns of the Carolina League and Eastern League see History of the Hagerstown Suns The Hagerstown Suns were a Minor League Baseball team based in Hagerstown Maryland They were a member of the South Atlantic League and from 2007 through 2020 were the Class A affiliate of the Washington Nationals They played their home games at Municipal Stadium which was opened in 1930 and seats 4 600 people The team mascot was Woolie a giant woolly bear caterpillar 1 Hagerstown Suns1981 2020Hagerstown MarylandTeam logo Cap insigniaMinor league affiliationsClassClass A 1993 2020 Previous classesDouble A 1989 1992 Class A 1981 1988 LeagueSouth Atlantic League 1993 2020 Previous leaguesEastern League 1989 1992 Carolina League 1981 1988 Major league affiliationsTeamWashington Nationals 2007 2020 Previous teamsNew York Mets 2005 2006 San Francisco Giants 2001 2004 Toronto Blue Jays 1993 2000 Baltimore Orioles 1982 1992 Co op 1981 Minor league titlesLeague titles 1 1981Division titles 7 1981198619941998200520132014Team dataNameHagerstown Suns 1981 2020 ColorsRed navy blue white MascotWoolie B 2001 2020 Jay Jay 1993 2000 Sunny 1987 1992 BallparkMunicipal Stadium 1981 2020 Owner s Operator s Hagerstown Baseball LLC Contents 1 History 1 1 Toronto Blue Jays 1993 2000 1 2 San Francisco Giants 2001 2004 1 3 New York Mets 2005 2006 1 4 Washington Nationals 2007 2020 1 5 Team folds 2 South Atlantic League All Stars and season leaders 3 Major league Baseball MLB players who played for the South Atlantic League SAL Suns 4 List of Hagerstown Suns individual records 5 Rivals 6 Hagerstown Suns South Atlantic League SAL Team Season by Season Record 7 Further reading 8 References 9 External linksHistory editToronto Blue Jays 1993 2000 edit The ownership of the previous Double A Hagerstown Suns chose to move their existing Hagerstown franchise to Bowie as the Bowie Baysox 2 Hagerstown would not go without though Winston Blenckstone immediately relocated his Myrtle Beach Hurricanes franchise in the Class A South Atlantic League SAL to Hagerstown after the 1992 season and promptly renamed them the Suns 3 The change brought a competitive team to Hagerstown for the 1993 season The offense got steady power production from Mike Coolbaugh who led the team with 16 home runs The best all around hitter on the team proved to be D J Boston Boston hit 315 with 13 home runs and 93 runs batted in RBI Those numbers were good enough to earn him league Most Valuable Player MVP honors 4 Two outfielders Rickey Cradle and Jose Herrera put together solid seasons at the plate for the Suns Herrera hit 317 in 95 games while Cradle belted 13 home runs Brad Cornett led the team in earned run average ERA with a 2 40 mark and also innings pitched with 172 1 Silva went 12 4 with a 2 52 ERA in 142 2 innings In that time frame Silva struck out 161 batters In 1994 the Suns reached the playoffs for the first time since 1991 On offense the team was led by former first round draft choice Shannon Stewart Stewart hit 324 with 4 home runs and 25 RBI in an injury shortened season Tom Evans returned from the 1993 squad hitting 273 with 13 home runs and 48 RBI in 95 games The power was supplied by Lorenzo Delacruz and Ryan Jones who hit 19 and 18 home runs respectively Jones also had a team leading 72 RBI Edwin Hurtado went 11 2 with a 2 95 ERA in 33 games 16 of which were starts The bullpen was headlined by Steve Sinclair and Dave Sinnes Sinclair appeared in 37 games out of the bullpen and picked up a total of 9 wins with 105 innings pitched Sinclair only made one start for the Suns all year Closer Sinnes tied for the South Atlantic League lead with 37 saves 5 In 1995 veteran Jeff Ladd was the home run leader on the team Ladd hit 19 home runs in 95 games before a promotion to Double A Knoxville That turned out to be Ladd s last professional season Bobby Llanos hit 17 home runs and produced a team leading 63 RBI The Suns got stable production behind the plate from Julio Mosquera Mosquera hit 291 in 108 games for the team Brian Smith pitched his way to a 9 1 record in 47 games out of the bullpen and picked up 21 saves along the way He also had 101 strikeouts in 104 innings Doug Meiners proved to be the Suns best starter of the season as he went 8 4 with a 2 99 ERA in 18 starts Another highlight from the starting staff was Tom Davey who went 4 1 with a 3 38 ERA in 8 starts 6 The 1996 campaign was the Suns first losing year in the SAL First basemen Mike Whitlock led the team in home runs 20 and RBI 91 with a 252 batting average while drawing a franchise record 108 walks He did this in 131 games at the age of 19 yet never played a game in the major leagues Another player who displayed power was Craig Wilson Wilson hit 11 home runs with 70 RBI while maintaining a 261 batting average Craig Stone returned from the 1995 squad batting 310 with 10 home runs and 35 RBI in 56 games Mike Johnson won a staff leading 11 games and also had a team leading total of 162 2 innings pitched He made his major league debut a season later with the Baltimore Orioles Tom Davey won 10 games and had a 3 87 ERA in 26 starts 7 In 1997 the offense was led by Luis Lopez who put together one of the best individual years by a Sun ever Lopez batted 358 with 11 home runs and 99 RBI These numbers would give him SAL MVP honors 8 The pitching staff was led by Clint Lawrence who won a team leading 13 games in 26 starts One pitcher who had a bizarre season was starter Gary Glover Glover posted a 3 73 ERA and threw a team leading 173 2 innings He along with John Bale tied for the team lead in strikeouts with 155 Despite these advantages his overall record was 6 17 Those 17 losses set a franchise record The Suns finished in last place 11 games behind first place Charleston West Virginia The 1998 offense got power from catcher first basemen Bobby Cripps Cripps hit 29 home runs and also led the Suns with 88 RBI and threw out 47 percent of would be base stealers in 56 games behind the plate Mike Young batted 282 with 16 home runs and 86 RBI at second base Two other future major league All Stars on the Suns that year were Vernon Wells and Cesar Izturis Wells batted 285 with 11 home runs and 65 RBI Izturis meanwhile had a 262 average with a team leading 20 stolen bases John Sneed had one of the best seasons ever by a Suns pitcher as he won a franchise record 16 games while losing just 2 with a 2 56 ERA in 27 starts He also collected 200 strikeouts in 161 1 innings pitched Clayton Andrews returned from the 1997 squad and nearly matched Sneed s dominance He went 10 7 with a 2 28 ERA and had 193 strikeouts in 162 innings pitched The Suns closer was Jaron Seabury who had a 1 65 ERA in 45 games with 17 saves The Suns won the first half division title and finished with the best record in the Northern Division They made the playoffs and won in the first round but did not advance to the championship because the league now had a three round playoff format featuring 8 out of 14 teams In the second round the Suns would lose to the eventual league champion Capital City Bombers 9 In 1999 Jay Gibbons was the best all around hitter In 71 games Gibbons batted 305 with 16 home runs and 69 RBI Second basemen Jorge Nunez batted 268 with 14 home runs and 61 RBI while leading the team with 51 stolen bases Outfielder Ryan Fleming hit 335 in 61 games Tyler Thompson led the team with 17 homeruns and RBI with 81 Pasqual Coco went 9 1 in 14 starts with a 2 21 ERA Scott Cassidy won a team leading 13 games in 27 starts in 170 2 innings He struck out 178 batters leading the team The Suns bullpen got a strong season from closer Jarrod Kingrey Kingrey had 27 saves and 69 strikeouts in 61 innings he Suns made the playoffs by winning the first half division title and wound up with the best overall record in the SAL They were knocked out of the first round by their division rival the Cape Fear Crocs This was the last season that the SAL used a three division North Central and South format 10 The Suns had a losing season in 2000 Reed Johnson hit 290 with 8 home runs and 70 RBI in 95 games Kevin Cash led the team in home runs with 10 while also contributing 27 RBI in 59 games He displayed great defense by throwing out 55 percent of potential base stealers Shortstop Brandon Jackson led the team with a 312 batting average while outfielder Shannon Carter stole a team leading 33 bases Marcos Sandoval led the Suns with 163 2 innings pitched while Travis Hubbel posted a 3 89 ERA in 19 starts Matt Ford a 19 year old left hander went 5 3 with a 3 87 ERA in 18 games 14 of which were starts He struck out 86 batters in 83 innings with the team Rob Hamman picked up 8 wins while pitching in 34 games but only one of them was a start The most unusual aspect of the season was the bench clearing brawl that occurred in July against the Columbus Red Stixx at Municipal Stadium The Suns were losing when Reed Johnson was hit by a pitch that caused outfielder Auntwan Riggins to charge the pitcher from the dugout The brawl led to so many ejections that Columbus was unable to field a full team and had to forfeit the game to the Suns Officially Hagerstown was declared the game s winner by a 9 1 score 11 San Francisco Giants 2001 2004 edit The 2001 season brought on a lot of changes for the Hagerstown Suns After eight seasons with the Toronto Blue Jays the team switched its parent club to the San Francisco Giants The team was also sold to Andy Rayburn 12 On the field the Suns returned to winning The offense got power from Dan Trumble who led the team with 26 home runs Outfielder Jason Ellison put together a good season as he batted 291 with a team leading 19 stolen bases in 130 games Adam Shabala would post a solid 313 batting average in a span of 70 games The pitching staff was the best that the Suns had since joining the South Atlantic League as two pitchers won over 10 games Boof Bonser tied the Suns record for wins in a season with 16 while losing just 4 games He also struck out 178 batters in 134 innings earning him the South Atlantic League Pitcher of the Year Award Another player with 10 plus wins was Jeff Clark Clark would go 14 9 while posting a solid 3 65 Earned Run Average ERA in 27 games The most impressive season for the Suns may have come out of the bullpen as closer Jackson Markert put together a memorable year Markert broke the Suns save record by picking up 39 saves and posting a 2 82 ERA His success was a big reason why the Suns advanced to the playoffs After winning the Northern Division second half title the Suns entered the playoffs but came up short as Lexington swept them in two games 13 The Suns missed the playoffs in 2002 suffering a losing record Tyler Von Schell led the Suns in home runs with 14 Julian Benavidez led the way in RBIs Brandon Florence may have been the best all around hitter on the team with an batting average of 303 with 11 home runs and 63 RBI in 109 games On the pitching side Anthony Pannone led the Suns with nine wins and led innings pitched with 168 2 Ryan Hannaman put together a nice season with a 2 80 ERA and 145 strikeouts in 131 2 innings Suns fans also saw a glimpse of what was to come with Francisco Liriano Liriano went 3 6 but had a 3 59 ERA and struck out 85 batters in 80 innings as an 18 year old The Suns finished 20 5 games back of the first place and eventual league champions Hickory Crawdads 14 Mandalay Entertainment Group purchased the team from Andy Rayburn 15 The team scraped together a winning season in 2003 but did not make the playoffs The Suns best power hitter in 2003 was Carlos Sosa who led the team in both homeruns and RBI with 10 and 63 Derin McMains hit a solid 289 in 54 games before he was promoted to High A San Jose Brian Buscher would come to the Suns in the second half and hit 275 in 54 games The strength of the Suns in 2003 lied in their pitching staff in which several pitchers had great seasons Merkin Valdez went 9 5 with a 2 25 ERA in 26 starts He also led the Suns in innings pitched with 156 and strikeouts with 166 Josh Habel led the team with 11 wins in 36 games 16 of which were starts Habel also accumulated 127 strikeouts in 122 innings Brian Stirm was also solid as he went 8 5 with a 2 86 ERA in 17 games Other noteworthy starters for the Suns in 2003 were Clay Hensley and Matt Cain Hensley went 4 3 with 3 18 ERA in 12 starts before he was promoted to High A San Jose but one start in particular was noteworthy On May 3 2003 Hensley threw the Suns only perfect game He did this by retiring 21 consecutive batters in the second game of a double header against the Kannapolis Intimidators 16 Meanwhile Matt Cain went 4 4 in 14 starts with the Suns while posting a 2 55 ERA He struck out 90 batters in just 74 innings In the bullpen Matt Palmer would have a great season as he went 5 0 with a 1 20 ERA and 25 saves The Suns pitching staff in 2003 stands out among the best in franchise history 17 The 2004 season turned out to be one of the worst seasons for the Suns They finished in last place in the South Atlantic League North Division 34 5 games behind the eventual league champion Hickory Crawdads In his short stay with the team Nate Schierholtz proved to be the best hitter He batted 289 with 15 homeruns and 54 RBI in just 59 games Another productive hitter on the team that year was Travis Ishikawa Ishikawa had exactly the same home run and RBI total as Schierholtz with a 257 average in 97 games Both players were promoted to High A San Jose before the season s end Designated hitter Jason Columbus led the team in RBI with 87 The Suns leader in wins was Juan Serrato who compiled 8 wins in 26 games 21 of which were starts The Suns best all around pitcher in 2004 was reliever Joe Bateman Bateman went 7 5 with a 2 14 ERA in 36 games He picked up 81 strikeouts in just 70 innings of work before he was promoted to Double A Norwich One pitcher of note in the Suns bullpen was Brian Wilson Wilson s numbers in Hagerstown were not impressive 2 5 with a 5 34 ERA in 23 games and 3 starts However Wilson s later major league performances earned him a spot in the Hagerstown Suns Hall of Fame 18 New York Mets 2005 2006 edit Hagerstown once again changed affiliates in 2005 initiating a two year stint with the New York Mets Minor League Baseball teams are known for their promotions and the Suns had one consistent with the cold weather that Hagerstown has early in the baseball season The Suns unveiled their Eskimo Day promotion including giving every fan a free ice cube and granting free admission to fans indigenous to Alaska Canada or any place where Eskimos are part of the culture There was also a special contest for fans at the ballpark guessing how long it would take a bucket of ice to melt 19 On the field the season began with a seven game winning streak On May 8 Hagerstown and Asheville combined for 35 runs in the Suns 19 16 victory Hagerstown broke a 16 16 tie with three runs in the 12th inning The clubs set a South Atlantic League record with 20 extra base hits while the 41 hits 23 for Hagerstown matched a league mark 20 Also in May Hagerstown committed seven errors in a game against Delmarva In June the Suns qualified for the playoffs in dramatic fashion Pitcher Gaby Hernandez s 115 pitch no hitter in a 1 0 win over the West Virginia Power on June 19 set up a one game playoff between the Suns and Lexington Legends on June 25 for the first half crown Both teams completed the first half regular schedule with 42 28 records In the one game playoff the Suns defeated the Legends 9 4 with Hernandez again taking the mound and the win 21 The Suns slumped badly during the second half of the season finishing last in the Northern Division In September however Hagerstown won the Northern Division by defeating the second half Northern Division champion Delmarva Shorebirds two games to one The Suns were ultimately unsuccessful in their quest for the South Atlantic League championship losing to the Kannapolis Intimidators three games to one The Suns prowess in promotions was recognized in 2006 with the award of the Veeckie Award from ESPN The Magazine for their They even gave away the Kitchen Sink kitchen sink giveaway promotion The award named after famous baseball promoter Bill Veeck is given annually by the magazine to recognize the industry s top promotions each season The Suns have received a Veeckie in three of the previous five years Earlier winning promotions included the Guinness World Record for the Youngest Broadcaster ever 2002 and the Free Funeral Giveaway 2003 which was also selected as the Promotion of the Year by ESPN the Magazine and was named as one of the top five baseball promotions of all time by Sports Illustrated 22 The most noteworthy event on the field was an 8 7 loss at Lakewood a 22 inning marathon that took nearly a week and a half to complete The game began on April 26 but was called in the 17th inning due to league rules that state an inning cannot be started after 12 30 a m It was finally completed on May 6 taking 7 hours and 47 minutes The 22 innings bested the previous 21 inning South Atlantic League record 23 Washington Nationals 2007 2020 edit In 2007 the Suns became a member of the Washington Nationals farm system The Suns won few games as the talent poor Nationals organization rapidly promoted Suns players with potential Of four players selected for the South Atlantic League All Star Game Leonard Davis Cory VanAllen Mike Daniel and Chris Marrero none actually played because they had been promoted to the Class A Advanced Potomac Nationals by the time the game occurred 24 In the promotions area romance novelist Nora Roberts was honored with a Nora Roberts bobblehead on July 6 25 Roberts is a resident of Washington County Maryland where Hagerstown is located and has been honored by the Suns several times 26 There were two significant milestones for the Suns organization in 2008 The first occurred on May 30 when the number 50 was retired in honor of in honor of SAL President Emeritus John Henry Moss Along with the number retiring ceremony the Suns honored Moss with a bronze plaque placed in Municipal Stadium highlighting his 50 years of service to the league 27 The second milestone occurred on November 13 when Hagerstown native and Suns Director of Business Operations Carol Gehr was selected as the Rawlings Woman Executive of the Year The Rawlings Award honors an outstanding woman executive from either Major League or Minor League Baseball Gehr was with the club in many capacities over a 25 year career spanning six different ownership groups 28 A bright spot to an otherwise dismal season in 2009 was the performance of catcher Derek Norris He led the SAL with a 413 on base percentage and 90 walks while being named the SAL s Most Outstanding Major League Prospect He also finished among the top five in the SAL in homers 23 extra base hits 53 RBIs 84 runs 78 and slugging percentage 513 He was selected as the designated hitter to the Class A Topps MiLB All Star Team which includes both A Advanced and A level leagues 29 On July 15 2010 Hagerstown players Steven Souza and J R Higley were suspended for using performance enhancing drugs Each received 50 game suspensions after testing positive for methylphenidate and ritalinic acid performance enhancing substances in violation of the Minor League Drug Prevention and Treatment Program 30 Souza was a 2010 SAL All Star On the field Eury Perez s four stolen bases in seven innings against Delmarva on August 19 was nominated as one of the Class A games of the year for 2010 31 Finally a new ownership group with local ties Hagerstown Baseball LLC purchased the Suns in September 2010 for a reported 6 7 million from Mandalay Sports Entertainment 32 Mandalay used proceeds of the sale to purchase the Oklahoma City Redhawks Triple A franchise The new ownership 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 nbsp Bryce Harper playing for the Suns in 2011 Two number one draft picks dominated the news for the Hagerstown Suns in 2011 Bryce Harper the overall first pick in the 2010 Major League Baseball draft started the season with the Suns Before he moved to the Double A Harrisburg Senators in mid season he played well enough to be selected for the SAL All Star Game 33 Later in the season the 2009 Major League Baseball draft overall first pick Stephen Strasburg pitched at Hagerstown on a rehabilitation assignment 34 The 2012 season had a tragic beginning when Mitchell Akers an 18 year old high school senior who was working with the team died on April 11 Sources within the league said he fell off the back of a John Deere Gator at Municipal Stadium and later died from his injuries 35 On the field 2012 proved to be a banner year for Suns third baseman Matt Skole He led the SAL in home runs 27 bases on balls 94 on base percentage 438 and slugging percentage 574 36 In addition Skole was also elected as the Nationals Minor League Player of the Year and the SAL Player of the Year 37 The Suns made the divisional playoffs however they were swept by the defending SAL champion Greensboro Grasshoppers two games to none 38 Discussions concerning the relocation of the Hagerstown Suns to Virginia began circulating 39 A letter from the Washington Nationals was sent to Suns majority owner Bruce Quinn stating that Hagerstown s 80 year old Municipal Stadium was no longer up to Major League Baseball standards Initially Quinn began discussions with the Winchester Economic Development Authority to relocate the team to Winchester Virginia to begin play in 2014 The negotiations failed in part because of the refusal of the Winchester community to provide public funding for a new stadiumIn 2013 Hagerstown led the SAL in the offensive categories of runs scored 692 runs batted in 608 and on base percentage 341 40 Improving over 2012 the Suns won the SAL Northern Division but fell to the Savannah Sand Gnats three games to one in the league championship Tony Renda was selected as the initial recipient of the Bob Boone Award granted to the Washington Nationals minor league player who best demonstrates the professionalism leadership loyalty passion selflessness durability determination and work ethic required to play the game the Washington Nationals way 41 In October 2013 the Suns formally applied to Minor League Baseball to relocate to Fredericksburg Virginia for the 2015 season 42 The Suns and their partners New Jersey based Diamond Nation and a Fredericksburg area automotive company 43 agreed to purchase a 38 acre stadium site inside the Fredericksburg city limits 44 The facility was initially planned to be ready for the start of the 2015 season at a cost of 29 million 45 However in November 2014 Diamond Nation announced that it was terminating its option to purchase the Suns 46 A contributing factor in this decision was the increase in estimated cost to build the facility to 53 million 47 Hagerstown began the 2014 season with a record of 31 wins and 8 losses which was the highest winning percentage in the minor leagues However the team then went 13 18 finishing with a first half season record of 44 26 The Greensboro Grasshoppers shared the 44 26 record However because Greensboro defeated Hagerstown in three out of four games during the first half season Greensboro was awarded the SAL Northern Division first half title The second half season proved to be a repeat of the first Once again Greensboro and Hagerstown finished in a tie for first this time with identical 43 27 records The tie breaker system worked in the Suns favor this time because Hagerstown won five of seven games against Greensboro in the second half Shining brightest among the Suns everyday players in 2014 was SAL Most Valuable Player Wilmer Difo The middle infielder led the SAL with 176 hits placed second with 49 stolen bases and fourth with 90 runs batted in Additionly Difo was the recipient of the 2014 Bob Boone Award 48 Fellow SAL End of Season All Star Rafael Bautista led the league with 69 steals The pitching was also a team strength led by Lucas Giolito who was honored as the league s top pitcher and top major league prospect 49 The Suns improved their playoff performance over 2013 but it was still not enough to claim the John Henry Moss Cup symbolic of the SAL championship The Suns lost the SAL championship series three games to two to the Asheville Tourists 50 The most unusual game of 2015 occurred on April 15 when the Suns won a 1 0 game against the West Virginia Power despite having no hits The lone run in the game crossed the plate in the top of the first inning The Suns loaded the bases after being issued two walks and one batter getting hit With two outs left fielder Jeff Gardner drew a walk to force home right fielder Narciso Mesa from third to score the only run of the game 51 This was the first minor league no hitter resulting in defeat in a full season league since 2008 52 During the year Suns majority owner Bruce Quinn entered into negotiations with Spotsylvania County Virginia officials to move the Suns Quinn proposed a 5 000 seat 30 million stadium with 28 million borrowed by the county and 2 million paid by the Suns who would pay a rent of 175 000 annually Minor League Baseball gave Quinn until July 31 to complete the deal The deadline passed with no further action 53 The 2016 campaign saw a return to postseason play for Hagerstown as the Suns won the first half Northern Division title by one half game over the Delmarva Shorebirds In the Northern Division championship the Suns were swept 2 0 by the Lakewood BlueClaws The Suns SAL End of Season All Stars were Kevin Gutierrez third base Ian Sagdall utility infielder and Patrick Anderson manager 54 There were several noteworthy games during the 2017 season On April 30 the Suns set a single game record SAL record with 30 hits in a 22 to 4 victory over the Lexington Legends Hagerstown and Lexington also tied the SAL record of 42 combined hits during the game 55 Games from June 1 to June 4 set a four game series attendance record 22 578 at Municipal Stadium as Tim Tebow visited Hagerstown with the Columbia Fireflies 56 On June 7 Hagerstown and the Greensboro Grasshoppers played a game at Burlington North Carolina s Burlington Athletic Stadium home of the short season rookie Appalachian League Burlington Royals This was the first full season Class A game in Burlington since 1964 57 On Father s Day June 18 in Lexington inclement weather caused the Suns and Legends to end their game in an unusual 5 to 5 tie 58 Ross Combs was recognized as the SAL Sales Executive of the Year 59 In 2018 Brandon Groomes was recognized as the SAL Batperson of the Year for the fourth year in a row 60 2019 was noteworthy in three respects It was the last year the Suns fielded a team Patrick Anderson had a record breaking sixth year managing the team Finally the Suns had a record low attendance of 59 686 fans during the season 61 Team folds edit Following the cancelled 2020 season the team announced in an email to season ticket holders on November 21 2020 that the Washington Nationals were not renewing their affiliation with the Suns Team General Manager Travis Painter noted It is with a heavy heart that I m writing to let you know that the Washington Nationals have decided not to renew their affiliation with the Hagerstown Suns This brings 40 years of Hagerstown Suns baseball to a close 62 On December 9 2020 the Nationals announced that the Fredericksburg Nationals formerly the Potomac Nationals of Woodbridge Virginia would take over as the club s Low A affiliate 63 As part of the minor league restructuring process Major League Baseball did not invite the Suns to affiliate at any level or with any team formally ending affiliated minor league baseball in Hagerstown 64 South Atlantic League All Stars and season leaders editSuns South Atlantic League End of Season All Stars Position Name Year Notes Pitcher Sneed John 1998 Pitcher Andrews Clayton 1998 South Atlantic League Pitcher of the Year Pitcher Bonser Boof 2001 South Atlantic League Pitcher of the Year Pitcher Habel Josh 2003 Pitcher Giolito Lucas 2014 South Atlantic League Pitcher of the Year Catcher Mosquera Julio 1995 First baseman Boston D J 1993 South Atlantic League Most Valuable Player First baseman Lopez Luis 1997 South Atlantic League Most Valuable Player First Baseman Marmolejos Jose 2015 Second baseman Abernathy Brent 1997 Second baseman Lombardozzi Steve 2009 Second baseman Difo Wilmer 2014 South Atlantic League Most Valuable Player Second baseman Nole Jake 2017 Third baseman Skole Matthew 2012 South Atlantic League Most Valuable Player Third baseman Gutierrez Kelvin 2016 Shortstop Jackson Brandon 2000 Outfielder Herrera Jose 1993 Outfielder Bautista Rafael 2014 Outfielder Johnson Daniel 2017 Utility infielder Renda Tony 2013 Utility infielder Sagdal Ian 2016 Utility outfielder Wells Vernon 1998 Utility outfielder Hood Destin 2010 Designated hitter Durso Joe 1994 Designated hitter Ladd Jeff 1995 Designated hitter Whitlock Mike 1996 Designated hitter Cripps Bobby 1998 Designated hitter Gibbons Jay 1999 Designated hitter Norris Derek 2009 Designated hitter Bloxom Justin 2010 Manager Keister Tripp 2013 Manager Anderson Patrick 2016 Suns South Atlantic League Season Leaders Batting Year Name Category Number 1994 Ramirez Angel Triples 14 1995 Ladd Jeff On base percentage min 2 7 PA per team game 454 1995 Ladd Jeff Slugging percentage min 2 7 PA per team game 563 1995 Ladd Jeff On base plus slugging percentage min 2 7 PA per team game 1 017 1996 Solano Fausto Plate appearances 617 1996 Solano Fausto Caught stealing 25 1996 Whitlock Mike Intentional bases on balls 9 1997 Lopez Luis Batting average min 2 7 PA per team game 358 1997 Lopez Luis Hits 180 1997 Lopez Luis On base percentage min 2 7 PA per team game 430 1998 Young Michael Games played 140 1999 Nunez Jorge Runs scored 116 1999 Nunez Jorge Triples 11 1999 Lopez Felipe Struck out 157 2002 Benavidez Julian Struck out 148 2005 Gomez Carlos Stolen bases 64 2005 Gomez Carlos Caught stealing 24 2006 Evans Nick Games played 137 2009 Norris Derek Walks 90 2009 Norris Derek On base percentage min 2 7 PA per team game 413 2010 Perez Eury Stolen bases 64 2011 Sanchez Adrian At bats 538 2011 Kelso Blake Hits 150 2012 Skole Matt Home runs 27 2012 Skole Matt Walks 94 2012 Skole Matt On base percentage min 2 7 PA per team game 438 2012 Skole Matt Slugging percentage min 2 7 PA per team game 574 2012 Skole Matt On base plus slugging percentage min 2 7 PA per team game 1 013 2013 Renda Tony Games played 135 2013 Renda Tony At bats 521 2013 Renda Tony Runs scored 99 2013 Renda Tony Doubles 43 2014 Difo Wilmer Games played 136 2014 Difo Wilmer At bats 559 2014 Bautista Rafael Runs scored 97 2014 Difo Wilmer Hits 176 2014 Bautista Rafael Stolen bases 69 1993 Santiago Henry Triples 12 1993 Herrera Jose Caught stealing 20 2015 Marmolejos Jose Hits 145 2015 Marmolejos Jose Doubles 39 2015 Marmalejos Jose Runs batted in 87 2015 Marmalejos Jose Total bases 227 2017 Perkins Blake Runs Scored 105 2017 Perkins Blake Walks 72 Suns South Atlantic League Season Leaders Pitching Year Name Category Number 1997 Glover Gary Losses 17 1997 LaChappelle Yan Fewest hits per 9 innings min 0 8 IP per team game 5 5 1998 Sneed John Wins 16 1998 Sneed John Winning percentage min 1 decision per 10 team games 889 16 2 1999 Casey Joe Losses 14 Tied with one other 1999 Smith Taylor Games started 28 1999 Casey Joe Games started 28 1999 Smith Taylor Innings pitched 171 1 1999 Casey Joe Hit batsmen 21 1999 Casey Joe Wild pitches 25 1999 Smith Taylor Batters faced 724 2000 Sandoval Marcos Home runs allowed 20 2001 Bonser Boof Wins 16 2001 Bonser Boof Fewest hits per 9 innings min 0 8 IP per team game 6 1 2001 Bonser Boof Strikeouts per 9 innings min 0 8 IP per team game 12 0 2003 Palmer Matt Saves 25 2003 Valdez Merken Strikeouts 166 2003 Valdez Merken Strikeouts per 9 innings min 0 8 IP per team game 9 6 2004 Alvarez Timothy Saves 22 Tied with 1 other 1994 Sinnes David Saves 37 tied with 1 other 1998 Andrews Clayton Earned run average ERA min 0 8 IP per team game 2 28 2005 Miramontes Matthew Hit batsmen 19 2008 Kimball Cole Hit batsmen 17 2011 Grace Matt Wins 12 2017 Mills McKenzie Wins 12Major league Baseball MLB players who played for the South Atlantic League SAL Suns editNote MLB players with Carolina League or Eastern League Suns experience can be found at History of the Hagerstown Suns List of MLB Players with SAL Suns Experience 1993 2019 Current as of October 16 2021 Bold MLB All Star Rehab Assignment Player name Year s with Suns Player name Year s with Suns Player name Year s with Suns Player name Year s with Suns Brent Abernathy 1997 Joan Adon 2019 Clayton Andrews 1997 1998 Rick Ankiel 2012 Luis Atilano 2008 Pedro Avila 2016 Dakota Bacus 2013 John Bale 1997 Tres Barrera 2017 Aaron Barrett 2012 Rafael Bautista 2014 2019 Casey Blake 1996 Tony Blanco 2007 Boof Bonser 2001 James Bourque 2016 2017 Brian Bowles 1997 1998 Ben Braymer 2017 2018 Ryan Buchter 2008 Billy Burns 2012 Brian Burres 2002 Brian Buscher 2003 Drew Butera 2006 Matt Cain 2003 Mike Carp 2005 Kevin Cash 2000 Scott Cassidy 1999 Angel Chavez 2001 Matt Chico 2009 Pasqual Coco 1999 A J Cole 2011 Mike Coolbaugh 1993 Brad Cornett 1993 Jon Coutlangus 2004 Rickey Cradle 1993 Joe Davenport 1995 1996 1997 Tom Davey 1995 1996 Felix Diaz 2001 Wilmer Difo 2013 2014 Jason Ellison 2001 Jesse English 2004 Marco Estrada 2007 Leo Estrella 1998 Nick Evans 2006 Tom Evans 1993 1994 Bryan Eversgerd 1997 Erick Fedde 2015 Aaron Fletcher 2019 Jesus Flores 2005 Matt Ford 2000 David Freitas 2011 Luis Garcia pitcher 2010 Luis Garcia infielder 2018 Chad Gaudin 2011 Jay Gibbons 1999 Lucas Giolito 2014 2016 Gary Glover 1997 Koda Glover 2015 Carlos Gomez 2005 Brian Goodwin 2012 Matt Grace 2011 Franklyn Gracesqui 2000 Beiker Graterol 1997 Taylor Guilbeau 2016 Kelvin Gutierrez 2016 Bryce Harper 2011 Taylor Hearn 2016 Brad Hennessey 2003 Clay Hensley 2003 Jose Herrera 1993 Taylor Hill 2012 Steve Holm 2003 Destin Hood 2010 Orlando Hudson 1999 Edwin Hurtado 1994 Travis Ishikawa 2004 Cesar Izturis 1998 Juan Jaime 2009 Daniel Johnson 2017 Mike Johnson 1996 Reed Johnson 2000 Taylor Jordan 2010 2011 2012 Nate Karns 2012 Austin Kearns 2008 Carter Kieboom 2017 Spencer Kieboom 2014 Cole Kimball 2008 2012 Gabe Klobosits 2017 2019 Justin Knoedler 2002 Jeff Kobernus 2010 2014 Joe Lawrence 1997 Sandy Leon 2009 2010 Fred Lewis 2003 Francisco Liriano 2002 Steve Lombardozzi Jr 2009 Felipe Lopez 1999 Luis Lopez 1997 Reynaldo Lopez 2013 2014 Mark Lukasiewicz 1996 Trey Lunsford 2001 Jim Mann 1997 Jose Marmolejos 2015 Chris Marrero 2007 2012 J D Martin 2016 Fernando Martinez 2006 Michael Martinez 2007 Sandy Martinez 1993 Ryan Mattheus 2013 Justin Maxwell 2007 Pat McCoy 2009 Adam Melhuse 1994 Alex Meyer 2012 Justin Miller 2019 Tommy Milone 2008 Garrett Mock 2010 Tyler Moore 2009 Nyjer Morgan 2010 A J Morris 2009 Michael Morse 2012 Julio Mosquera 1995 Carlos Muniz 2005 Scott Munter 2003 Sheldon Neuse 2017 Adrian Nieto 2010 2011 2012 Jonathon Niese 2006 Jake Noll 2016 2017 Derek Norris 2009 Jhonny Nunez 2007 Scott Olsen 2010 Matt Palmer 2003 Bobby Parnell 2006 Brad Peacock 2008 2009 Eury Perez 2010 Josh Phelps 1998 Nick Pivetta 2014 Matt Purke 2012 2013 2015 Guillermo Quiroz 2000 Wilson Ramos 2014 Robbie Ray 2011 Raudy Read 2015 Pokey Reese 2008 Jakson Reetz 2016 Tony Renda 2013 Alex Rios 2000 Felipe Rivero 2014 Ken Robinson 1993 1994 Victor Robles 2016 Francisco Rodriguez 2017 Jefry Rodriguez 2014 2015 2016 Mike Romano 1994 Seth Romero 2018 Joe Ross 2016 Billy Sadler 2003 Ryan Sadowski 2004 Adrian Sanchez 2010 2011 Anthony Sanders 1995 Francisco Santos 2001 Nate Schierholtz 2004 Max Schrock 2016 Zack Segovia 2008 Atahualpa Severino 2008 Pedro Severino 2013 Adam Shabala 2001 Sterling Sharp 2017 Jose Silva 1993 Steve Sinclair 1994 Matt Skole 2012 Doug Slaten 2011 Brian Smith 1995 Josh Smoker 2008 2010 2012 Jake Smolinski 2008 Jhonatan Solano 2007 2008 Sammy Solis 2010 2011 2014 2016 Steven Souza 2008 2009 2010 2012 2014 Juan Soto 2017 2018 Denard Span 2014 2015 Andrew Stevenson 2015 Shannon Stewart 1993 Josh Stinson 2006 Drew Storen 2009 Stephen Strasburg 2011 Wander Suero 2014 Michael Taylor 2010 2011 Andy Thompson 1994 Erick Threets 2001 2002 2003 Dan Uggla 2015 Merkin Valdez 2003 Phillips Valdez 2014 2015 Felipe Vazquez 2014 Austin Voth 2013 Jason Waddell 2002 2003 Chien Ming Wang 2011 2012 Vernon Wells 1998 Austen Williams 2015 Brian Wilson 2004 Cody Wilson 2019 Craig A Wilson 1996 Kevin Witt 1995 Chris Woodward 1996 Michael Young 1998 Ryan Zimmerman 2011 Jordan Zimmermann 2010 Eddie Zosky 1993 List of Hagerstown Suns individual records editNote These records also include Suns players from the Carolina League era 1981 1988 Suns Double A records are at History of the Hagerstown Suns Single A Individual Single Season Batting Records Record Name Year Number Batting average 2 7 PA league game Luis Lopez 1997 358 On base percentage 2 7 PA league game Jeff Ladd 1995 454 Slugging percentage 2 7 PA league game Matthew Tyner 1981 598 On base plus slugging percentage OPS 2 7 PA league game Jeff Ladd 1995 1 017 At bats Jorge Nunez 1999 564 Runs Ken Gerhart 1983 131 Hits Luis Lopez 1997 180 Total bases Ken Gerhart 1983 275 Doubles Luis Lopez 1997 47 Home runs Ken Gerhart Matthew Tyner 1983 1981 31 Triples Angel Ramirez 1994 14 RBI Leo Gomez 1987 110 Walks Mike Whitlock 1996 108 Strikeouts Felipe Gomez 1999 157 Stolen bases Don Buford Pete Stanicek 1988 1986 77 Hit by pitch Reed Johnson Rob Mummau 2000 1995 14 Sacrifice hits Eury Perez 2010 21 Sacrifice flies Michael Eberle 1988 11 Intentional walks Derek Norms John Stefero 2009 1981 9 Grounded into double plays David Freitas 2011 17 Most games Michael Young 1998 140 Single A Individual Single Season Pitching Records Record Name Year Number Earned run average ERA 0 8 IP per league game Jeff Ballard 1986 1 85 Wins Boof Bonser John Sneed 2001 1998 16 Walks and hits per inning pitched WHIP 0 8 IP per league game Clayton Andrews 1998 975 Hits allowed 9IP 0 8 IP per league game Yan LaChapelle 1997 5 5 Walks 9IP 0 8 IP per league game Jeff Clark 2001 0 9 Strikeouts 9IP 0 8 IP per league game Boof Bonser 2001 12 0 Saves Jackson Markert 2001 39 Innings Gary Glover 1997 173 Strikeouts John Sneed 1998 210 Complete games Robert Konopa 1983 10 Shutouts Robert Konopa Richard Cratch Mike Johnson Isabel Giron 1983 1983 1996 1998 3 Walks allowed Mark Leiter 1984 108 Hits allowed Marcus Sandoval 2000 188 Strikeout to walk 0 8 IP per league game Jeff Clark 2001 8 73 Losses Gary Glover 1997 17 Earned runs allowed Mark Leiter 1984 87 Wild pitches Joe Casey 1999 25 Hit batsmen Cameron Reiters 2000 21 Batters faced Gary Glover 1997 751 Games finished Carlos Concepcion 1983 50Rivals editThe Suns had an in state rivalry with the Delmarva Shorebirds an affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles This particular rivalry was also fueled by the regional rivalry between the two parent clubs Hagerstown Suns South Atlantic League SAL Team Season by Season Record editSuns SAL Season by Season Record Season Affiliation Manager Record Finish Postseason Attendance 1993 Toronto Jim Nettles 74 68 4th 95 702 1994 Toronto Omar Malave 80 56 2nd Defeated Hickory in first round 2 0 Lost to Savannah in league championship 3 0 111 660 1995 Toronto Omar Molave 73 68 5th 113 438 1996 Toronto Joe Cannon 70 71 3rd 102 765 1997 Toronto Joe Cannon 65 73 4th 115 011 1998 Toronto Marty Pevy 81 60 1st Half 1st 44 26 2nd Half 3rd 37 34 Defeated Delmarva in first round 2 0 Lost in semifinals to Capital City 2 1 109 932 1999 Toronto Rolando Pino 84 56 1st Half 1st 48 23 2nd Half 2nd 36 33 Lost to Cape Fear in quarterfinals 2 0 105 380 2000 Toronto Rolando Pino 63 74 11th 102 443 2001 San Francisco Bill Hayes 83 57 1st Half 3rd 38 32 2nd Half 1st 45 25 Lost to Lexington 2 0 in Northern Division championship 100 690 2002 San Francisco Mike Ramsey 63 77 7th 103 188 2003 San Francisco Mike Ramsey 68 67 3rd 100 865 2004 San Francisco Mike Ramsey 40 88 8th 128 508 2005 New York Mets Gene Richards 71 66 1st Half 1st tie 42 28 2nd Half 8th 29 38 Defeated Lexington 1 0 in Northern Division 1st half playoff Defeated Delmarva 2 1 in Northern Division championship Lost to Kannapolis 3 1 in league championship 153 675 2006 New York Mets Frank Cacciatore 58 82 8th 149 188 2007 Washington Tom Herr 55 81 1st Half 7th 29 38 2nd Half 8th 26 43 146 763 2008 Washington Darnell Coles 61 78 1st Half 5th 34 35 2nd Half 6th 27 43 137 283 2009 Washington Matt LeCroy 56 78 1st Half 6th 31 36 2nd Half 8th 25 42 137 283 2010 Washington Matt LeCroy 65 75 1st Half 3rd 36 34 2nd Half 6th 29 41 135 799 2011 Washington Brian Daubach 56 78 1st Half 3rd 40 30 2nd Half 4th 35 34 123 593 2012 Washington Brian Daubach 82 58 1st Half 2nd 42 37 2nd Half 1st 40 28 Lost to Greensboro 2 0 in Northern Division championship 87 429 2013 Washington Tripp Keister 80 57 1st Half 1st 38 29 2nd Half 2nd 42 28 Defeated West Virginia 2 1 in Northern Division championship Lost to Savannah 3 1 in league championship 65 606 2014 Washington Patrick Anderson 87 53 1st Half 2nd 44 26 2nd Half 1st 43 27 Defeated Greensboro 2 0 in Northern Division Championship Lost to Asheville 3 2 in league championship 61 683 2015 Washington Patrick Anderson 68 70 1st Half 3rd 35 33 2nd Half 5th 33 37 68 688 2016 Washington Patrick Anderson 83 57 1st Half 1st 43 27 2nd Half 2nd 40 30 Lost to Lakewood 2 0 in Northern Division championship 82 526 2017 Washington Patrick Anderson 73 63 1st Half 3rd 38 31 2nd Half 4th 35 32 84 181 2018 Washington Patrick Anderson 52 81 1st Half 7th 27 41 2nd Half 7th 25 40 64 957 2019 Washington Patrick Anderson 65 75 1st Half 5th 30 40 2nd Half 5th 35 35 59 686Further reading editJohnson Lloyd and Wolff Miles editors Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball Durham North Carolina Publisher Baseball America 2007 Format Hardback 767 pp ISBN 978 1 932391 17 6References edit 2013 Mascot Mania MiLB com Retrieved May 8 2018 Morgan Jon June 24 1992 Bowie Wilmington to get teams in minors shuffle The Baltimore Sun Retrieved May 4 2014 Baker Kent September 16 1992 Single A team moves to Hagerstown Blue Jays affiliate fills city s void The Baltimore Sun Retrieved May 4 2014 Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball Baseball America 2007 p 650 Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball Baseball America 2007 p 656 Spedden Zach September 15 2010 30 Teams in 30 Days 1995 Hagerstown Suns Fan Club Retrieved November 11 2014 Spedden Zach September 16 2010 30 Teams in 30 Days 1996 Hagerstown Suns Fan Club Retrieved November 11 2014 Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball Baseball America 2007 p 673 Spedden Zach September 18 2010 30 Teams in 30 Days 1998 Hagerstown Suns Fan Club Retrieved November 11 2014 Spedden Zach September 19 2010 30 Teams in 30 Days 1999 Hagerstown Suns Fan Club Retrieved November 11 2014 Spedden Zach September 20 2010 30 Teams in 30 Days 1999 Hagerstown Suns Fan Club Retrieved November 11 2014 Greene Julie January 13 2001 New Suns owner has passion for baseball The Herald Mail Hagerstown Maryland Retrieved September 25 2014 Spedden Zach September 22 2010 30 Teams in 30 Days 1981 Hagerstown Suns Fan Club Retrieved September 25 2014 Spedden Zach September 22 2010 30 Teams in 30 Days 1982 Hagerstown Suns Fan Club Retrieved September 25 2014 Butki Scott December 6 2002 New Suns owner has passion for baseball The Herald Mail Hagerstown Maryland Retrieved September 26 2014 Hensley Achieves Perfection Baseball America September 23 2010 Retrieved September 25 2014 Spedden Zach September 22 2010 30 Teams in 30 Days 2003 Hagerstown Suns Fan Club Retrieved September 25 2014 Spedden Zach September 22 2010 30 Teams in 30 Days 2004 Hagerstown Suns Fan Club Retrieved September 25 2014 Justic Eric September 28 2005 Flashback April in the South Atlantic League mlb com Retrieved May 6 2014 Justic Eric September 29 2005 Flashback May in the South Atlantic League mlb com Retrieved May 6 2014 South Atlantic League Notebook for June 22 2005 Suns cap season with ESPN Veeckie award milb com September 19 2006 Retrieved May 9 2014 Storm Stephanie May 8 2006 South Atlantic League Notebook for the week ending May 6 milb com Retrieved May 9 2014 Davis joins Sally All Stars MiLB com June 26 2007 Retrieved May 17 2014 Hagerstown celebrates Nora Roberts milb com May 26 2007 Retrieved May 17 2014 Suns release 2007 promotional schedule MiLB com April 2 2007 Retrieved May 17 2014 Suns to honor John Henry Moss MiLB com May 29 2008 Retrieved May 17 2014 Suns Gehr is top Woman Executive of 2008 milb com November 13 2008 Retrieved May 17 2014 Topps MiLB name Class A All Stars MiLB com November 25 2009 Retrieved May 18 2014 All Star Souza banned for 50 games MiLB com July 15 2010 Retrieved May 18 2014 Cast your ballot for MiLB s Top Games milb com October 25 2010 Retrieved May 18 2014 Hagerstown Suns baseball team reportedly sold to investor group Cumberland Times News Cumberland Maryland September 18 2010 Retrieved May 18 2014 Driver David June 21 2011 Duvall leads way at Sally All Star Game MiLB com Retrieved May 18 2014 Marshall Ashley August 23 2011 Lamb outduels Strasburg for Hickory MiLB com Retrieved May 18 2014 Byler Billy April 14 2012 Hagerstown Suns worker dies in accident The Augusta Chronicle Augusta Georgia Retrieved May 22 2014 South Atlantic League 2012 Batting Leaders Wagner James September 7 2012 Nationals minor leaguers of the year Matt Skole and Nathan Karns honored The Washington Post Retrieved May 19 2014 South Atlantic League 2012 Playoffs Retrieved May 20 2014 Lovelace C J August 9 2012 Looking doubtful Suns will move to Winchester The Herald Mail Hagerstown Maryland Retrieved April 27 2014 South Atlantic League 2013 Team Batting Nationals name OF Billy Burns amp RHP Taylor Jordan Minor League Player and Pitcher of the Year Freehling Bill October 1 2013 Hagerstown Suns apply to relocate to Fredericksburg Business Insider Fredericksburg com Archived from the original on December 2 2013 Retrieved October 23 2013 Shok Holly November 6 2013 Hagerstown City Council agrees to pay for upgrades to Municipal Stadium The Herald Mail Hagerstown Maryland Retrieved April 6 2014 Freehling Bill October 21 2013 Slavery museum gives up city land stadium backers reach deal on Celebrate Virginia site The News Desk Fredericksburg com Archived from the original on January 6 2014 Retrieved October 23 2013 Freehling Bill January 3 2014 Stadium groundbreaking planned for spring The News Desk Fredericksburg com Archived from the original on January 6 2014 Retrieved January 5 2014 Gould Pamela November 25 2014 Baseball deal out in city Fredericksburg com Fredericksburg Free Lance Star Retrieved January 12 2015 Gould Pamela December 2 2014 Fredericksburg moving on tax sale of stadium site Fredericksburg com Fredericksburg Free Lance Star Retrieved January 17 2015 Emery Mark September 25 2014 Nats top prospect Giolito visits Washington MiLB com Retrieved September 27 2014 Ballew Bill September 2 2014 South Atlantic League Playoff Preview Minor League Baseball Retrieved September 2 2014 2014 Playoffs Minor League Baseball Retrieved September 14 2014 Pearlstein Eli April 15 2015 Suns split wild series with West Virginia MiLB com Retrieved September 6 2015 Baggerman Mike April 15 2015 Say what Power no hit Suns and lose MiLB com Retrieved September 6 2015 Lovelace C J August 11 2015 Hagerstown Suns strike out again in proposed Virginia move The Herald Mail Hagerstown Maryland Retrieved September 7 2015 Wild Danny August 30 2016 Mundell Keller take home top SAL honors MiLB com Retrieved October 27 2016 Gehl Kevin April 30 2017 Suns Set SAL Record with 30 Hits in 22 4 Win MiLB com Retrieved October 11 2017 Gehl Kevin April 30 2017 Attendance Record Smashed at Muni MiLB com Retrieved October 11 2017 Around the Appy League June 9th Edition MiLB com June 9 2017 Retrieved October 11 2017 Brownfield Brian June 18 2017 Rain Suspends Suns Legends in Tie Game MiLB com Retrieved October 12 2017 Gehl Kevin September 6 2017 Combs Groomes Honored By South Atlantic League MiLB com Retrieved October 12 2017 Gehl Kevin September 4 2018 South Atlantic League Unveils 2018 Awards ballparkdigest com Retrieved December 23 2020 2019 South Atlantic League Baseball Reference Retrieved June 6 2021 Karim Allif November 21 2020 Hagerstown Suns did not have their affiliation with the Washington Nationals renewed WDVM TV Retrieved November 30 2020 Washington Nationals nationals December 9 2020 The Washington Nationals have invited the following four organizations to become Minor League affiliates in Major League Baseball s new player development structure pending acceptance of the invitation Tweet Retrieved December 9 2020 via Twitter Lacques Gabe December 9 2020 Major League Baseball issues invites for minor league affiliates here are teams that didn t make cut USA Today Retrieved December 11 2020 External links editStatistics from Baseball Reference Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Hagerstown Suns amp oldid 1191061905, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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