Week 2: First Ballgame of the Year - Hagerstown

First, you should know that Andrew and I have visited 13 major league ball parks in his 14 years and nearly as many minor league parks. We both enjoy a day at a baseball game, although we differ on the importance of having a stadium dog. I say it's a necessity. Andrew prefers healthier options!

Second, you should know that we've had the Hagerstown Suns on our list since we arrive in Baltimore. We drive right past the exit every time we head to Ohio. This second road trip of 2010 was a short mileage trip. We left after lunch and headed to McDaniel College in Westminster. Although just a sophomore, Andrew wanted to check out this institution that he found in his book of Colleges That Change Lives.

In addition to lives, McDaniel has changed its name. It was called Western Maryland College. I thought it was a geographic reference, but I learned that it was originally named after a railroad that was owned by the college's first president. The railway is no longer in existence but a train car sits near the McDaniel football field as a reminder of the original moniker. The college changed its name in 2002 to honor an alumnus that had given a lifetime of service to the institution.

Frankly, I was impressed with the McDaniel visit. We arrived just as one of the admissions counselors was starting a tour so we jumped right in. We had a great tour of campus from a recent grad who will be starting to work soon for the state of Maryland. She shared her enthusiasm for McDaniel. I particularly like the president's residence in the center of campus, the historic theatre and the honor code.

After a stop in downtown Westminster for an afternoon snack at Harry's Main Street Grille, we headed further west to Hagerstown. After a self-guided tour through the downtown area of Hagerstown, we settled on the Stadium Grill & Tavern as our dinner spot. The place is actually located within a long home run of the stadium. I enjoyed a mushroom swiss chicken sandwich and Andrew had a Chesapeake wrap and we were ready for the game.

Minor league baseball is booming all over the country, but does not seem to have caught on in Hagerstown despite great marekting efforts. The sport has a long and interesting history at Municipal Stadium, which is celebrating its 80th year and is one of the oldest parks in minor league baseball. The announced attendance for our game was 488.

The modest arriving crowd may account for the request that Andrew and I received shortly after we arrived: to participate in a between inning contest. After we agreed, I learned that I would need to put four tire-like innertubes around my body and run around the bases. I consented because I thought it would provide a memorable experience, and because I didn't know anyone in Hagerstown. Imagine my surprise when I ran into Beth Eubanks, a former Towson athletics colleague, just before game time. She is now working for a baseball agent and was in town visiting with a few players. Oops.

For the record, yes, Andrew did win the contest and took home the Suns t-shirt. I managed not to embarrass myself too much, despite a serious collision at second base. Andrew was taking this entertainment thing much more seriously that I was.

Fortunately, our entertainment was in the first inning and we settled in and watch a great night of baseball. It was true minor league fun -- with interns running promotions and activities all over the ballpark. The baseball team was not able to score a run so the home crowd had little to cheer about. The Suns lost 2-0, wasting a nice pitching performance by Daniel Rosenbaum, a 22-year-old left-hander from Xavier University (one of my previous stops). It appears that Rosenbaum has not had much offensive support all season. He has a 0-4 record in 10 starts, but a terrific 2.83 ERA. Hickory scored single runs in the sixth and seventh innings for the win.

We need to thank Dave Vatz for the seats. Dave, a Maryland grad, is completing an internship in broadcast services with the Suns. We had the chance to hear him give the wrap up the game on the way home. His father, Rick, is an outstanding professor at Towson and one of the best supporters of the basketball program. His son is off to a great start in his career.

It was an uneventful 90-minute drive home for Hagerstown -- no traffic issues at all -- as we ended trip #2 and had another great day!

Mike