Why the Suns do not shine in Hagerstown and how it could change...

This is the long-awaited post on the hometown Hagerstown Suns, what they do wrong, and my ideas on how to help fix them. 

Allow me to preface these comments with this- I LOVE having professional baseball in this town and I do not want to see the Suns leave. 

However, as one watches the mistakes that are made on a regular basis, it appears that could happen. I don't want to see that, so here are some things to think about, at least.

I have doubts that anyone at the Suns management even knows this blog exists, although I KNOW they know who I am, but if they do read this-I hope they take it in the spirit that it is intended.

That is to improve the baseball experience here and to keep pro baseball in Hagerstown!

I will try to get this started in a positive direction and go from there. 

 The Good- Great move getting the Washington affiliation. I was a proponent of this from the day the Nationals moved from Montreal. This is good for the Nats on all levels and good for the fans here. It will take time, the Orioles are still top dog here, but as the Suns' players filter through the Washington system and reach the bigs, the Suns fan base should grow. 

At least far more than players making the bigs in Toronto, San Francisco, or New York anyway. Be patient and this should flower over time to be helpful to the parent and the affiliate. Good Job!

 Free Parking-Many minor teams are charging for parking, the Suns still don't. Good idea and here's why-although the extra bucks it would bring in could not hurt, it would chase a few fans away. Fans that this team desperately needs. Keep it free.

The Suns Kids Club is a good deal-10 bucks for the season, from then on Kids General Admission seats are a buck a game. Good program. Municipal Stadium-Over the course of this topic, you will read items bashing old Municipal, but here is 1 thing, you cannot deny. You will not get closer to the field than you will in Hagerstown. That can be a bad thing (Sitting in a 3rd base box, one takes their life in their own hands), but to me- it's great. A new stadium would solve many issues, but you still wouldn't be this close to the action. This is what I would miss dearly if and when Municipal is gone. 

The OK:  Last year's addition of a team store is nice. Beats the former run-down souvenir stand. It basically is a souped-up storage shed, but an improvement and an upgrade. 

The Bad:  Now I know this is a long list and I will try not to be too harsh. Also, a disclaimer-I know many of the problems at Municipal are not all the Suns fault, the City of Hagerstown has more than their share of the blame for the mess. But for the purposes of this post, I will generalize on the problems with the stadium as if it were one entity. 

I found a club that claims to be in financial distress and then raises general admission prices to be a borderline move, to begin with, but when you don't even acknowledge a raise and only mention it in the middle of a press release for the upcoming season-I find that to be really low rent. If the Suns need the extra $, OK, step up and tell us why you raised it, don't try to slide it under the door! In this case, it is not about the raise, it is about the lack of honesty.

 Here comes one of my biggest complaints. All too often, it seems that the Suns are not selling baseball, they are attempting to be the largest tavern in Washington County. Thirsty Thursday is just an awful night to attend a game. It has gotten to the point that, unless I am in the box seats, I only have half an interest in going and even less in bringing my daughter Rachel. They claim the drunks must stay in a specified area, but they sure do not enforce it well. To be fair, the atmosphere could be worse but could be much better. I am not a prude and have no problem with beer being sold at the park but as your top promotion? The Suns may not feel that is correct, but it is perceived as such and in the public-perception is half the battle. 

 On the topic of promotions. The Suns pat themselves on the back constantly for their "wacky" promotions that they get "national attention" for. The problem is this-it seems like they are booking promotions to make a couple of guys in the office laugh or maybe to get some attention from Baseball America or Ballpark Digest. Nothing wrong with the pub and I am sure some get a few laughs from this stuff, but very few of those guys are attending Hagerstown Suns games, to begin with. If they put 10 asses in the seats last year by giving away a sink filled with peanuts, I would be surprised. Look at some of this crap- Egg Toss championships? Plunger night? Donald vs Rosie night? 150th anniversary of Toilet paper? Ugh! The Suns ran a poll all off-season on what former Suns player would you like to see a bobblehead of. Good idea to me. So the season comes and what are the bobbles? A teacher from James Buchanan Middle School, the Wrestling coach at North Hagerstown High, Woolie B (Mascot), and Nora Roberts. NO PLAYER THAT YOU POLLED ON IN SIGHT!!!!

Now I do not know Nora Roberts or very much about her work, but I do know she is very popular and her yearly appearance at the stadium brings people to the park that usually don't go. That is why you run promotions and that is smart. My mother had not been to a Suns game since I lived at home (19 yrs had gone by), Nora Roberts got her and her money to the ballpark, so even though I have no interest in Ms.Roberts, it is a smart move to keep her involved. I can even see the Mascot (even though he is lame), but this high school coach deal has gone on for 3 years and is not working. Here is a freebie for the Suns-If you want to do High School bobbles, try the school mascot. Williamsport, use the Wildcat, Smithsburg, use the Leopard, North Hagerstown, use whatever the hell a Hub is, but you get the point. That attracts grads of all ages, not just people that know that particular coach. Disclaimer-I still get mad thinking that Williamsport (alma mater) used Larry Wadel as their rep, not the more deserving Glenn Smith. Personal rant over.

Ryan and I attended 3 "fan appreciation days" in 4 days last Labor Day Weekend. Frederick, followed by Mahoning Valley and then Hagerstown. In Frederick, the Keys had tables lined up with leftover items from various promotions and you could take 1 of your choice. I selected a very nice Keys gym bag, Ryan snagged a Keys t-shirt, very well done and organized.

 Two days later- we were in Niles, Ohio to see the Mahoning Valley Scrappers finale and they made the Keys look cheap. We were given Scrapper team card sets, backpacks, hats, 3 ring binders, we could barely carry it all! That's fan appreciation! 

So, the following day, we went to the Suns final game vs Delmarva for "Fan Appreciation Day". The giveaway?A book cover. That is correct- A BOOK COVER! Rachel was tremendously disappointed and deservedly so. I cannot make any further comments on the cheapness of that day.

 A brief word on this year's promotional schedule I must admit as a casual Gilligan's Island fan, Ginger vs Mary Ann day has some interest. But I was interested in last year's "Shoeless Joe Jackson" day, figuring it might be a Jackson giveaway. Instead, the Suns were trying to set a World Record for the number of people in one place not wearing shoes. Insert your eye roll here. So unless it's a Tina Louise or Dawn Wells appearance, this will likely disappoint. I realize giveaways cannot be great every night, but geez, outside of the Suns or Nationals pencil holder, they all look awful. 

 Now to yet another promotion-Feed your face Monday. I have no problem with this, especially if you can get there early to grab the Chick-Fil-a sandwiches before they run out. But this should not be mandatory. They move the price from 7 and 9 to 11 and 13. What if you ate already?What if you just do not want the majority of their crappy food? Tough, you pay anyway. This is a lay-up solution-give out armbands to fans that pay the regular admission prices and they have to pay regular food prices if they want to eat later. Easy one. On the topic of their food- I usually only eat their offerings on FYFM, but even then, I question my decisions on this. I had a hot dog last year that looked (and tasted) like someone had opened an Esskay wrapper, pulled the dog out, and tossed it into a bun. Bleech! Other than the Chicken Tenders, the nicest thing I can say is Awful. Not sure what the solution is here, but they need to start trying something!

The Stadium as stated earlier isn't all their fault, but ......... The bathrooms look (and smell) like no one has cleaned them in years. Your stadium is 77 years old, to a certain degree, there is only so much one can do, but from what I see and smell, you are not doing anything. I am not sure if this is the Suns or the city's responsibility, but someone needs to step up. When you talk to visiting players and hear the comments about the clubhouse and its furnishings, it would be laughable if not so sad. Last year a Lakewood Blue Claw told me that the clubhouse had a couch that was so gross, he would not go close to it or put his stuff on it for fear of ruining it. And he had not played at a facility this bad since Pony League!! 

This year-the "Unnamed Crawdad player" said that some players did not even have lockers, had to keep their bags on the floor"! And that "3 shower heads worked and hot water only came out for a short time". I asked visiting players about the facilities compared to the rest of the SAL, most said it was the worst in the league, although one did say the Asheville stadium was close. Again I do not know which of the Suns or the city is responsible or a combination of the two, but this needs to be addressed, and NOW!!

I have already stated my opinions on how the new GM has treated the autograph collectors on an earlier post, so I will not go into it again, but this is petty as well. Now to the employees, most either act like they are superior, ignore you altogether, or have the energy of a stick of wood. Most act like they do not even care to be there. There are two exceptions to this, one male and one female. Both seem to enjoy their job and are very kind to boot. If I can, I will get names and pictures. That way, you can try to deal with them, if you need anything. 

The girls that "dance" do so halfheartedly- if they do not want to dance, you have two choices. Get someone that does want to dance or eliminate the dancing. Watching someone go through the motions is a waste of time. Pick the solution that you want, either work for me. 

The Music could be freshened up. But to be fair, that is a matter of taste and that will never please everyone. So I am understanding on this, if they got rid of Neil Diamond in the 8th Inning, I would consider it a success.

And finally a small quirk.How about some attention to the South Atlantic League in general? Maybe a small manual scoreboard with scores from around the league? If that is not do-able, how about some score updates 2 or 3 times a night from the PA? A large standings board with all teams logos with records that would be visible in the front concourse? That beats the current small written version on an erasable tote board. You cannot build rivalries if you do not make people care about who you are playing! I complain a lot about the silliness of the South Atlantic League schedule, but that is beyond the Suns' control. The team shop is fine, but it should carry items from the South Atlantic League teams that visit Hagerstown. Even if you keep it to team sets from other teams and hats, that would be a very nice touch. 

The topic of Programs... THREE dollars for a program and the right to score a game??? During my trip to Frederick, As we entered, the Keys hand you a 32-page booklet that has player rosters, a small scorecard, a few fun things for the kids, Oriole farm system info, etc. The cost? Nothing-Totally free. Hagerstown? 3 bucks for a glossy, mostly ad-based program, with rosters and scorecard. Ridiculous, considering the Suns do not have an electronic scoreboard to post player names. So if you choose not to buy this overpriced paper trail, good luck figuring out who is who as the game goes on with player changes.

 My solution? How about 50 cents or a dollar for a small scorecard that comes with a roster sheet? Or better yet, do it the Frederick way-give it for free. The goodwill you generate always comes back in some fashion. So there you go-problems, some solutions, and just general ideas for the Hagerstown Suns. I hope to get some feedback on this one!