Yesterday I enjoyed a pleasant Father’s Day evening at Meritus Park, home of the Hagerstown Flying Box Cars.

I know, it sounds a little like a vaudeville act, but this was Atlantic League Professional Baseball in Hagerstown, Maryland, back after a three-year respite during which time, among other things, Meritus Park was built. (Global pandemic happened too but that’s neither here nor there.)

In a word, Meritus Park is cool. It’s replaced Municipal Stadium, one-time home of the Hagerstown Hubs, Owls, Braves, Packets, and Suns, where Willie Mays played his first professional game in 1950 and Franklin and I took in a game in 2019.

I liked Municipal Stadium. But yeah, it’s hard to compare a ballpark built in 1930 with one built last year. This was game #24 at the new stadium and it’s still got that new park smell.

Actually it smells like cinnamon-flavored almonds, an olfactory sensation more intoxicating that Auntie Anne’s, Cinnabon, or Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory.

I think the City of Hagerstown still thinks they’ll someday get a tenant a little higher up than Atlantic League, but for me this works for now.

Yeah, Ty Cobb would’ve balked at the almonds. And the home team lost 8-1.

Still a great Father’s Day though.