Autograph collecting is pretty easy at Municipal Stadium because the teams enter the field from a conjoined clubhouse located down the first base line. In ballparks with clubhouses on opposite sides of the field, it can be a challenge to obtain the autographs you’re seeking, as you’ll need to run back and forth. You won’t need your running shoes here.
Municipal Stadium opens its gates one hour before first pitch, and as soon as you enter, there may be a few players stretching or playing catch on the field. If you’re lucky, the bulk of the players will still be in the clubhouse. Move quickly through the concourse and into the seating area behind home plate. Follow the cross-aisle down the first base line until you reach a gate. The clubhouses are directly ahead of you.
Secure a spot along the fence as close to the clubhouses as possible and be ready. When a player exits, he’l be upon you in several steps, so make sure you’re prepared. Players from both Hagerstown and the visiting club will typically sign along the fence between the clubhouses and the home side’s dugout, which is located on the first base side.
If you miss getting the signatures of any visiting players, head over to the visitors’ dugout on the third base side and try your luck there.
Upon the game’s final out, head back to the fence along the first base side if you’re still looking for autographs. All the players will have to pass by you once again to reach the clubhouse. As is often the case in the Minor Leagues, players are happy to sign at length after the game.
If you’re really anxious to nab someone you missed, the Hagerstown players park at the east end of the ballpark’s parking lot and the visiting team players board their bus after the game at the front entrance to the building that houses the clubhouses.
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