More than one million people attend minor league baseball games every year in Maryland. Minor league baseball is an important part of community life in Maryland’s five host cities: Aberdeen, Bowie, Frederick, Hagerstown and Salisbury. The game provides family-style entertainment while the ballparks serve as community centers. With the exception of Hagerstown’s Suns, a Washington Nationals affiliate, all of the state’s minor league teams are tied to the Orioles. Aberdeen’s IronBirds, Delmarva’s Shorebirds and Frederick’s Keys are class A teams, while the Bowie Baysox are a AA franchise.
