History is Key at Harry Grove Stadium

After spending the past two seasons soaking up the California sun, All-Stars representing the California and Carolina leagues will travel to Frederick, Md. on Tuesday, June 28, to square off at Harry Grove Stadium.

They will visit the home of the the Frederick Keys, the Baltimore Orioles' Class A affiliate. Opened in 1990, Harry Grover Stadium is one of the better parks in the Carolina League, being the first to feature luxury suites and a full-service restaurant.

The park itself has a unique look compared to others in the Minors, deviating from a traditional red-brick exterior and sporting a light-brown, sand-colored brick. Once inside, fans are free to traverse the open concourse near left field or find their seats in the main bowl near right.

"It's a great ballpark, and the people of Frederick are very proud of it -- they have truly embraced the history of Harry Grove Stadium into their community from day one," said Keys' Marketing Director Keri Scrivani.

There is a great deal of history between the ballpark and the man for whom the team is named after: Francis Scott Key. A native of Frederick, Key is most famous for writing our national anthem. Key is actually buried in historic Mount Olivet Cemetery located across the stadium itself.

In honor of Key, every game during the seventh-inning stretch time, fans can sing along to a verse of a fight song written by Key as opposed to "Take Me Out to the Ballgame," while they wave around their own keys in the air.

In keeping with the historical atmosphere, fans can choose from concessions geared towards traditional baseball cuisine such as hot dogs, beer and French fries. Fans can also treat themselves to barbecued pork, a local fan favorite. Those who want something a little more elaborate can dine in Harry Grove Stadium's restaurant, located on the second level and surrounded by luxury sky boxes.

The bullpens are strategically placed just beyond the outfield boundaries to give fans the chance to get up close to their favorite pitchers.

Nothing, however, puts the players closer to the fans than the route they must take to get to the field: Players walk through the stadium when they leave the clubhouse. Since there is no separate players' entrance, players get to see the ballpark from the fans' perspective and vice versa.

"Truly a unique feature -- the guys will walk the same path the fans do, except some will head to their seats and some will head to the field," Scrivani said.

On Monday, June 27, Harry Grove Stadium will be bustling with All-Star activity. A welcome party will let league executives relax and mingle with players and coaches.

Carolina League President John Hopkins looks forward to visiting Harry Grove Stadium, saying, "I've been there before, and every time is a great visit. We know that it will be a great place to play the All-Star Game, it has everything a ballpark needs to watch great baseball."

Gameday on Tuesday begins with an All-Star luncheon during which Hall of Famer Jim Palmer will be the guest speaker. An autograph session with both teams allows fans to get memorabilia inked by their favorite players.

The Home Run Derby followed by the All-Star Game will round out the night at Harry Grove, sending the California Leaguers back to the West Coast after playing a good old- fashioned baseball game in a good old-fashioned ballpark.

"The Keys know how to put on a tremendous event in their ballpark," said Hopkins. "The California League players are going to wish they could come back more often."