The Spire City Ghost Hounds are an inactive

professional baseball Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in baseball league, leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world. Moder ...

team based in

Frederick, Maryland Frederick is a city in, and the county seat of, Frederick County, Maryland, United States. Frederick's population was 78,171 people as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List of municipalities in Maryland, second-largest ...

, that played in 2023. The franchise competed in the South Division of the

Atlantic League of Professional Baseball The Atlantic League of Professional Baseball (ALPB) is a professional independent baseball league in the United States. It is an official MLB Partner League based in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern United States, and the headquarters are l ...

and played home games at Nymeo Field at Harry Grove Stadium, sharing the ballpark with the

Frederick Keys The Frederick Keys are a collegiate summer baseball team of the MLB Draft League. The Keys are based in Frederick, Maryland. The franchise is named for the "Star-Spangled Banner" writer Francis Scott Key, a native of Frederick County. A new team ...

. Following the 2023 season, the team has been on hiatus.

History

The team's creation was announced in November 2022. The team held a name-the-team contest in January and February 2023, with the name to be announced in June 2023 from the choices of Bone Shakers, Ghost Hounds, Rail Frogs, Sawbones, and Screaming Alpacas. Until then, the team's hats and jerseys featured question marks in place of a name. The team name was announced as Spire City Ghost Hounds on June 24. Frederick ALPB uniform

The team lost its inaugural game 10–4 on April 28, 2023, at CaroMont Health Park in

Gastonia, North Carolina Gastonia is the most populous city in and the county seat of Gaston County, North Carolina, United States. It is the second-largest satellite city of the Charlotte, North Carolina, Charlotte area, behind Concord, North Carolina, Concord. The po ...

, to the

Gastonia Honey Hunters The Gastonia Honey Hunters were a professional baseball team based in Gastonia, North Carolina. They played in the South Division of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, a "partner league" of Major League Baseball, at CaroMont Health Pa ...

. Their first home game was a 4–2 loss on May 2, 2023, to the Lexington Counter Clocks. In September 2023, the team announced they would go on hiatus for the 2024 season, sitting out one season until the Atlantic League expanded to 12 teams. However, the Ghost Hounds were not listed on the 2025 season schedule and would later announce an extension of the hiatus through the 2025 season, aiming to return in 2026.

Roster

Management

The team is owned by Attain Sports, which also owns the

Chesapeake Baysox The Chesapeake Baysox are a Minor League Baseball team located in Bowie, Maryland. They are the Double-A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles, and play in the Eastern League. Their home ballpark is Prince George's Stadium. From 1993 to 2024, the ...

, the

Aberdeen IronBirds The Aberdeen IronBirds are a Minor League Baseball team based in the city of Aberdeen in Harford County, Maryland. They are the High-A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles and compete in the South Atlantic League. They were previously members of th ...

, the

, and

Loudoun United FC Loudoun United FC is an American professional soccer team based in Leesburg, Virginia. The team was founded in 2018 as the reserve team of D.C. United and made its debut in the USL Championship in 2019. After ownership changes, it ceased being ...

. The team's 2023 front office staff was Chuck Domino, Senior Vice President of Baseball Operations, and Mary Nixon, executive director of Baseball Operations. The team's 2023 coaching staff was manager Mark Minicozzi, hitting coach Aharon Eggleston, and pitching coach

Elih Villanueva Elih Christopher Villanueva (born July 26, 1986) is an American professional baseball pitcher and pitching coach who is a free agent. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Florida Marlins, who drafted him in the 27th rou ...

, who also pitched for the team as a

player-coach A player–coach (also playing coach, captain–coach, or player–manager) is a member of a sports team who simultaneously holds both playing and coaching duties. Player–coaches may be head coaches or assistant coaches, and they may make chang ...

References

External links

* {{Maryland Sports 2023 establishments in Maryland Baseball teams established in 2023 Atlantic League of Professional Baseball teams Professional baseball teams in Maryland Sports in Frederick, Maryland

History

Roster

Management

See also

References

External links