Hagerstown Flying Boxcars to be the name of new Atlantic League baseball team

Dave McMillion, The Herald-Mail
·4 min read

A community effort to name Hagerstown's new minor league baseball team came to a close Thursday when team officials announced the group will be known as the Flying Boxcars.

The name honoring Fairchild Aircraft's production of the hulking cargo planes was right up there with the Hagerstown Haymakers in an online voting contest available through Herald-Mail Media, according to Howard "Blackie" Bowen, one of five owners of Downtown Baseball LLC, the ownership group behind the new team.

Bowen was among a group of officials involved in the naming process, and they made their announcement during a news conference at the Hagerstown YMCA on Eastern Boulevard.

Radio personality Ryan Smetzer, left, Lee Smith and Smith's sons, Arrick and Evan, celebrate the name of a new minor league baseball team for Hagerstown. Sara Smith, Lee's wife, who works in an outpatient behavioral health unit at Meritus Medical Center, was chosen from among those who suggested the name.
Radio personality Ryan Smetzer, left, Lee Smith and Smith's sons, Arrick and Evan, celebrate the name of a new minor league baseball team for Hagerstown. Sara Smith, Lee's wife, who works in an outpatient behavioral health unit at Meritus Medical Center, was chosen from among those who suggested the name.

Three other names team owners had considered were the Tin Lizards, Diezel Dogs and Battle Swans. Tin Lizards is a nickname for trains and was considered for Hagerstown's extensive train history; Diezel Dogs was submitted in honor of the region's trucking industry; and the Battle Swans were for the swans in City Park.

How was the name decided?

Beginning in May, the public was able to submit names by clicking on a link for the Name the Hagerstown Baseball Team contest at www.heraldmailmedia.com. After giving their email address, participants could submit a name.

The link went up May 22 and submissions were accepted until June 5. Then Downtown Baseball officials selected five names they liked and invited the public to vote on a favorite through the same link.

Previously: Swans, dogs, boxcars and more. New baseball team searches for its identity

Bowen said more than 2,500 votes were cast for the five names and the Flying Boxcars and the Haymakers by far were the favorites.

Bowen and his colleagues said they like the Flying Boxcars because of the plane's history during World War II and the important part it played in the area economy during that time. The military planes were built by Fairchild at the Hagerstown Regional Airport, and more than 1,200 were built, Bowen said.

The Fairchild C-82 and its successor, the Fairchild C-119, were referred to as the “Flying Boxcar.” For the C-82, produced from 1944-1948, it became a nickname, but for the C-119, produced from 1949- 1955, the name was made official.
The Fairchild C-82 and its successor, the Fairchild C-119, were referred to as the “Flying Boxcar.” For the C-82, produced from 1944-1948, it became a nickname, but for the C-119, produced from 1949- 1955, the name was made official.

And the aircraft, with its unusual design, was used around the world, he said.

"There was nothing else quite like it for that era," Bowen said.

Who came up with the name?

Sara Smith, who works in an outpatient behavioral health unit at Meritus Medical Center, was chosen from among the hundreds who submitted the name Flying Boxcars. Bowen said the owners put the names of those who submitted the name in a hat and drew one.

Smith's husband, Lee, and their sons, Evan and Arrick, were there Thursday for the honors.

The Fairchild C-82 and its successor, the Fairchild C-119, were referred to as the “Flying Boxcar.” For the C-82, produced from 1944-1948, it became a nickname, but for the C-119, produced from 1949- 1955, the name was made official.
The Fairchild C-82 and its successor, the Fairchild C-119, were referred to as the “Flying Boxcar.” For the C-82, produced from 1944-1948, it became a nickname, but for the C-119, produced from 1949- 1955, the name was made official.

Lee Smith said he and his wife had also tossed around the name Hagerstown Aviators, but then his wife dug more into the history of the Boxcars and came up with her submission.

"We were both on the Fairchild wavelength," a smiling Smith said.

The Fairchild C-82 and its successor, the Fairchild C-119, were referred to as the “Flying Boxcar.” For the C-82, produced from 1944-1948, it became a nickname, but for the C-119, produced from 1949- 1955, the name was made official.
The Fairchild C-82 and its successor, the Fairchild C-119, were referred to as the “Flying Boxcar.” For the C-82, produced from 1944-1948, it became a nickname, but for the C-119, produced from 1949- 1955, the name was made official.

All the hoopla a baseball team-naming contest could muster was on display at the YMCA as local radio personality Ryan Smetzer announced the runners up leading to the Boxcars announcement. Small kids also gathered for the announcement, giving healthy screams.

Tin Lizards was fifth runner up, followed by Diezel Dogs at fourth and Battle Swans at third.

When will we see a logo?

David Blenckstone, general manager of Downtown Baseball, said he anticipates a team logo will be unveiled in about four to six weeks, and the team should be able to start selling merchandise shortly after that.

Various dignitaries attended, including state Sen. Paul Corderman, R-Washington/Frederick. Bowen said none of this would have happened if it wasn't for Corderman getting $70 million in a Maryland General Assembly session to build the team's new stadium at Baltimore Street and Summit Avenue.

"He's my hero," Bowen said.

More: 'It's going to be first-class': State releases sketch of Hagerstown's new stadium

The stadium, which is under construction and anticipated to be ready by next spring when the Flying Boxcars take to the field, is being referred to as the Hagerstown Multi-Use Sports and Events Facility. It will also be used for community events and festivals.

In May, the Maryland Stadium Authority, which is overseeing the construction, released an architect's rendering of the facility, which shows where its main entrance will be off the Hagerstown Cultural Trail behind center field.

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Mail: Hagerstown baseball team selects Fairchild aircraft for its name