A new team in the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball team located in Frederick, Maryland, has been wearing jerseys with question marks on them this season while awaiting their fulltime brand. That brand was finally made public when the team recently took the field as the Spire City Ghost Hounds for the second game of a double-header.
The nickname Ghost Hounds is a wink and a nod to a local legend. Per the team, Frederick County lure has it that a blue phantom dog with glowing eyes has haunted residents by appearing and quickly disappearing at night.
The ghostly monicker is also a reference to the fact that the team plays across the street from a cemetery. That cemetery played a role in the name of the Ghost Hounds’ predecessor, as well—the Frederick Keys were named for its most famous permanent resident, Francis Scott Key.
The Spire City geographic designation is a tribute to a nickname for the city, referencing a cluster of spires in the downtown area.
“We are thrilled to unveil the new Spire City Ghost Hounds name and branding,” said Greg Baroni, CEO and Managing General Partner, Attain Sports and Entertainment. “As I’ve shared before, community and a culture of teamwork are at the heart of all that we do, and we have truly enjoyed engaging our fans in the process of naming the team. The energy at the stadium for Saturday’s team name reveal was electric and we plan to carry that momentum with us.”
The team lived up to its nickname, winning its first game as the Ghost Hounds with a walkoff win that took place deep into the night, just after midnight.