Anne Arundel County Recreation and Parks Celebrates Reopening of Historic Hot Sox Field in Galesville
Historic Hot Sox Field at Wilson Park will have a grand reopening on Saturday, September 10th, 2022. Over the last year, the historic field and park has received several updates and amenities including new playing field with irrigation, new grandstand for audience seating, new dugouts for teams, improvements to the entrance and parking, and a custom timber pavilion named in honor of former Maryland House Speaker Michael E. Busch who supported this and other projects in Galesville.
This one-of-a-kind site highlights the significant contribution of Henry Wilson, a formerly enslaved person, and his family and heirs, who helped establish an African American community in Galesville that still thrives today. In 1928, Wilson’s son Richard transformed their farm into a baseball field for the Galesville Hot Sox, a local semi-professional Negro league team formed in 1915. They competed against other sandlot teams throughout Anne Arundel, Prince George’s, Charles, and St. Mary’s Counties and the Eastern Shore, and even played against teams from the Negro Professional League. While a place for sport, the ballfield was also an important community gathering place during segregation.
Anne Arundel County purchased the 28 acre site in 2012 to rehabilitate and reopened it to the community in 2013, when former House Speaker Michael E. Busch threw out a first pitch in a ceremony attended by Galesville residents and many former Hot Sox players. Since then the county, the Galesville Community Center, Inc., and the community have worked together to make renovations to the field, including this $2.5 million renovation, and make it more accessible for the public and youth teams.
The public is invited to attend the ribbon cutting event with County Executive Steuart Pittman, Director Jessica Leys and the Department of Recreation and Parks, at 11:00am, followed by a reception and exhibition games in the afternoon. Exhibition games will include youth baseball teams from Anne Arundel County, women’s softball, and players from the Chesapeake Independent Baseball League. Parking is limited in the Galesville community, so local attendees are encouraged to carpool or walk and bike from the community. Some satellite parking will be available at nearby locations.
Special thanks to the Galesville Community Center Organization, Inc., Galesville Heritage Society, and West River Improvement Association for their contributions and hosting the community reception and exhibition games.
Hot Sox Field at Wilson Park is at 862 Galesville Road, Galesville, MD.
Media Contact:
Bill Martin
Marketing and Communications Manager
Anne Arundel County Recreation and Parks
410-222-7316