Lancaster Barnstormers

American minor-league professional baseball team

Lancaster Barnstormers

|  |

|

Team logo | Cap insignia
Information
League| Atlantic League of Professional Baseball (North Division)
Location| Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Ballpark| Clipper Magazine Stadium
Founded| 2003
Nickname(s)| Stormers
League championships| (4) 2006, 2014, 2022, 2023
Division championships| (5) 2006, 2012, 2014, 2022, 2023
Colors| Red, black, khaki, white

Mascot| Cylo
Retired numbers| 42
Ownership| Lancaster Baseball LLC
Manager| Ross Peeples
General Manager| Michael Reynolds
Media| LNP
Website| lancasterbarnstormers.com

The Lancaster Barnstormers (colloquially known as the Stormers) are an American professional baseball team based in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. They are a member of the North Division of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, a "partner league" of Major League Baseball.[1][2] The Barnstormers have played their home games at Clipper Magazine Stadium in the city's Northwest Corridor since 2005.

The team's name, selected in a fan ballot,[3] refers to the tradition of "barnstorming," which means to travel around an area appearing in exhibition sports events, especially baseball games.[4] The term was used to describe Lancaster's baseball teams as early as 1906 when the Lancaster Daily Intelligencer reported, "There was a crowd of between seven and eight hundred persons out on Friday to see the Lancaster barnstormers play the Philadelphia Giants."[5] Their original primary logo incorporated the colors red, navy blue, and khaki previously used by the Lancaster Red Roses of affiliated Minor League Baseball from 1940 to 1961.[6] The name and logo also allude to Lancaster's Pennsylvania Dutch agricultural heritage.

## History[edit]

### Prior Lancaster teams[edit]

Baseball first came to Lancaster County in the 1860s by soldiers returning home from the Civil War. They learned the rules while serving in the military and wanted to continue playing.[7] The very first professional baseball teams in Lancaster were the Lancaster Lancasters and the Lancaster Ironsides. The Lancasters played in the Keystone Association while the Ironsides played in the Eastern League, both starting in 1884. The following season, the Lancasters joined the Eastern League, and the two teams became rivals. They competed against each other for fan support, league affiliation, and money at the gate. At its peak, insults and refusals to play against each other were the norm. The teams finally agreed to play each other at the end of the 1884 season, in which the Ironsides defeated the Lancasters after seven very close games. Only the Lancasters continued play the next season.[8]

In the 1894 to 1895 seasons, a team called the Lancaster Chicks played in the Keystone Association. An all-African-American team called the Lancaster Giants followed in 1887, and many Lancastrians supported the team despite the social pressure of the day. The Giants hosted many exhibition games against the Philadelphia Giants of the Keystone Club.[9]

Between 1896 and 1899, the first team called the Lancaster Maroons played in the original Atlantic League. In 1905, the second inception of the Maroons played in the Tri-State League.[10]

In 1906, the Maroons became the Lancaster Red Roses. As both teams were named for the opposing factions in England's historic Wars of the Roses, the name change infuriated the rival White Roses from the nearby city of York.[11]

### The Barnstormers[edit]

Tom Herr, pictured here as a St. Louis Cardinals player in 1983, was the Barnstormers' first manager. He led the team to its first championship in 2006.

In 2003, the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball formally announced an expansion team for the city of Lancaster. In November 2004, the Barnstormers announced the signing of Tom Herr, a Major League Baseball veteran and Lancaster native, as the team's first manager.[12] The Barnstormers' were set to begin competition in 2005 at the newly built Clipper Magazine Stadium.

On May 11, they lost their first game, 4–3, to the Atlantic City Surf, in front of 7,300 fans. They finished the 2005 season with a record of 64 wins and 76 losses. In finishing the first half of the 2006 season with a record of 38–25, the Barnstormers qualified for their first Atlantic League playoff berth. They also won the second half, posting a record of 37–26. After defeating division challenger, Atlantic City, in the first round of the playoffs, the Barnstormers swept the Bridgeport Bluefish to win their first Atlantic League championship, in only their second season. Pitcher Denny Harriger threw a complete game, breaking a franchise record for consecutive pitches. It was the city of Lancaster's first professional championship since 1955, when the former Red Roses won the Piedmont League title. The Barnstormers played in the 2012 Atlantic League Championship Series but were ultimately defeated by the Long Island Ducks in Game 5.[13] In 2012, the Lancaster Barnstormers set an Atlantic League record with 88 wins.[14]

Herr managed the team from 2005 to 2006 and from 2009 to 2010. In 2008, the Barnstormers were coached by Von Hayes, a former teammate of Herr from the 1989 and 1990 Philadelphia Phillies.[15] Rick Wise, the winning pitcher for the Boston Red Sox in Game 6 of the 1975 World Series, is also a managerial alumnus of the Lancaster Barnstormers. He was the team's third base coach from the inaugural 2005 season to the end of the 2008 campaign. Herr, in his second term, was succeeded by Butch Hobson.[16]

The Lancaster Barnstormers were originally owned by Opening Day Partners (ODP), a company that specializes in baseball club and stadium operations. ODP also created Atlantic League clubs in York, Pennsylvania, Southern Maryland, and Sugar Land, Texas. On November 12, 2014, ODP transitioned their ownership of the Barnstormers to Lancaster Baseball, LLC. Lancaster Baseball consists of Ian Ruzow, Rob Liss, Steve Zuckerman, and Bob Zuckerman. Ian Ruzow was born in South Africa and moved to the USA in 1980. The other three partners are all natives of New York, and all four have lived in Lancaster for 40 years. Steve Zuckerman, Ian Ruzow and Bob Zuckerman were the founders of Clipper Magazine, with Rob Liss joining them a few years later. Clipper Magazine has owned the naming rights to the stadium since 2005.

## Logos and uniforms[edit]

Hex sign logo

The primary colors of the Barnstormers are red, black, khaki, and white. These are similar to the colors previously used by the Red Roses to reflect the area's baseball heritage. The primary logo consists of a typical red barn outlined in black with a curving baseball. Unlike most sports logos, the geographical location is prominently featured rather than the team nickname, thus emphasizing the Lancaster community.[17] In 2011, the Barnstormers substituted black for navy blue and unveiled three agriculture-themed alternate logos: a hex sign, a weather vane, and the barn-planked "LB" initials.[18] The hex-sign logo incorporates the team's initials and a Pennsylvania Dutch design complete with a baseball and two crossed bats. Additionally, it includes two red roses symbolizing Lancaster's nickname, "Red Rose City."

For the 2019 season, Atlantic League clubs partnered with Outdoor Cap for its on-field headwear. The Barnstormers home cap is red, charged with a stylized cursive L in white with black and khaki outline interweaving with a curving baseball. The home jerseys are white with red piping and the cursive "Stormers" wordmark across the front in red and black. The away jersey is solid gray, featuring the blocked "Lancaster" wordmark in red with black outline. The alternate jersey is red with the L cap logo. The Barnstormers wear red belts, socks, and undershirts with all uniforms.

In 2016, the Atlantic League partnered with Rawlings to design unique catcher's gear for all eight teams. The design for the Barnstormers features a golden sunrise over a red barn, symbolizing the Lancaster County's agricultural heritage.[19]

## Season-by-season records[edit]

Lancaster Barnstormers – 2005 to 2022[20]

Season  | W–L  | Percentage  | Finish  | Playoffs
2005  | 63–77  | .450  | 6th, South Division  | Did not qualify
2006  | 75–51  | .595  | 2nd, South Division  | Won championship over Bridgeport 3–0
2007 | 57–69 | .452 | 3rd, South Division | Did not qualify
2008 | 64–76 | .457 | 3rd, Freedom Division | Did not qualify
2009 | 67–73 | .479 | 3rd, Freedom Division | Did not qualify
2010 | 63–76 | .453 | 3rd, Freedom Division | Did not qualify
2011 | 69–56 | .552 | 2nd, Freedom Division | 2–3
2012 | 88–52 | .629 | 1st, Freedom Division | 5–3 (won division final), 4–6 (lost championship)
2013 | 72–67 | .518 | 3rd, Freedom Division | Did not qualify
2014 | 70–53 | .569 | 2nd, Freedom Division | Won championship over Sugar Land 3–0
2015 | 75–65 | .536 | 1st, Freedom Division | 1–3
2016 | 67–73 | .479 | 3rd, Freedom Division | Did not qualify
2017 | 76–64 | .543 | 1st, Freedom Division | Did not qualify; York Revolution won the second half; Southern Maryland won the first half
2018 | 74–52 | .587 | 2nd, Freedom Division | 2–3
2019 | 51–89 | .364 | 4th, Freedom Division | Did not qualify
2020 | Season canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic
2021 | 56–63 | .471 | 3rd in North Division (first half)
4th in North Division (second half) | Did not qualify; Southern Maryland won the second half; Long Island won the first half
2022 | 73–58 | .557 | 1st, North Division | Won championship over High Point 3–0
Totals (2005–2022) | 1160–1114 | .510 |  | 29–21
War of the Roses | 155–160 | .492 |  |

* 4 Atlantic League Championships (2006, 2014, 2022, 2023)

## Culture[edit]

### War of the Roses[edit]

The South Central Pennsylvania cities of Lancaster and York have a historical rivalry in all sporting events from the high-school level to the professional. Since both cities are named after the English cities of Lancaster and York, their former Pennsylvania baseball teams were named for the opposing sides of the Wars of the Roses. As a metaphor, "War of the Roses" describes the intense baseball matches fought between the Lancaster Red Roses and the York White Roses. With the addition of York to the Atlantic League, the Revolution and Barnstormers now continue this tradition as they battle each other for lower Susquehanna supremacy.

The "War of the Roses" was rekindled with the sound of celebratory cannon-fire at the start of the 2007 Atlantic League season in Wrightsville, a borough located on the Susquehanna River, the natural boundary between Lancaster and York counties. The winner of the War of the Roses is presented with the Community Cup, while the defeated team is obligated to sing the ballpark classic "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" and plant a rose garden at the opponent's ballpark with their representative color: red for Lancaster, white for York. The first Community Cup was championed by the Barnstormers in the 2007 season, though the Revolution avenged them by winning it in 2008.[21] The clubs also competed in the Route 30 Showdown in 2009–2011, an annual cross-county doubleheader inadvertently created at the conclusion of the 2008 season by a rain-delay.[22]

Community Cup Record[23][additional citation(s) needed] Year  | Series Winner  | Barnstormers W  | Revolution W  | Notes

|
|
|
|

2007 | Barnstormers | 10  | 8  | first Community Cup
2008 | Revolution | 9  | 11  |
2009 | Barnstormers | 14  | 6  |
2010 | Revolution | 4  | 16  | the earliest Cup win; July 24
2011 | Barnstormers | 10  | 8  |
2012 | Barnstormers | 10  | 10  | Lancaster retains cup in tie
2013 | Revolution | 8  | 12  |
2014 | Revolution | 7  | 13  | first consecutive Cup win
2015 | Barnstormers | 15  | 11  |
2016 | Barnstormers | 11  | 9  |
2017 | Revolution | 9  | 10  |
2018 | Barnstormers | 10  | 8  | [24]
2019 | Revolution | 8  | 11  | [25]
2020 | Season canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic
2021 | Revolution | 12  | 13  | [26][27]
2022 | Barnstormers | 18  | 14  | [28]
Overall | Barnstormers (8–7) | 155 | 150 |

## Radio and television[edit]

Every Barnstormers game was broadcast on WLAN (1390 AM) and WPDC (1600 AM) by Dave Collins, their announcer.[29] Select home games were televised on Blue Ridge Cable-11.[30] On April 20, 2023, the Atlantic League announced that all games, including the Barnstormers, would be streamed exclusively on FloSports.[31]

## Mascot[edit]

Cylo, mascot of the Lancaster Barnstormers

The Lancaster Barnstormers' mascot is an anthropomorphic, red cow named Cylo. He wears the team's home jersey with striped socks and retro-style sneakers. Cylo debuted on March 4, 2005, at the Mascot Roller Mill in the Lancaster County village of Mascot. His name in full is Cyloicious L. Barnstormer, alluding to Hall of Fame pitcher Cy Young and to silos, representing the county's agricultural heritage.[32] The mascot was designed by the Raymond Entertainment Group, which also produces the Phillie Phanatic's costume.

## Roster[edit]

Lancaster Barnstormers roster

* v
* t
* e

Active (25-man) roster | Coaches/Other

|

Pitchers

* \-- Cole Aker
* 18 Nile Ball
* \-- Bret Clarke
* 34 Dom DiSabatino
* 6 Tyler LaPorte
* \-- Brandyn Sittinger
* \-- Eddy Tavarez

|  |

Catchers

Infielders

* \-- Joseph Carpenter
* \-- Yeison Coca
* 30 Kelly Dugan
* 7 Jake Hoover
* 40 Trace Loehr

Outfielders

* 11 Shawon Dunston Jr.
* \-- Chris Proctor
* 21 Trayvon Robinson

|  |

Manager

* 23 Ross Peeples

Coaches

* 14 Jeff Bianchi (hitting)
* 37 Mark Johnson (pitching)
* 22 Troy Steffy (first base)

Disabled list
‡ Inactive list
§ Suspended list

Roster updated April 1, 2023
Transactions

## Retired numbers[edit]

42 (Jackie Robinson)
2B, Retired throughout professional baseball on April 15, 1997

## Major League Baseball alumni[edit]

*   * Scott Patterson
* Fernando Perez
*   * Jason Perry
*   * Matt Watson
*   * Daryle Ward
*   * Jerome Williams
*   * Phil Coke
*   * Marcus Walden
*   * Lance Zawadzki

## References[edit]

1. ^ "Indy Atlantic League designated MLB Partner League". Ballpark Digest. August Publishing. September 23, 2020. Retrieved October 2, 2020.
2. ^ "American Association, Frontier League now MLB Partner Leagues". Ballpark Digest. August Publishing. September 24, 2020. Retrieved October 2, 2020.
3. ^ "Name Chosen for Lancaster's Baseball Team". WGAL. Archived from the original on September 28, 2007. Retrieved May 6, 2006.
4. ^ "Definition for "barnstorm"". The Free Dictionary. Retrieved May 1, 2006.
5. ^ "Stepping Up to the Plate - Lancaster takes a twenty-first century swing at professional baseball". Lancaster County Historical Society. Retrieved March 7, 2013.
6. ^ "Lancaster Barnstormers unveil logo". Lancaster Barnstormers. Retrieved June 13, 2006.
7. ^ "Baseball Comes to Lancaster". Lancaster County Historical Society. Archived from the original on May 3, 2006. Retrieved May 6, 2006.
8. ^ "Lancasters, Ironsides, and Chicks". Lancaster County Historical Society. Archived from the original on May 3, 2006. Retrieved May 6, 2006.
9. ^ "Black Baseball in Lancaster". Lancaster County Historical Society. Archived from the original on May 3, 2006. Retrieved May 6, 2006.
10. ^ "Lancaster Marooned". Lancaster County Historical Society. Archived from the original on May 3, 2006. Retrieved May 6, 2006.
11. ^ "Lancaster's Roses Bloom and Wither". Lancaster County Historical Society. Archived from the original on May 3, 2006. Retrieved May 6, 2006.
12. ^ "Barnstormers Make Herr Theirs". FOX23 News. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved May 6, 2006.
13. ^ "Long Island Ducks Take Atlantic League Title". Yahoo.com. Retrieved March 3, 2013.
14. ^ "Stormers coaching staff". Lancaster Barnstormers. Retrieved October 1, 2008.
15. ^ "Barnstormers hire Hayes, Herr duo". Lancaster Online. Archived from the original on December 22, 2008. Retrieved December 18, 2008.
16. ^ "Hobson Comes to Lancaster". Atlantic League. Archived from the original on November 13, 2010. Retrieved October 21, 2010.
17. ^ "Lancaster Barnstormers unveil logo". lancasterbarnstormers.com. Retrieved June 13, 2006.
18. ^ "Barnstormers unveil enhanced look". Lancasterbarnstormers.com. 2011-04-28. Retrieved 2012-03-15.
19. ^ "Barnstormers unveil enhanced look". AtlanticLeague.com. 2016-04-29. Retrieved 2016-05-02.
20. ^ "Atlantic League information". nbpfaus.net. Retrieved April 2, 2011.
21. ^ "Revolution Home and Alternate Uniforms Unveiled". York Revolution. May 2, 2007. Archived from the original on September 28, 2007. Retrieved May 5, 2007.
22. ^ "Barnstormers Announce Fifth Anniversary Home Schedule". Lancaster Barnstormers. November 13, 2008. Archived from the original on July 19, 2011. Retrieved November 13, 2008.
23. ^ "War of the Roses". Lancaster Barnstormers. Archived from the original on May 16, 2012.
24. ^ Marcantonini, Michael (August 23, 2018). "Revs Drop Finale". York Revolution. Retrieved September 4, 2019.
25. ^ Pietrzak, Brett (September 20, 2019). "Revs Win the Cup!". York Revolution. Retrieved September 24, 2019.
26. ^ "Revs Clinch War of the Roses". York Revolution. September 15, 2021. Retrieved October 16, 2021.
27. ^ "Revs Swept in DH". York Revolution. September 16, 2021. Retrieved October 16, 2021.
28. ^ "Revs Drop Road Finale". York Revolution. September 15, 2022. Retrieved October 1, 2022.
29. ^ "Barnstormers announce radio network". Lancaster Barnstormers. Retrieved March 7, 2013.
30. ^ "See the Barnstormers on Blue Ridge Cable". Lancaster Barnstormers. Retrieved September 27, 2008.
31. ^ "ATLANTIC LEAGUE, FLOSPORTS PARTNER FOR LIVE STREAMING PLATFORMAll ALPB Games To Be Available Worldwide Via Live Streaming". Retrieved July 23, 2023.
32. ^ "Introducing Cylo". Lancaster Barnstormers. Retrieved March 31, 2007.

## External links[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Lancaster Barnstormers.

* Pennsylvania portal
* Baseball portal

* Lancaster Barnstormers (official website)
* Lancaster Barnstormers Booster Club

Achievements

Preceded by

Long Island Ducks
2013

|  Atlantic League Champions
Lancaster Barnstormers
2014  | Succeeded by

Somerset Patriots
2015

Preceded by

Somerset Patriots
2005

|  Atlantic League Champions
Lancaster Barnstormers
2006  | Succeeded by

Newark Bears
2007

Achievements

Preceded by

York Revolution
2011

|  Freedom Division Champions
Lancaster Barnstormers
2012  | Succeeded by

Somerset Patriots
2013

Preceded by

Somerset Patriots
2005

|  South Division Champions
Lancaster Barnstormers
2006  | Succeeded by

Somerset Patriots
2007

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