- York Revolution
-
York Revolution Founded in 2006
York, Pennsylvania
Team logo
Cap insigniaLeague affiliations - Atlantic League of Professional Baseball
- Freedom Division
Name - York Revolution (2007-present)
Other nicknames - The Revs
Team Colors - Navy blue, red, white, brass, silver
Ballpark Championships - League titles: (2) 2010, 2011
- Division titles: (2) 2010, 2011
Owner(s)/Operated By: Opening Day Partners General Manager: Matt O'Brien Manager: Andy Etchebarren Media: York Daily Record, York Dispatch Website: www.yorkrevolution.com The York Revolution is an American professional baseball team based in York, Pennsylvania. It is a member of the Freedom Division of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, an independent league not affiliated with Major League Baseball. From the 2007 season to the present, the Revolution has played its home games at Sovereign Bank Stadium, located in the Arch Street neighborhood. The team is the reigning champion of the Atlantic League, following its 3-1 Championship Series win over the Long Island Ducks on October 1, 2011.[1]
Before the Revolution's inaugural season, baseball fans in York had waited 38 years for the return of the sport since the York White Roses folded after the 1969 season. In 2006, Yorkers chose the name "Revolution" in a team-sponsored fan ballot.[2] The name refers to the city’s colonial past, when the Continental Congress met in York and passed the Articles of Confederation during the Revolutionary War. During the American Revolution, York was one of the first capitals of the United States.[3] Many Yorkers also see the Revolution name as a symbol of the city's renaissance efforts.[4]
Contents
History of York baseball
York White Roses
Main article: York White RosesThe York White Roses, also known as the York Pirates in their last two seasons of existence, played from 1884 to 1969. The White Roses were bitter rivals of the Red Roses of the nearby city of Lancaster. Both teams were named after the two factions of England's historic Wars of the Roses.
A Revolution
York tried for ten years to bring professional baseball back to the city. The process looked promising in 2003, until politics halted the project. The new baseball stadium was to be located at Small Athletic Field, on York City School District property, but the district's board voted negatively as they did not believe the ballpark would be the best use of district money and land. For three years, political and financial discussions continued to delay the project. A new site for the stadium was agreed upon in the Arch Street neighborhood, with all of the pieces falling into place. Other sites that were considered but did not come to fruition were Hoffman Field and the Ohio Blenders of PA, Inc.
Scorecard of the 1940 White Roses
In April 2006, the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball formally announced an expansion team for the city of York.[5] One of the prominent members of the team's ownership group is Brooks Robinson, who played with the York White Roses and later with the Baltimore Orioles from 1955 to 1977. The entrance to the team's stadium is called Brooks Robinson Plaza in his honor.[6]
The Revolution's inaugural season was respectable for a new franchise, as they had a .469 winning percentage and placed third in the former South Division. The team also lost the War of the Roses series to their local rival in Lancaster.
The sophomore season was an exciting campaign for the Revolution. Despite their record of 71 wins and 69 losses, the team earned its place at the top of the Freedom Division and its very first playoff series. However, the Somerset Patriots swept the Revolution in two games, and eventually won the Atlantic League Championship Series. York was victorious in capturing the Community Cup versus the Barnstormers, and won the very first Route 30 Showdown.
In the 2009 preseason, the Revolution joined the two other Atlantic League teams in holding their spring training at home instead of the traditional site in Lakeland, Florida. The respective ownership groups of the three teams came to this decision so as to cut costs, citing the 2008 economic recession.
The York Revolution defeated the Bridgeport Bluefish to win the 2010 Atlantic League Championship Series, three games to nil. This was the city of York's first professional baseball championship since the 1969 York Pirates' Eastern League victory, a span of forty-one years. This was also the Revolution's first Atlantic League championship.[7]
Logos and uniforms
The team colors of the York Revolution are Continental navy, Sergeant's red, white, brass, and silver. The "Revolution" wordmark colored white in script outlined by a navy blue background. The word "York" is incorporated colored brass with two brass stars. The entire wordmark is outlined in silver. Centered below the wordmark is a patriotic-themed bald eagle in navy with red and white detail and silver stars with silver outline. The eagle's left talon clutches a baseball.
The York Revolution wear caps produced by The Game Headwear and uniforms by Under Armour. The caps are navy blue throughout with a stylized "Y", colored white with silver shadowing, with an eagle's head clutching a baseball centered above. The entire cap logo is outlined in navy blue and brass. The Revolution wordmark is centered on the back toward the lower edge of the cap. The home jerseys are white with navy blue and red paneling, and feature a wordmark that pays tribute to the Baltimore Orioles script with cursive serif letters in navy blue outlined in red. The away jersey is gray with navy blue and red paneling with the cursive "York" wordmark is in navy blue outlined in red with a traditional underscore. The alternate jersey is navy blue with red paneling with the "York" wordmark centered across the front in red with white outline. There is also a gold alternate jersey with navy blue paneling and the "eaglehead" logo centered on the left-side chest. The batting helmets are navy blue with a stylized "eaglehead" logo.
During the "War of the Roses", the Revolution wear throwback uniforms of the York White Roses. The White Roses caps are dark gray with a white, Old English "Y" centered on the front. The jerseys are white with gray piping and the "White Roses" wordmark centered on the front, also in dark gray.[8]
Season-by-season records
York Revolution - 2007-2011[9] Season W - L Record Winning Percentage Finish Playoffs 2007 58-68 .460 3rd in South Division 2008 71-69 .507 1st in Freedom Division 0-2 (lost division final) 2009 53-87 .379 4th in Freedom Division 2010 69-71 .493 2nd in Freedom Division 3-2 over Somerset, 3-0 over Bridgeport; 2011 73-51 .589 1st in Freedom Division 3-2 over Lancaster, 3-1 over Long Island Totals (2007-2011) 324-346 .484 12-7 War of the Roses 40–36 .526 - 2 Atlantic League Championships (2010 and 2011)
Tradition
War of the Roses
The South Central Pennsylvania cities of York and Lancaster have a historical rivalry in all sporting events from the high school level to the professional. As both cities are named after the English cities of York and Lancaster, the former Pennsylvania baseball teams were named for the opposing sides of the Wars of the Roses. Just as in the English battles, the York White Roses and the Lancaster Red Roses fought intense baseball matches throughout their existence. With the addition of the York Revolution to the Atlantic League, the team continues the White Roses tradition as they battle the Lancaster Barnstormers for lower Susquehanna supremacy.
With the sound of cannons, the War of the Roses was rekindled in April 2007 in Wrightsville, a borough on the natural boundary dividing Lancaster and York counties: the Susquehanna River. 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 Ballgame" and plant a rose garden at the opponent's ballpark with their representative color: white for York, red for Lancaster. The first Community Cup was championed by the Barnstormers in the 2007 season, though the Revolution avenged them by winning it in 2008.[10]
The Revolution and the Barnstormers also compete in the Route 30 Showdown, an annual cross-county doubleheader inadvertently created at the conclusion of the 2008 season by a rain-delay.[11]
Community Cup Record[12] Year Series Winner Revolution W Barnstormers W Notes 2007 Barnstormers 8 10 first Community Cup 2008 Revolution 11 9 2009 Barnstormers 6 13 2010 Revolution 15 4 the earliest Cup win; July 24 2011 Barnstormers 10 8 Overall Barnstormers (3–2) 46 48 Philanthropy
The Revolution benefit the Big Brothers Big Sisters youth mentoring organization annually by wearing purple jerseys that are auctioned off immediately following the Purple Jersey Night game.[13] Additionally, the team also partnered with Columbia Gas to donate $50 to the York Red Cross for each scored run by a Revolution player.[14]
Radio
The official broadcast home of the York Revolution is WOYK 1350 AM, with Darrell Henry as the "Voice of the Revolution." Prior to the 2010 season, games were heard on WSBA 910 AM.
On-field entertainment
Mascots
The York Revolution's official mascot is an anthropomorphic, blue creature named DownTown. He wears the team's home jersey, the primary cap worn backwards, with blue and white sneakers. DownTown debuted on March 31, 2007 at the "Mascot: The Musical" production at the DreamWrights Theater. His full name is DownTown Yorkie, and is the result of a sponsorship deal with Downtown Inc, a partnership of community-minded companies that work to improve and celebrate downtown York.[15][16] The mascot was designed by the Raymond Entertainment Group, which also produces the Phillie Phanatic's costume. The Revolution also host a character named Cannonball Charlie, who fires a cannon after each home run or home game victory by the team. He wears the uniform of a period Continental Army soldier.[17] He Has a cousin named SmallTown that wears the number 1/2 and debuted in 2009
The Big Hitters
Additional fan entertainment is provided by the Big Hitters, an all-male performance and dance team who receive professional instruction from a local studio called B*Dazzled. The group is made up of heavyset, enthusiastic men who dance to popular music and provide lighthearted comedy.[18]
York Revolution rosterCatchers
- 15
Octavio Martinez - 21
Salvador Paniagua
Infielders
- 19
Ramon Castro - 14 Eric Eymann
- 13 Vince Harrison
- 38 Chris Nowak
- 1 Liu Rodríguez
Outfielders
- 22 Scott Grimes
- 23 Val Majewski
- 12 James Shanks
- 06 Chris Walker
Manager
- 8 Andy Etchebarren (Manager)
Coaches
- -- Mark Mason (pitching)
- -- Enohel Polanco (third base coach)
Disabled list
‡ Inactive list
§ Suspended list
Roster updated July 11, 2011
TransactionsRetired numbers
- 42 (Jackie Robinson)
- 2B, Retired throughout professional baseball on April 15, 1997
References
- ^ "Revs are Atlantic League champions!!!". Atlantic League. http://www.atlanticleague.com/cgi-bin/dist/news.cgi?id=1286098926. Retrieved October 4, 2010.
- ^ "York Baseball Team Name Announcement". York Revolution. http://yorkrevolution.com/news.cfm?newsID=6. Retrieved July 10, 2006.
- ^ "The Straight Dope: York, Pennsylvania: First capital of the United States?". The Straight Dope. http://www.straightdope.com/columns/041210.html. Retrieved August 14, 2006.
- ^ "Other Possible References to York's Revolution". York Revolution. http://yorkrevolution.com/news.cfm?newsID=6. Retrieved July 10, 2006.
- ^ "York to Play Ball in 2007". York Revolution. http://yorkrevolution.com/news.cfm?newsID=2. Retrieved August 2, 2006.
- ^ "Brooks Robinson Plaza". York Revolution. http://yorkrevolution.com/brooksrobinson.cfm. Retrieved August 2, 2006.
- ^ "Revs are Atlantic League champions!!!". Atlantic League. http://www.atlanticleague.com/cgi-bin/dist/news.cgi?id=1286098926. Retrieved October 4, 2010.
- ^ ""War of the Roses"". Lancaster Barnstormers. http://lancasterbarnstormers.com/news.cfm?newsID=229. Retrieved April 3, 2007.
- ^ Atlantic League information
- ^ "Revs uniforms". York Revolution. http://www.yorkrevolution.com/news.cfm?newsID=263. Retrieved May 5, 2007.
- ^ "Route 30 Showdown". Lancaster Barnstormers. http://lancasterbarnstormers.com/news.cfm?newsID=398. Retrieved November 13, 2008.
- ^ Community Cup
- ^ Purple Jersey Night
- ^ Supporting Our Neighbors
- ^ ""DownTown" Introduced as Revolution Mascot". York Revolution. http://yorkrevolution.com/news.cfm?newsID=188. Retrieved September 28, 2008.
- ^ "Downtown Inc sponsors". Downtown Inc. http://www.downtownyorkpa.com/sponsors.html. Retrieved September 28, 2008.[dead link]
- ^ "Cannonball Charlie". Atlantic League. http://www.atlanticleague.com/teams/york.php. Retrieved October 1, 2008.
- ^ "The Big Hitters". York Revolution. http://www.yorkrevolution.com/news.cfm?newsID=1536. Retrieved February 200.
External links
Achievements Preceded by
Somerset Patriots
2009Freedom Division
First Half Champions
York Revolution
2010Succeeded by
Preceded by
York Revolution
2010Atlantic League Champions
York Revolution
2011Succeeded by
York Revolution The Club Ballpark Culture Rivalries Important Figures Retired Numbers Key Personnel Owner: Opening Day Partners • Manager: Andy EtchebarrenChampionships (1) 2010Website: www.yorkrevolution.comAtlantic League of Professional Baseball Freedom Division Liberty Division Lancaster Barnstormers Bridgeport Bluefish Somerset Patriots Camden Riversharks Sugar Land Skeeters Long Island Ducks York Revolution Southern Maryland Blue Crabs Expansion: Loudoun Hounds Annual events: Championship Series · All-Star Game Other: Alumni · Final standings · Records Sports teams based in South Central Pennsylvania Baseball 
Basketball Football SIFL: Harrisburg Stampede — WFA: Keystone AssaultHockey Lacrosse NALL: Hershey HaymakersSoccer USL Pro: Harrisburg City IslandersCollege athletics NCAA Div. II: Millersville University of Pennsylvania • Shippensburg University • NCAA Div. III: Elizabethtown College • Franklin & Marshall College • Lebanon Valley College • Messiah College • York College of PennsylvaniaMain Articles: Pennsylvania sports • Sports in South Central PennsylvaniaCategories:- York, Pennsylvania
- York Revolution
- Professional baseball teams in Pennsylvania
- Atlantic League of Professional Baseball teams
- Opening Day Partners
- Sports clubs established in 2006
- Atlantic League of Professional Baseball
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