York vs. Lancaster: ‘We came over to guard the trophy’
The centerpiece on a York Daily Recorfd front page tells about the return of the longtime baseball rivalry between York and Lancaster to the west bank of the Susquehanna after a 50-year absence.
The series between York and Lancaster’s baseball teams has been tagged The War of the Roses.
Some people believe this ties into the American Revolution, in which America gained its independence and from which the York Revolution takes its name.
York, the White Rose City, and Lancaster, its Red Rose counterpart, actually take their nicknames from cities in 15th-century England.
It was no revolutionary war in England, but a civil war …. .
The War of the Roses, a lengthy series of bloody battles between the houses of Lancaster and York, ended in 1485.
That year, Henry VII of the House of Lancaster defeated Richard III of York and united the royal family by marrying Elizabeth of York.
That move stabilized England, but produced a terrifying offspring, King Henry VIII.
Located in an English proprietorship, many early Pennsylvania settlements gained their names from English towns and royal families, despite the large number of Germans inhabiting them.
This story on the renewed rivalry appeared in the July 14, 2007, York Daily Record:
Friday night’s York Revolution game at Sovereign Bank Stadium had a special feel.
Need proof? The opposing mascot got booed when he entered the field.
Yet, such animosity was understandable.
After all, the game was the latest installment in the “War of the Roses.”
York versus Lancaster.
The two have played nine times this season, all in Lancaster. This was the first time since 1959 the cities’ teams have played in York.
A helicopter landed in center field before the game,
delivering the “Community Cup,” the trophy season series winner will capture.
The trophy got a standing ovation.
Safe to say, all 4,389 fans — of both teams — were into it.
York season ticket holder Reuben Zeager remembers the White Roses-Red Roses rivalry well.
The Manchester Township resident said he is at the games, regardless of the opponent. But he knew there was something special about Friday’s game.
“It brings back some old times that I remember as a young adult,” he said. “When the two teams played, it was always a good game and a lot of fun.”
Zeager’s daughter, Stacey Houck, was seated next to him and said she felt the electricity as soon as they arrived at the ballpark.
“You are more excited,” she said. “You love the rivalry. You can feel it when you come in. You could tell the people from York were pepped up for the game.”
They saw the Revolution win, 5-2, and now each team has beaten the other five times this season.
Shirley and Charles Miller, along with daughter Mindy Paglia, drove from Willow Street, Lancaster County, to be at the game.
The family is avid Lancaster fans. They have attended most of the games this season and will likely invest in season tickets.
In fact, Shirley arrived decked out in her Barnstormers visor and jersey.
Charles did not know much about the rivalry, but he was reading up on it before the game in the program called, “Revolutionary Times.”
“We planned on coming up here sometime,” he said. “It was spur of the moment, but it’s the rivalry. I didn’t realize how big it was.”
“I was a baseball fan growing up,” Shirley said. “When they came back to Lancaster, we went a couple of times and said, ‘This is fun.’ We really got into it.”
It wasn’t just the local people that made more noise than at any game played to date at Sovereign Bank Stadium.
When Lancaster’s Lance Burkhart launched a rocket over the 38-foot left-field wall, a fair amount of cheers erupted from the crowd — especially the group in Section 26, which contained Barnstormers staff and several season ticket holders, most of whom will be at all three games this weekend.
“We came over to guard the trophy,” Jim Nolt of Lancaster said.
York city residents Scott and Sindy Hurt jumped on the Barnstormers’ bandwagon three years ago and aren’t falling off yet.
“They came first when York was flip-flopping,” Scott Hurt, who works in Lancaster, said. “I’d have to face the wrath of our season ticket manager if we switch.”
