In giddy afterglow of series clincher, reflections on Lancaster's love affair with its fledgling baseball team and ballpark.
By Cindy Stauffer
Published Sep 28, 2006 14:09
But in the weeks and months leading up to Wednesday night’s win by the Lancaster Barnstormers, it was about other things, too.
Things like Cylo, the big furry mascot wiggling around to music. The giant toothbrushes that kids use between innings to clear off the bases. Birthday announcements. The T-shirt shooter. Fireworks.
Something about this team, in this town, over the past two years has ignited local folks, who are now in a positive frenzy as it heads toward the Atlantic League Championship series.
“The community has taken this team under its wing,” said Scott Bradbury, one of the members of the Bring Baseball Back committee that helped to bring Clipper Magazine Stadium and the Barnstormers here.
You could feel it in the air during Wednesday’s Barnstormers game against the Atlantic City Surf.
“To look out and see 6,000 or 7,000 people, almost all of them dressed in red, waving rally towels, it was just exciting,” said Mike Minney, another committee member.
And you could feel it after the Barnstormers beat the Surf, 4-2.
“When people were driving out Prince Street last night, they were honking their horns,” said Joe Pinto, the Barnstormers’ general manager. “To honk your horn on Prince Street at 10:30 at night? It’s crazy.”
The Clip has brought people to Lancaster in droves, to attend not only Barnstormers games, but concerts, job fairs, a snow park and even football games.
“It’s a success for the county, and shows that the city is truly a focal point for the county,” Lancaster Mayor Rick Gray said.
The stadium has helped to dispel some of the negative stereotypes people have held about the city, Gray added.
“You can come to the city and it’s a very hospitable place,” he said. “It’s a good, nice, family-oriented thing that we can all get together and celebrate, not only the baseball team but the broader community of Lancaster County.”
Bradbury, for one, is not surprised that local people have embraced the team so heartily.
“This is a community that tends to look after itself,” he said. “It’s a caring community that takes a lot of pride in its assets.”
People found a home at the stadium, running into old friends, strolling around, settling into their seats and enjoying the rhythms of the game.
“I remember opening day two seasons ago, and there were people walking all over the place,” said Lisa Riggs, executive director of the James Street Improvement District, which includes the stadium. “So many people observed that it was just so neat to see people from all walks of life — young kids, families and seniors — and the sense of community you get.”
Riggs says she’s heard people refer to the Clip as the community’s “water cooler,” where you can stand and shoot the breeze with friends and acquaintances you haven’t seen for a time.
Minor league baseball has always been more about the experience than the game, and the local stadium is no exception.
“Most people who leave the game don’t know the score or who won,” Minney said. “They just enjoy themselves. It’s absolutely fun.”
But when the Barnstormers began their march to the championship, people began noticing. And caring.
That doesn’t happen everywhere, Pinto said. He worked for an Orioles’ farm team, the Frederick Keys, before he came here. Its fans were not quite as rabid.
“We were in the playoffs twice, and we had to give tickets away,” he said.
Last night, when Pinto heard the crowd making up cheers (“Reg-gie, Reg-gie, Reg-gie,” for outfielder Reggie Taylor), he knew something different was happening.
Now the Barnstormers head to Bridgeport to play the Bluefish in a best-of-five series that returns here Sunday, for the final three games.
Watch out Bluefish, Pinto said.
“I never believed in a home-field advantage for a minor-league team,” he said. “But here, we truly, truly have a home-field advantage, just because of our fans.
“When we took the lead last night, people were just going nuts.”
