The Lancaster Barnstormers continue to rack up wins with the Atlantic League Postseason Administrative Awards.
The team has just been awarded Promotion of the Year for two efforts in 2022-the War of the Roses, presented by WellSpan Health, and Lebanon County Weekend, presented by JBT, which saw the team being renamed the Lebanon Ironmasters for an entire weekend of home games.
Promotion of the Year, defined by the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, is a “single promotion of unique impact, an original or imaginative recreation of an event that is likely to be imitated.”
The War of the Roses/Red Rose City vs. White Rose City has been a friendly competition between the Barnstormers and cross-river rivals, the York Revolution. Each season the teams compete for the Community Cup. The team that wins the most games when they face off against each other, takes custody of the Cup. Lancaster regained the prize this season, after beating York. The final total was 18-14.
The Lebanon County Weekend series saw the Barnstormers roll out the red carpet to their neighbors in the north and provided an opportunity to expand the team’s fanbase beyond Lancaster County. According to team President & General Manager, Mike Reynolds, the relationship between the two counties made sense, considering that, in high school sports, the two are already joined together as the Lancaster-Lebanon Athletic Association (the LL League). The league is comprised of 26 member schools.
Fans had a chance to cast a vote for the temporary team name, with three names chosen for a final round of voting. Lebanon Ironmasters was the winning name; other names that were considered were Lebanon Bolognas and Lebanon Chix. The team wore special uniforms for the weekend series, which took place at Clipper Magazine Stadium in Lancaster during Independence Weekend. Local Lebanon County dignitaries, including elected officials, threw out ceremonial first pitches, businesses and attractions set up marketing tables along the stadium concourse and members of the Lebanon Valley Chamber of Commerce (who also partnered with the Barnstormers to make this weekend series a reality) took in the games and networked in the suite level.
“The Barnstormers are thrilled to be recognized by the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball for some of our 2022 initiatives and ideas,” said Reynolds. “We constantly challenge ourselves to bring unique ideas to the table and to extend our relationships as far as possible in the region. Special thanks to our staff and to our fantastic business and community partners. This award is an honor we share with them.”
