Sports in South Central Pennsylvania
Encyclopedia
South Central Pennsylvania, a region synonymous with the Pennsylvania Dutch Country
, is known for its many traditions such as New Year's Day pork and sauerkraut, fasnachts
for the Tuesday
before Ash Wednesday
, hex signs
, and shoofly pie
. However, South Central Pennsylvania
also has a strong sporting tradition, such as the professional baseball teams who barnstormed their way through Lancaster County
's farmland in the early 1900s to Milton S. Hershey
's creation of the Hershey B'ars
hockey club in 1932.
The three cities of Harrisburg
, Lancaster
, and York
each had various baseball plans before settling with their current situations. Harrisburg was in the process of pursuing a AAA-level team, planning major renovations to Commerce Bank Park
to bring it to the standards of the International League
. However, with the independent teams in Lancaster and York, and the addition of the Lehigh Valley IronPigs
in Allentown
, the chances of AAA baseball coming to Harrisburg are rather slim.
The original Harrisburg Senators played in the Eastern League in 1924. Playing its home games at Island Field, the team won the league championship in the 1927, 1928, and 1931 seasons. The Senators played a few more seasons before flood waters destroyed Island Field in 1936, effectively ending Eastern League participation for fifty-one years. In 1940, Harrisburg gained an Interstate League team affiliated with the Pittsburgh Pirates
. However, the team remained in the city only until 1943, when it moved to nearby York
and renamed the York Pirates. The current Harrisburg Senators won the Eastern League championship in the 1987, 1993, 1996, 1997, 1998, and 1999 seasons.
Many decades before the formation of the Barnstormers and Revolution organizations, the cities of Lancaster and York battled for baseball supremacy in the "War of the Roses." The Lancaster Red Roses
and the York White Roses both played in various leagues together, with some bitter rivalry. Both teams were eventually dissolved, leaving Lancaster and York without baseball for several decades.
The Lancaster Barnstormers arrived in 2005, the first baseball team in the city for 44 years. The Barnstormers won the Atlantic League Championship Series in 2006, defeating the Bridgeport Bluefish
in the league's first four-game sweep in a championship. The York Revolution played its inaugural season in 2007, reigniting the "War of the Roses" rivalry with Lancaster. The Barnstormers and the Revolution both wear retro uniforms of the respective Red Roses and White Roses for some of the games played between them.
. Herr is a former Major League
second baseman who played for the St. Louis Cardinals
, the Minnesota Twins
, the Philadelphia Phillies
, the San Francisco Giants
, and the New York Mets
. After his retirement from Major League Baseball, Herr coached the Hempfield High School
baseball team, a stint which included mentoring his son, Aaron
. In 2005, he accepted the field manager position with his hometown Lancaster Barnstormers, leading them to win the 2006 Atlantic League Championship Series. This victory drew the attention of the Washington Nationals, who ultimately signed Herr to manage their AA team in Hagerstown, Maryland
.
Tom Herr's son, Aaron, was drafted in 2000 by the Atlanta Braves
and assigned to the rookie-level Gulf Coast Braves. He remained in the Braves organization until the 2006 season, when Herr signed with the Cincinnati Reds
. The Reds initially assigned him to the A-level Chattanooga Lookouts
, but worked his way up to the AAA-level Louisville Bats
. Aaron's brother, Jordan, played for his hometown Lancaster Barnstormers in the latter part of their 2008 season in lieu of completing his senior year at the University of Pittsburgh. Jordan was signed by the Chicago White Sox and allocated to their minor league system following the Barnstormers' 2008 season.
Lancaster County is also the home of other Major League Baseball veterans like Gene Garber
, John Parrish, and Bruce Sutter
. Gene Garber is noted for ending Pete Rose
's 44-game consecutive hitting streak, and ranks fifth in career pitching appearances. With 25 saves, Garber ranks second to John Smoltz on the Atlanta Braves all-time save list. John Parrish, an alumnus of J.P. McCaskey High School
, is a relief pitcher for the Toronto Blue Jays
. Bruce Sutter, notable for the popularization of the split-finger fastball
, was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2006. Sutter has many other awards including a Cy Young Award
, a Babe Ruth Award
, four Rolaids Relief Man of the Year Awards, and six National League All-Star selections.
From 1997 to 2000, the Eastern Basketball Alliance held a Lancaster-based franchise called the Storm. The Lancaster Storm won the league championship in 1999. Other former teams from Lancaster included the Red Roses
and the Lightning
. Both teams played in the Continental Basketball Association
; the Red Roses from 1946 to 1949, and from 1953 to 1955; the Lightning played in Lancaster from 1981-1985.
In 2004, there was an attempt by the American Basketball Association to place a team called the Hershey Nighthawks in the region, but that team was eventually moved to Montgomery County, Maryland
. That team is now a member of the Premier Basketball League
, known as the Maryland Nighthawks
.
High School alumnus, Jim Furyk
. He placed 4th in the 1998 and 2003 Masters tournament, won the 2003 U.S. Open, placed 4th in the 1997, 1998, and 2006 British Open, and placed 6th in the 1997 PGA championship. Furyk also won the Vardon Trophy
in 2006.
The 2015 U.S. Women's Open will be held at the Lancaster Country Club.
, owned by The Hershey Company
, represent the entire South Central Pennsylvania region. Started in 1932, the Bears are the oldest member of the American Hockey League, the AAA-level of the North American ice hockey organizational structure. The team is an eleven-time Calder Cup
champion, most recently in the 2009-2010 season.
The city of York hosted the IceCats
of the North Eastern Hockey League
in the 2003-2004 season. The team played at the York City Ice Arena
, but moved to St. Catharines, Ontario
in 2005. The now defunct Mid-Atlantic Hockey League
initially showed interest in placing a team in York, but those efforts never came into fruition.
The Central Penn Panthers of the junior-level Atlantic Metropolitan Hockey League
play in the city of Lancaster.
.
, a professional road bicycle racing event held each June since 1992. The Classic is part of the 2006-2007 UCI America Tour and the 2007 USA Cycling Professional Tour
.
, located on Harrisburg's City Island
. Landisville
, in suburban Lancaster, is home to the semi-pro Inferno. The Inferno is owned by the larger Pennsylvania Classics organization and is a member of the Women's Premier Soccer League
. The WPSL is a FIFA
-recognized Division IV league and is also on the fourth tier of the American soccer pyramid
.
Pennsylvania Dutch Country
Pennsylvania Dutch Country refers to an area of southeastern Pennsylvania, United States that by the American Revolution had a high percentage of Pennsylvania Dutch inhabitants. Religiously, there was a large portion of Lutherans. There were also German Reformed, Moravian, Amish, Mennonite and...
, is known for its many traditions such as New Year's Day pork and sauerkraut, fasnachts
Fasnachts
A Fasnacht, sometimes spelled Fastnacht or Faschnacht, is a fatty doughnut treat served traditionally on Fastnacht Day , the day before Lent starts. Fasnachts were made as a way to empty the pantry of lard, sugar, fat, and butter, which were traditionally fasted from during Lent.Basel, Switzerland...
for the Tuesday
Shrove Tuesday
Shrove Tuesday is a term used in English-speaking countries, especially in Ireland, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Philippines, Germany, and parts of the United States for the day preceding Ash Wednesday, the first day of the season of fasting and prayer called Lent.The...
before Ash Wednesday
Ash Wednesday
Ash Wednesday, in the calendar of Western Christianity, is the first day of Lent and occurs 46 days before Easter. It is a moveable fast, falling on a different date each year because it is dependent on the date of Easter...
, hex signs
Hex sign
Hex signs are a form of Pennsylvania Dutch folk art, related to fraktur, found in the Fancy Dutch tradition in Pennsylvania Dutch Country. Barn paintings, usually in the form of "stars in circles," grew out of the fraktur and folk art traditions about 1850 when barns first started to be painted in...
, and shoofly pie
Shoofly pie
Shoofly pie is a fluffy molasses pie considered traditional among the Pennsylvania Dutch and also known in Southern cooking.The term "shoo-fly pie" first appeared in print in 1926...
. However, South Central Pennsylvania
South Central Pennsylvania
South Central Pennsylvania is a region of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania that includes the fourteen counties of Adams, Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin, Huntingdon, Juniata, Lancaster, Lebanon, Mifflin, Northumberland, Perry, Schuylkill, Snyder, and York....
also has a strong sporting tradition, such as the professional baseball teams who barnstormed their way through Lancaster County
Lancaster County, Pennsylvania
Lancaster County, known as the Garden Spot of America or Pennsylvania Dutch Country, is a county located in the southeastern part of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, in the United States. As of 2010 the population was 519,445. Lancaster County forms the Lancaster Metropolitan Statistical Area, the...
's farmland in the early 1900s to Milton S. Hershey
Milton S. Hershey
Milton Snavely Hershey was an American confectioner, philanthropist, and founder of The Hershey Chocolate Company and the "company town" of Hershey, Pennsylvania....
's creation of the Hershey B'ars
Hershey Bears
The Hershey Bears Hockey Club is a professional ice hockey team playing in the American Hockey League, and is currently the top affiliate of the NHL Washington Capitals. The hockey club is based in the unincorporated town of Hershey, Pennsylvania, located within Derry Township some 14 miles east of...
hockey club in 1932.
| Club | Sport | League | Championships | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harrisburg City Islanders Harrisburg City Islanders Harrisburg City Islanders is an American professional soccer team based in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 2004, the team plays in the National Division of the new USL Professional Division, the third tier of the American Soccer Pyramid.... |
Soccer Football (soccer) Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball... |
USL Second Division USL Second Division The United Soccer Leagues Second Division was a professional men's soccer league in the United States, part of the United Soccer Leagues league pyramid... |
1 (2007) | Skyline Sports Complex Skyline Sports Complex Skyline Sports Complex is a sports complex/stadium on City Island, along the Susquehanna River, in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.The original structure was built in 1987 and is adjacent to Metro Bank Park.... |
| Harrisburg Horizon Harrisburg Horizon The Harrisburg Horizon are a professional basketball team based in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, in the United States. The Horizon is a member of the Eastern Basketball Alliance. From the 1998 season to 2008, the Horizon has played their home games at Manny Weaver Gymnasium at Rowland Intermediate... |
Basketball Basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules... |
EBA Eastern Basketball Alliance The Eastern Basketball Alliance is a professional men's winter basketball league. Games are played on the weekends and the season is approximately 4 months long, January through April.-History:... |
5 (2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006) | Manny Weaver Gym |
| Harrisburg Senators Harrisburg Senators The Harrisburg Senators are a minor league baseball team based in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The team, which plays in the Eastern League, is the Double-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals.... |
Baseball Baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond... |
Eastern League | 6 (1987, 1993, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999) | Metro Bank Park |
| Harrisburg Stampede Harrisburg Stampede The Harrisburg Stampede is a professional indoor football team in American Indoor Football. The team plays its home games at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex & Expo Center.... |
Indoor football | SIFL Southern Indoor Football League The Southern Indoor Football League was an indoor football league based in the Southern and Eastern United States. The most recent incarnation of the league was a consolidation of an earlier league of the same name that was formed by Thom Hager along with Dan Blum, Robert Winfrey and Dan Ryan in... |
0 | Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex & Expo Center |
| Hershey Bears Hershey Bears The Hershey Bears Hockey Club is a professional ice hockey team playing in the American Hockey League, and is currently the top affiliate of the NHL Washington Capitals. The hockey club is based in the unincorporated town of Hershey, Pennsylvania, located within Derry Township some 14 miles east of... |
Ice hockey Ice hockey Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take... |
AHL American Hockey League The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League... |
11 (1947, 1958, 1959, 1969, 1974, 1980, 1988, 1997, 2006, 2009, 2010) | Giant Center GIANT Center The Giant Center is a 10,500-seat multi-purpose arena in Hershey, Pennsylvania, a census-designated place in the Harrisburg metropolitan area. It is home to the Hershey Bears ice hockey team, the longest-existing member of the American Hockey League since 1938... |
| Hershey Haymakers Hershey Haymakers The Hershey Haymakers is an American professional indoor lacrosse team based in Hershey, Pennsylvania. It is a charter member of the North American Lacrosse League... |
Lacrosse Lacrosse Lacrosse is a team sport of Native American origin played using a small rubber ball and a long-handled stick called a crosse or lacrosse stick, mainly played in the United States and Canada. It is a contact sport which requires padding. The head of the lacrosse stick is strung with loose mesh... |
NALL North American Lacrosse League The North American Lacrosse League is a men's professional indoor lacrosse league based in the United States, set to begin play in January 2012. The league will be North America's third professional lacrosse league, after Major League Lacrosse and the National Lacrosse League... |
Giant Center GIANT Center The Giant Center is a 10,500-seat multi-purpose arena in Hershey, Pennsylvania, a census-designated place in the Harrisburg metropolitan area. It is home to the Hershey Bears ice hockey team, the longest-existing member of the American Hockey League since 1938... |
|
| Lancaster Barnstormers Lancaster Barnstormers The Lancaster Barnstormers is an American professional baseball team based in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. They are a member of the Freedom Division of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball... |
Baseball Baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond... |
ALPB Atlantic League of Professional Baseball The Atlantic League of Professional Baseball is a professional, independent baseball organization located primarily in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, especially the greater metropolitan areas of the Northeast megalopolis. It operates in cities not served by Major or Minor League... |
1 (2006) | Clipper Magazine Stadium Clipper Magazine Stadium Clipper Magazine Stadium is a 6,000-seat baseball park in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, that hosted its first regular season baseball game on May 11, 2005, when the tenants of the facility, the Lancaster Barnstormers, lost to the Atlantic City Surf, 4-3... |
| York Revolution York Revolution 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... |
Baseball Baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond... |
ALPB Atlantic League of Professional Baseball The Atlantic League of Professional Baseball is a professional, independent baseball organization located primarily in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, especially the greater metropolitan areas of the Northeast megalopolis. It operates in cities not served by Major or Minor League... |
0 | Sovereign Bank Stadium Sovereign Bank Stadium Sovereign Bank Stadium is a 5,200-seat baseball park in York, Pennsylvania that hosted its first regular season baseball game on June 16, 2007, as the tenants of the facility, the York Revolution, defeated the Newark Bears, 9-6. Located on Codorus Creek, the facility had been in the planning... |
Baseball
Three professional baseball teams compete in the South Central Pennsylvania area: the Harrisburg Senators, the Lancaster Barnstormers, and the York Revolution. The Senators are the oldest team of the three, with the current incarnation playing since 1987. The Barnstormers joined the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball in the 2005 season, and won the Championship Series in 2006. Following the success of Lancaster's entry, the Opening Day Partners ownership group added the York Revolution in 2007.The three cities of Harrisburg
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Harrisburg is the capital of Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 49,528, making it the ninth largest city in Pennsylvania...
, Lancaster
Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Lancaster is a city in the south-central part of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is the county seat of Lancaster County and one of the older inland cities in the United States, . With a population of 59,322, it ranks eighth in population among Pennsylvania's cities...
, and York
York, Pennsylvania
York, known as the White Rose City , is a city located in York County, Pennsylvania, United States which is in the South Central region of the state. The population within the city limits was 43,718 at the 2010 census, which was a 7.0% increase from the 2000 count of 40,862...
each had various baseball plans before settling with their current situations. Harrisburg was in the process of pursuing a AAA-level team, planning major renovations to Commerce Bank Park
Commerce Bank Park
Metro Bank Park is a baseball park in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. It is the home field of the Harrisburg Senators minor league baseball team. The original structure was built in 1987 and it was called Riverside Stadium until 2004. Currently, the ballpark has a capacity of 6,187 people. The ballpark...
to bring it to the standards of the International League
International League
The International League is a minor league baseball league that operates in the eastern United States. Like the Pacific Coast League and the Mexican League, it plays at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball. It was so named because it had teams in both the United States...
. However, with the independent teams in Lancaster and York, and the addition of the Lehigh Valley IronPigs
Lehigh Valley IronPigs
The Lehigh Valley IronPigs are a minor league baseball team that plays in the International League. The IronPigs are the Triple-A affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies. The team plays their home games at Coca-Cola Park, which is located in Allentown, Pennsylvania...
in Allentown
Allentown, Pennsylvania
Allentown is a city located in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is Pennsylvania's third most populous city, after Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, and the 215th largest city in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 118,032 and is currently...
, the chances of AAA baseball coming to Harrisburg are rather slim.
The original Harrisburg Senators played in the Eastern League in 1924. Playing its home games at Island Field, the team won the league championship in the 1927, 1928, and 1931 seasons. The Senators played a few more seasons before flood waters destroyed Island Field in 1936, effectively ending Eastern League participation for fifty-one years. In 1940, Harrisburg gained an Interstate League team affiliated with the Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
. However, the team remained in the city only until 1943, when it moved to nearby York
York, Pennsylvania
York, known as the White Rose City , is a city located in York County, Pennsylvania, United States which is in the South Central region of the state. The population within the city limits was 43,718 at the 2010 census, which was a 7.0% increase from the 2000 count of 40,862...
and renamed the York Pirates. The current Harrisburg Senators won the Eastern League championship in the 1987, 1993, 1996, 1997, 1998, and 1999 seasons.
Many decades before the formation of the Barnstormers and Revolution organizations, the cities of Lancaster and York battled for baseball supremacy in the "War of the Roses." The Lancaster Red Roses
Lancaster Red Roses
The Lancaster Red Roses baseball team, originally known as the Maroons, changed its name at the start of the 1906 season during a bitter match with the York, Pennsylvania-based White Roses. Some sources indicate that the rival teams were named for the opposing factions in England's historic Wars of...
and the York White Roses both played in various leagues together, with some bitter rivalry. Both teams were eventually dissolved, leaving Lancaster and York without baseball for several decades.
The Lancaster Barnstormers arrived in 2005, the first baseball team in the city for 44 years. The Barnstormers won the Atlantic League Championship Series in 2006, defeating the Bridgeport Bluefish
Bridgeport Bluefish
The Bridgeport Bluefish is an American professional baseball team based in Bridgeport, Connecticut. They are a member of the Liberty Division of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball...
in the league's first four-game sweep in a championship. The York Revolution played its inaugural season in 2007, reigniting the "War of the Roses" rivalry with Lancaster. The Barnstormers and the Revolution both wear retro uniforms of the respective Red Roses and White Roses for some of the games played between them.
Baseball players
Many professional baseball players call the South Central Pennsylvania region home, such as Lancaster native Tom HerrTom Herr
Thomas Mitchell Herr is a former second baseman in Major League Baseball who played from 1979 to 1991 for the St. Louis Cardinals, Minnesota Twins, Philadelphia Phillies, San Francisco Giants, and New York Mets...
. Herr is a former Major League
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
second baseman who played for the St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
, the Minnesota Twins
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
, the Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
, the San Francisco Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
, and the New York Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
. After his retirement from Major League Baseball, Herr coached the Hempfield High School
Hempfield High School
Hempfield High School is a public senior high school located in Landisville, Pennsylvania. It serves both East and West Hempfield townships and serves as the only high school for Hempfield School District.-Demographics:*Grades: 9-12...
baseball team, a stint which included mentoring his son, Aaron
Aaron Herr
Aaron Mitchell Herr is a professional baseball player who played for the Lancaster Barnstormers of the independent Atlantic League in 2011. He has played the majority of his minor league career with the Atlanta Braves organization. He is the son of Tom Herr, who was also a professional baseball...
. In 2005, he accepted the field manager position with his hometown Lancaster Barnstormers, leading them to win the 2006 Atlantic League Championship Series. This victory drew the attention of the Washington Nationals, who ultimately signed Herr to manage their AA team in Hagerstown, Maryland
Hagerstown Suns
The Hagerstown Suns are a Minor League Baseball team based in Hagerstown, Maryland, United States. They play in Municipal Stadium, which was opened in 1930 and seats 4,600 fans....
.
Tom Herr's son, Aaron, was drafted in 2000 by the Atlanta Braves
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
and assigned to the rookie-level Gulf Coast Braves. He remained in the Braves organization until the 2006 season, when Herr signed with the Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
. The Reds initially assigned him to the A-level Chattanooga Lookouts
Chattanooga Lookouts
The Chattanooga Lookouts are a minor league baseball team based in Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA. They are named for nearby Lookout Mountain. The team, which plays in the Southern League, has been a Double-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers major-league club since the 2009 season. The Lookouts...
, but worked his way up to the AAA-level Louisville Bats
Louisville Bats
The Louisville Bats, which play in Louisville, Kentucky, are the AAA minor league baseball affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds. The team, formerly known as the Louisville RiverBats, plays in the International League...
. Aaron's brother, Jordan, played for his hometown Lancaster Barnstormers in the latter part of their 2008 season in lieu of completing his senior year at the University of Pittsburgh. Jordan was signed by the Chicago White Sox and allocated to their minor league system following the Barnstormers' 2008 season.
Lancaster County is also the home of other Major League Baseball veterans like Gene Garber
Gene Garber
Henry Eugene Garber is a former sidearm relief pitcher in Major League Baseball. He was selected by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 20th round of the amateur draft, and pitched for the Pirates, the Kansas City Royals, the Philadelphia Phillies, and the Atlanta Braves.Upon his retirement in , his...
, John Parrish, and Bruce Sutter
Bruce Sutter
Howard Bruce Sutter is a former Major League Baseball right-handed relief pitcher. He was arguably the first pitcher to make effective use of the splitter....
. Gene Garber is noted for ending Pete Rose
Pete Rose
Peter Edward Rose , nicknamed "Charlie Hustle", is a former Major League Baseball player and manager. Rose played from 1963 to 1986, and managed from 1984 to 1989....
's 44-game consecutive hitting streak, and ranks fifth in career pitching appearances. With 25 saves, Garber ranks second to John Smoltz on the Atlanta Braves all-time save list. John Parrish, an alumnus of J.P. McCaskey High School
J.P. McCaskey High School
J. P. McCaskey High School is a public high school located in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, USA. Located on the east side of Lancaster, it is named after John Piersol McCaskey, a Lancaster educator. The McCaskey campus consists of two buildings: J.P. McCaskey, which is usually referred to either as...
, is a relief pitcher for the Toronto Blue Jays
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Jays are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball 's American League ....
. Bruce Sutter, notable for the popularization of the split-finger fastball
Split-finger fastball
A split-finger fastball or splitter is a pitch in baseball. It is named after the technique of putting the index and middle finger on different sides of the ball, or "splitting" them. When thrown hard, it appears to be a fastball to the batter, but suddenly "drops off the table" towards home...
, was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2006. Sutter has many other awards including a Cy Young Award
Cy Young Award
The Cy Young Award is an honor given annually in baseball to the best pitchers in Major League Baseball , one each for the American League and National League . The award was first introduced in 1956 by Baseball Commissioner Ford Frick in honor of Hall of Fame pitcher Cy Young, who died in 1955...
, a Babe Ruth Award
Babe Ruth Award
The Babe Ruth Award is given annually to the Major League Baseball player with the best performance in the postseason. The award, created by the New York chapter of the Baseball Writers Association of America in honor of Babe Ruth, was first awarded in 1949 to the MVP of the World Series, one...
, four Rolaids Relief Man of the Year Awards, and six National League All-Star selections.
Basketball
The only professional basketball team in South Central Pennsylvania is the Harrisburg Horizon of the Eastern Basketball Alliance. The Horizon is the five-time champion of the Eastern Basketball Alliance, most recently in 2006.From 1997 to 2000, the Eastern Basketball Alliance held a Lancaster-based franchise called the Storm. The Lancaster Storm won the league championship in 1999. Other former teams from Lancaster included the Red Roses
Lancaster Red Roses (basketball)
The Lancaster Red Roses were a professional basketball team based in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. From 1946 to 1949 and from 1953 to 1955, they played in the Eastern Professional Basketball League, of which the Red Roses were one of the six original teams. The Red Roses also played briefly as the...
and the Lightning
Rockford Lightning
The Rockford Lightning were a basketball team that played in the Continental Basketball Association. They were based in Rockford, Illinois. The Lightning were the oldest team in the CBA, originally existing as the Lancaster Red Roses from Lancaster, Pennsylvania...
. Both teams played in the Continental Basketball Association
Continental Basketball Association
The Continental Basketball Association was a professional men's basketball league in the United States, which has been on hiatus since the 2009 season.- History :...
; the Red Roses from 1946 to 1949, and from 1953 to 1955; the Lightning played in Lancaster from 1981-1985.
In 2004, there was an attempt by the American Basketball Association to place a team called the Hershey Nighthawks in the region, but that team was eventually moved to Montgomery County, Maryland
Montgomery County, Maryland
Montgomery County is a county in the U.S. state of Maryland, situated just to the north of Washington, D.C., and southwest of the city of Baltimore. It is one of the most affluent counties in the United States, and has the highest percentage of residents over 25 years of age who hold post-graduate...
. That team is now a member of the Premier Basketball League
Premier Basketball League
The Premier Basketball League, often abbreviated to the PBL, is a men's professional basketball minor league in the United States that began play in January 2008. The league had ten teams for the 2008 season and thirteen teams for the 2009 season. Nine teams from Canada and the United States...
, known as the Maryland Nighthawks
Maryland Nighthawks
The Washington GreenHawks were a team of the Atlantic Coast Professional Basketball League based in Washington, D.C.. As the Maryland Nighthawks they were formerly part of the American Basketball Association and a founding member of the Premier Basketball League , in which they later played as...
.
Golf
Professional golf is well-represented by Manheim TownshipManheim Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania
Manheim Township is a township in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania established in 1729, which southernmost border meets the city limits of Lancaster. The population as of the 2000 census was 33,697.-Government:...
High School alumnus, Jim Furyk
Jim Furyk
James Michael Furyk is an American professional golfer, 2010 FedEx Cup champion, and 2010 PGA Tour Player of the Year. He has won one major championship, the 2003 U.S. Open. Furyk is known for consistently playing at the top level and for a visibly unconventional, looping golf swing...
. He placed 4th in the 1998 and 2003 Masters tournament, won the 2003 U.S. Open, placed 4th in the 1997, 1998, and 2006 British Open, and placed 6th in the 1997 PGA championship. Furyk also won the Vardon Trophy
Vardon Trophy
The Vardon Trophy is awarded annually by the PGA of America to the PGA Tour's leader in scoring average. When the award was first given in 1937, it was awarded on the basis of a points system. No award was given from 1942–1946 due to World War II. In 1947, the PGA began awarding it for low...
in 2006.
The 2015 U.S. Women's Open will be held at the Lancaster Country Club.
Ice hockey
The Hershey BearsHershey Bears
The Hershey Bears Hockey Club is a professional ice hockey team playing in the American Hockey League, and is currently the top affiliate of the NHL Washington Capitals. The hockey club is based in the unincorporated town of Hershey, Pennsylvania, located within Derry Township some 14 miles east of...
, owned by The Hershey Company
The Hershey Company
The Hershey Company, known until April 2005 as the Hershey Foods Corporation and commonly called Hershey's, is the largest chocolate manufacturer in North America. Its headquarters are in Hershey, Pennsylvania, which is also home to Hershey's Chocolate World. It was founded by Milton S...
, represent the entire South Central Pennsylvania region. Started in 1932, the Bears are the oldest member of the American Hockey League, the AAA-level of the North American ice hockey organizational structure. The team is an eleven-time Calder Cup
Calder Cup
The Calder Cup is awarded annually to the playoff champion of the American Hockey League. The trophy is the world's second oldest continuous professional ice hockey championship, having first been awarded in 1937 following the 1936-37 AHL season, and continuously being awarded every year.The cup...
champion, most recently in the 2009-2010 season.
The city of York hosted the IceCats
Norfolk IceCats
The Norfolk IceCats were a semi-professional hockey team in the North Eastern Hockey League based in Simcoe, Ontario, Canada owned by Jim Cashman. The franchise was previously known as the York IceCats until a move to St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada in 2005; however, the league suspended...
of the North Eastern Hockey League
North Eastern Hockey League
The North Eastern Hockey League was a semi-professional ice hockey league from 2003 until 2008. It was created by entrepreneur Jim Cashman, who served as league president. The NEHL was built to focus on giving players that were not quite ready for the ECHL, United Hockey League, and the Central...
in the 2003-2004 season. The team played at the York City Ice Arena
York City Ice Arena
The York City Ice Arena is a 1,000-seat rink in York, Pennsylvania, USA. Renovated in September 2004, it hosts local public skating, ice hockey, and figure skating.-External links:*...
, but moved to St. Catharines, Ontario
St. Catharines, Ontario
St. Catharines is the largest city in Canada's Niagara Region and the sixth largest urban area in Ontario, Canada, with 97.11 square kilometres of land...
in 2005. The now defunct Mid-Atlantic Hockey League
Mid-Atlantic Hockey League
The Mid-Atlantic Hockey League was a minor professional ice hockey league in the Mid-Atlantic and Great Lakes regions of the United States. The league began play in November 2007...
initially showed interest in placing a team in York, but those efforts never came into fruition.
The Central Penn Panthers of the junior-level Atlantic Metropolitan Hockey League
Atlantic Metropolitan Hockey League
The Atlantic Metropolitan Hockey League is a youth ice hockey organization, based in McAfee, New Jersey, that operates in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The league consists of four leagues under the banner of the AMHL: Atlantic Junior Hockey League, Atlantic Sled...
play in the city of Lancaster.
Indoor football
The Harrisburg Stampede is the first indoor or indoor football team in the South Central Pennsylvania region. The Stampede play at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex & Expo Center.Lacrosse
The Hershey Haymakers is the first lacrosse team in the South Central Pennsylvania region. The Haymakers play at the Giant CenterGIANT Center
The Giant Center is a 10,500-seat multi-purpose arena in Hershey, Pennsylvania, a census-designated place in the Harrisburg metropolitan area. It is home to the Hershey Bears ice hockey team, the longest-existing member of the American Hockey League since 1938...
.
Lancaster Classic
Lancaster is home to the Lancaster ClassicLancaster Classic
The Tom Bamford Lancaster Classic is a professional road bicycle racing event held each June since 1992 in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, USA. The Lancaster Classic is the first leg of the Pro Cycling Tour and the Commerce Bank Triple Crown of Cycling, which includes the Reading Classic and the...
, a professional road bicycle racing event held each June since 1992. The Classic is part of the 2006-2007 UCI America Tour and the 2007 USA Cycling Professional Tour
2007 USA Cycling Professional Tour
The 2007 USA Cycling Professional Tour is the inaugural year of a professional road bicycle racing series organized by USA Cycling.Levi Leipheimer and the team won the overall individual and team titles respectively. Leipheimer finished the season with 381 points over teammate George Hincapie,...
.
Soccer
Soccer is widely played in the South Central Pennsylvania region, and hosts a professional teams called the Harrisburg City Islanders. The City Islanders play at the Skyline Sports ComplexSkyline Sports Complex
Skyline Sports Complex is a sports complex/stadium on City Island, along the Susquehanna River, in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.The original structure was built in 1987 and is adjacent to Metro Bank Park....
, located on Harrisburg's City Island
City Island (Pennsylvania)
City Island is a mile-long island in the Susquehanna River between Harrisburg and Wormleysburg, Pennsylvania in the United States. It is used mainly for leisure and sports activities...
. Landisville
Salunga-Landisville, Pennsylvania
Salunga-Landisville is a census-designated place in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States with a zip code of 17538. The population was 4,771 at the 2000 census. The name "Salunga" comes from the nearby Chiquesalunga Creek, which in turn is derived from the Lenape "Chiquesalunga", meaning...
, in suburban Lancaster, is home to the semi-pro Inferno. The Inferno is owned by the larger Pennsylvania Classics organization and is a member of the Women's Premier Soccer League
Women's Premier Soccer League
The Women's Premier Soccer League is a national women's soccer league in the United States and Puerto Rico, and is on the 2nd level of women's soccer in the United States soccer pyramid, alongside the W-League and below Women's Professional Soccer....
. The WPSL is a FIFA
FIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
-recognized Division IV league and is also on the fourth tier of the American soccer pyramid
American Soccer Pyramid
The United States soccer pyramid is a term used in soccer to describe the structure of the league system in the United States. The country's governing body for the sport, the United States Soccer Federation , oversees the system but does not operate any of its component leagues—with one temporary...
.