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Lancaster Red Roses

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This article is about the baseball team. For the basketball team, see Lancaster Red Roses (basketball).
Lancaster Red Roses
Team logo Cap insignia
Minor league affiliations
Previous classes
  • Class-A (1958–1961)
  • Class-B (1940–1955)
  • Class D (1932)
  • Class B (1907–1912, 1914)
  • Class D (1901–1902)
  • Class A (1899)
  • Class B (1897–1898)
  • Class A (1896)
  • Class B (1895–1896)
LeagueEastern League (1958–1961)
Previous leagues
Major league affiliations
Previous teams
Minor league titles
League titles 6 (1909),(1940),(1943),(1944),(1945),(1955)
Team data
Previous names
  • Lancaster Red Roses (1940–1961)
  • Lancaster Red Sox (1932)
  • Lancaster Red Roses (1914)
  • Lancaster Lanks (1912)
  • Lancaster Red Roses (1905–1911)
  • Lancaster (1901–1902)
  • Lancaster Maroons (1896–1899)
  • Lancaster Chicks (1894–1895)
  • Lancaster (1889–1890)
  • Lancaster Ironsides (1886)
  • Lancaster Red Stockings (1885)
  • Lancaster Ironsides (1884–1885)
  • Lancaster (1884)
Previous parks
Stumpf Field

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 the Roses. The Lancaster Red Roses played at Stumpf Field in Manheim Township, Pennsylvania, which is still used today by local baseball and softball leagues.

History

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19th century

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The 1906 Lancaster Red Roses

Organized baseball first came to Lancaster, Pennsylvania in 1884 when Lancaster had two teams for a brief period of time. The Lancaster Red Stockings played 19 games as a member of the short-lived Keystone Association before the league broke up in June 1884. The Lancaster Ironsides played in the Eastern League beginning in 1884. The team remained in Lancaster for the 1885 season under a new name, the Lancaster Lancasters.[1] Baseball returned for Lancaster in the 1894 season when the Pennsylvania State League Altoona, Pennsylvania franchise moved to Lancaster for most of the 1894 season and the 1895 season.

In 1896, the Atlantic League Lancaster Maroons began play when the New Haven, Connecticut team moved to Lancaster. The Maroons became very popular and became one of the powerhouse teams in the Atlantic League. On field successes didn't save the franchise, due to player salaries being higher than the team income.[2] The team folded at the end of the 1899 season.

20th century

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The 1909 Lancaster Red Roses with Stan Coveleski standing fourth from left

In 1904, a local businessman built a new ballpark and began an independent team to test the local demand for baseball. After a success with local fans and businesses the team joined the Tri-State League for the 1905 season as the Lancaster Maroons. The franchise became the Red Roses in 1906.

In 1906, the Lancaster Red Roses changed their name from the Maroons, and its new name was unveiled to the public a few days before the season and drew heavy criticism from the rival York White Roses from nearby York. The White Roses manager predicted, in spite, that the Red Roses would be at the bottom of the standings column. The Red Roses went on to win the first game, 9-4, and an even heavier rivalry began.[3] Some sources[who?] indicate that the rival teams were named for the opposing factions in England's historic Wars of the Roses.

In 1909, the team secured its first championship in the Tri-State League, under the leadership of ex-outfielder Marty Hogan.[4] That same year, the Red Roses signed on future Hall of Fame pitcher Stan Coveleski.[5]

In 1932, a new team by the name of the Lancaster Red Sox, an affiliate of the Boston Red Sox, played in the city but the economic problems related to the Great Depression lead to the team folding on June 17, 1932 after only 23 games in the 1932 season. The league disbanded a few days later on the 20th. The league returned in 1939 with only 4 teams and the Lancaster Red Roses followed in 1940 entering the league with four other teams doubling the league. The team returned to its original name of Red Roses in 1940.[6] The Lancaster Red Roses played in the Interstate League from 1940 to 1952, and were affiliated with the Philadelphia Athletics from 1944 to 1947 and the Brooklyn Dodgers from 1948 to 1952.

The Red Roses joined the Piedmont League in 1954, and were affiliated with the Philadelphia/Kansas City Athletics from 1954–1955 season. They became members of the Eastern League in 1958, and were affiliated with the Detroit Tigers for the 1958–1959 season, the Chicago Cubs from 1959 to 1961, and spent their last season ever in 1961 as an affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals.

Uniforms

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The Lancaster Maroons unveiled new uniforms with new colors, this was soon followed by a name change to the Lancaster Red Roses original Uniforms included white shirt and pants, dark blue stockings, and dark blue cap with a white "L" embroidered across the front.[7]

Year-by-year record

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Tri-State League (1906–1912, 1914) records

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Year Record Finish Manager Playoffs Notes
1906 70-57 3rd Fred Crolius none
1907 73-53 3rd Pop Foster none
1908 72-55 3rd Pop Foster none
1909 75-39 1st Marty Hogan none League Champs
1910 63-47 2nd Marty Hogan none
1911 54-54 4th Marty Hogan
1912 15-19 (59-92 overall) -- John Castle none Lancaster moved to Atlantic City June 18
1914 10-46 (26-83 overall) 6th George Heckert / Eddie Hooper none York (16-37) moved to Lancaster July 8

Interstate League (1940–1952)

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Year Record Finish Manager Playoffs Notes
1940 43-39 (62-56 overall) 4th Cy Perkins League Champs Hazleton (19-17) moved to Lancaster June 12
1941 43-83 8th Billy Rogell / Jimmy Archer
1942 59-78 5th Tom Oliver
1943 83-55 1st Elwood Wheaton League Champs
1944 66-72 4th Lena Blackburne League Champs
1945 87-52 1st Lena Blackburne League Champs
1946 55-83 8th Tom Oliver
1947 64-73 6th Charlie English / Clayton Sheedy
1948 50-89 8th Dib Williams / Jack Knight (interim, 5/29-?)
1949 71-68 5th Al Campanis
1950 56-82 7th Ed Head
1951 71-67 5th Ed Head
1952 75-65 4th James Bivin Lost League Finals

Piedmont League (1954–1955)

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Year Record Finish Manager Playoffs Notes
1954 62-78 7th Kemp Wicker / Lena Blackburne / Buddy Walker
1955 72-54 2nd Hank Biasatti League Champs

Eastern League (1958–1961)

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1958 75-57 1st Johnny Pesky Lost League Finals
1959 57-83 7th Nick Cullop
1960 66-73 6th Phil Cavarretta
1961 60-80 5th Chase Riddle none

Notable Red Roses

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ *The International League: Year-by-year Statistics, 1884–1953 (ISBN 0-7864-2267-X)
  2. ^ 1896-1905: Maroon-ed in the Economy of Baseball Archived 2006-05-03 at the Wayback Machine
  3. ^ "Lancaster's Roses Bloom and Wither". Lancaster County Historical Society. Archived from the original on May 3, 2006. Retrieved May 6, 2006.
  4. ^ Spalding's Official Athletic Library Baseball Guide (New York: American Sports Publishing Co., 1910), p. 181.
  5. ^ "Three Coveleski Boys Sign". The Ogden (Utah) Standard. February 8, 1909. p. 5.
  6. ^ "Rose Seeds Resown". Lancaster County Historical Society. Archived from the original on May 3, 2006. Retrieved May 6, 2006.
  7. ^ 1932 - 1961: The Red Roses and the Nation
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