When you think of some of the greatest teams in professional baseball history, the Lancaster Barnstormers do not usually come up in conversation. But this thought may change with the Barnstormers on their way to one of the best seasons ever in Atlantic League history.
This past Thursday, the Barnstormers defeated the Bridgeport Bluefish with a score of 11-9 at The Ballpark at Harbor Yard, breaking the Atlantic League record for wins in a season. This was Lancaster’s 87th victory of the season, breaking the previous record held by the Somerset Patriots since 2009, who went 86-54 and won the league championship.
Outfielder Blake Gailen led the team with three hits in the win, while teammates Tommy Everidge, Adam Godwin and Bridger Hunt all contributed two hits. Tim Hamulak closed the game on the mound, and the win added to his streak of 26 saves in a row.
Not only did this victory break the league record for wins in a season, it also guaranteed the Barnstormers a share of the Second Half Freedom Division Championship. This accolade puts yet another trophy on an already overflowing shelf for the Stormers this year, who have already won the First Half Freedom Division Championship.
Though the Barnstormers have had so much success by this point in the season, they are not satisfied with breaking the league record in wins…they want a league title.
“I promised people a championship. It’s not an option to not win it,” Lancaster Manager Butch Hobson said. Hobson, who played eight seasons in the Major Leagues for three teams including the Boston Red Sox, is in his first season as the Barnstormers’ skipper and has put the team in a prime position to accomplish their ultimate goal.
The Barnstormers have a handful of players on their roster that have spent stints in the Majors including former Philadelphia Phillie and Barnstormer ace, J.D. Durbin. Durbin shares the league lead in wins with fellow teammate Alan Johnson with 14. Johnson and Durbin are a part of a pitching staff that has the lowest ERA in the league.
Not only does Lancaster have a shut-down pitching staff, but potent offense firepower as well. Gailen leads the league in batting averages at .338. Teammate and fellow outfielder Godwin trails Gailen in second place with an average of .327. Gailen was named the team’s Player of the Year for his league-leading batting average and his top-five ranks for home runs and runs batted in (RBIs).
Not only has the Barnstormers outfield batted for average, but also for power. Ryan Harvey is second in the Atlantic League in home runs with 27. Along with Harvey, Fehlant Lentini trails the league in RBIs by nine, with 92.
Lancaster’s success comes as somewhat of a surprise with many of the players being new to the organization. Over the past four months, the Barnstormers have amassed over 35 transactions, which can create a hole in team chemistry. But Lancaster did not allow all these changes to its roster to deter them from their ultimate goal of winning a championship.
The Barnstormers tried to continue their winning ways as they began their playoff run for the organization’s second Atlantic League Championship on Sept. 26 at 7 p.m. against the York Revolution.
Fans are definitely excited about the prospect of seeing their team in the playoffs with a strong chance of bringing home a championship. One Facebook user commented on the post announcing the Barnstormers’ new record: “Gets me even more excited for the playoffs!! Go Stormers!!” Another fan commented on his predictions for the series against York, stating Lancaster will win in three.
No matter what the outcome of the Barnstormers’ playoff run, their season will go down as one of the greatest in league history.