Pennsylvania Road Warriors
Encyclopedia
The Pennsylvania Road Warriors is a team owned by the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball
. From the 2000 to the 2004 seasons as well as from 2006 to 2007, they played in the North Division of the Atlantic League, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball
. The team was revived in October 2010 because of the departure of the Newark Bears
to the Canadian American Association of Professional Baseball.
The original team was known as the Newburgh Black Diamonds and later the Lehigh Valley Black Diamonds, based in Pennsylvania
. Northampton County
and the ownership planned a 5,000 seat stadium called the Lehigh Valley Multi-Purpose Sport Complex
in Williams Township near Easton, Pennsylvania
to be completed in 1999. However, the owners filed for bankruptcy
and left the stadium unfinished, forcing the team to play its games on the road http://ballparkreviews.com/places/lv.htm. In 2000, the team played in a small ballpark in Quakertown, Pennsylvania
with little to no fan support. One infamous game had a paid attendance of two people.
In 2005, the Lancaster Barnstormers
took the place of the Road Warriors. When the Nashua Pride
left to join the Can-Am League
, the league re-established the Road Warriors for the 2006 season to replace the Pride, but did not give them a location.
With the move of the Atlantic City Surf
to the Can-Am League
for the 2007 season, the Road Warriors returned to fill the gaps in the schedule until the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs
joined in 2008. In October 2010, it was announced that the Road Warriors will again fill in scheduling holes left by the departing Newark Bears.
Former Cincinnati Red
Wayne Krenchicki managed the team from 1998 to 2000 before becoming the manager of the Camden Riversharks
from 2001-2006. Krenchicki now manages the Newark Bears.
. From the 1998 season to 2001, they played in the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball
, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball
.
The Black Diamonds never really had a home field. In their first season in the league they were forced to play in Newburgh, New York at Delano-Hitch Stadium
. When a lease agreement could not be reached with the Newburgh stadium the team played the entire 1999 season on the road. After the league amended their charter before the 2000 season forcing all teams to have a home stadium the Black Diamonds played at Memorial Park in Quakertown, Pennsylvania
. They spent the rest of their short existence as a traveling team in 2001. In 2002 The Black Diamonds became the Pennsylvania Road Warriors when the stadium appeared to have fallen through and a deal to purchase the team could not be reached.
The Lehigh Valley Black Diamonds were originally slated to play at the Lehigh Valley Multi-Purpose Sport Complex
, a 6,400-seat, $15 million-dollar ballpark in Williams Township, Pennsylvania
. Construction was halted by developer Jim Petrucci when the team owner, Thomas Flaherty, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on February 1, 2000, with some $3 million in debts. Bankruptcy records showed 128 people submitted claims for $52,683 in season ticket sales.
For the four years that the Black Diamonds were in existence they would only have a home stadium for two of them. Their win-loss percentage and standing in the league was also less than good. In 1998 they finished the season with a 42-58 record placing them in 4th place in the six team league. In 1999 they would finish tied for last in the league with a 52-67 record. In 2000 the Black Diamonds again finished last in the now eight team league with a record of 51-88. Finally, in 2001 they finished last for a third year in a row with a dismal 37-89 record.
The Black Diamonds would go down in history as one of the most un-successful and poorly managed team in baseball history. While in Quakertown for the 2001 season they played at Quakertown's Memorial Stadium. The stadium was not built for minor league baseball and only held about 900 fans. The Black Diamonds stood third in line behind the Quakertown summer college baseball league and American Legion
team in terms of schedule priority. Therefore most of their games were afternoon games that took place on weekdays. According to statistics the average attendance for the season was 86 people per home game. One home game had a paid attendance of 2 people. The players who played on the 2000 Black Diamonds were also left without host families or hotels. To save money the team management paid for the team members to stay at a local campground for the season. A 4 part article about the team was written in 2001 and featured in ESPN the Magazine. Players from the 2000 team stated that about seventy percent of the players on the team lived in the campground that year. One player said that oftentimes the team would come home from a 5 hour bus ride at 4 in the morning and players would have to set up a tent in the pouring rain.
Finally after spending the 2001 season as an away team the Lehigh Valley
franchise was officially disbanded. The team would now be re-named and taken over completely by the league until a replacement team could be found. The Lehigh Valley Multi-Purpose Sport Complex was demolished in early 2005, without ever hosting a single baseball game. In 2002, the team became the Pennsylvania Road Warriors.
Despite the failure of the Black Diamonds, as well as the Allentown Ambassadors
, baseball in the Lehigh Valley is not lost forever. Beginning in the spring of 2008, the city of Allentown
is the home of the Lehigh Valley IronPigs
, the AAA franchise of the Philadelphia Phillies
. The IronPigs play at the brand-new Coca-Cola Park, at the former Agere site in downtown Allentown.
The 2002 Pennsylvania Road Warriors finished with a record of 34-91.
The club was represented with OF Wil Quintana making the All Star team. Quintana hit .302 with 11 HRs in 55 games with the road club.
1B Pat Burns led Pennsylvania appearing 120 games with 441 ABs, 58 runs, 121 hits, 25 doubles and 40 walks.
SP Tim Kester set a Road Warrior record with a 2.57 ERA.
The 2003 Pennsylvania squad finished 30-95.
OF Jerry Amador led with 429 ABs and 53 runs, as well as hitting 18 HRs.
IF Dario Delgado hit 22 HRs with a .289 Avg.
C Mike Lopez-Cao and RP Eddy Ramos made the All Star team.
OF Gary Johnson hit .321 in 72 games.
On the final game of the season UT Asbel Ortiz played every position, in numerical order, from pitcher through right field.
The 2004 Pennsylvania Road Warriors finished with the worst record in Atlantic League history at 23-103.
IF Brady Williams played in 117 games with 440 ABs, 121 hits, 57 runs, 15 HRs, and 49 RBIs.
IF Edgar Tovar and SP Luis Arroyo were nominated to the Northern All Star team. Tovar hit .324 to lead Pennsylvania and Arroyo won 5 games.
DH Branden Florence hit .345 in only 20 games with the team to be signed by the Baltimore Orioles.
The 2006 Road Warriors finished at 42-83.
1B Mike Huggins, SS Nick Ortiz, C Sandy Aracena, DH Manuel Mejia, and RP Melvin Pizarro were all nominated to the Northern Division All Star team.
First Baseman Mike Huggins led the 2006 Road Warriors with 123 games, 443 ABs, 74 runs, 126 hits, 20 HRs, 69 RBIs, and 78 walks.
OF Sheldon Fulse stole 50 bases for the team, Kyle Goldwater won 8 games and Melvin Pizarro saved 10 games.
The final season of the Road Warriors, in 2007, proved to be their most successful as they finished at 43-83.
1B Vito Chiaravalloti
, IF David Housel, IF Gabe Suarez, C Sandy Aracena, P Emmanuel Ulloa were named to the All Star team. Chiaravalloti paced the line up hitting .296 with 19 home runs, 81 RBIs and recording 76 walks. OF Steven Doetsch was named to the Atlantic League Post Season All Star team by hitting .284 with 22 home runs and 65 RBIs. Former major league pitcher Carlos Castillo finished 8-9 with a 3.34 ERA. Another former MLB pitcher, Benito Baez, went 2-3 with 9 saves and a 2.08 ERA in 40 games. Baez struck out 45 batters in 43.1 innings of work.
Since the 2007 season a Road Warrior alum, LHP Alberto Castillo, made it to the big leagues with the Baltimore Orioles. Castillo pitched for the Warriors in 2006 and 2007 before being invited to spring training with the Orioles in 2008. Castillo quickly pitched his way up the system and appeared in 28 games with the O's going 1-0 with a 3.81 ERA and 23 strike outs.
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...
. From the 2000 to the 2004 seasons as well as from 2006 to 2007, they played in the North Division of the Atlantic League, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball
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...
. The team was revived in October 2010 because of the departure of the Newark Bears
Newark Bears
The Newark Bears are an American professional baseball team based in Newark, New Jersey. They are a member of the Canadian American Association of Professional Baseball, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball. Since the 1999 season, the Bears have played their home games at Bears &...
to the Canadian American Association of Professional Baseball.
The original team was known as the Newburgh Black Diamonds and later the Lehigh Valley Black Diamonds, based in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. Northampton County
Northampton County, Pennsylvania
As of the 2010 census, the county was 86.3% White, 5.0% Black or African American, 0.2% Native American or Alaskan Native, 2.4% Asian, 0.0% Native Hawaiian, 2.2% were two or more races, and 3.8% were some other race. 10.5% of the population were of Hispanic or Latino ancestry.As of the census of...
and the ownership planned a 5,000 seat stadium called the Lehigh Valley Multi-Purpose Sport Complex
Lehigh Valley Multi-Purpose Sport Complex
The Lehigh Valley Multi-Purpose Sport Complex was a proposed $15 million, 6,400 seat stadium that was slated to be built directly off I-78 in Williams Township, Pennsylvania, near Easton. The project would become one of the most expensive sporting complex failures in recent history.- History :The...
in Williams Township near Easton, Pennsylvania
Easton, Pennsylvania
Easton is a city in Northampton County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 26,800 as of the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Northampton County....
to be completed in 1999. However, the owners filed for bankruptcy
Bankruptcy
Bankruptcy is a legal status of an insolvent person or an organisation, that is, one that cannot repay the debts owed to creditors. In most jurisdictions bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debtor....
and left the stadium unfinished, forcing the team to play its games on the road http://ballparkreviews.com/places/lv.htm. In 2000, the team played in a small ballpark in Quakertown, Pennsylvania
Quakertown, Pennsylvania
Quakertown is a borough in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 8,979. The borough is south of Bethlehem and north of Philadelphia, making Quakertown a border town of both the Delaware Valley and Lehigh Valley metropolitan areas...
with little to no fan support. One infamous game had a paid attendance of two people.
In 2005, the 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...
took the place of the Road Warriors. When the Nashua Pride
Nashua Pride
The Nashua Pride were a professional baseball team based in Nashua, New Hampshire, in the United States, not affiliated with Major League Baseball. They played home games at Holman Stadium from 1998 through 2008, when they were sold and renamed the American Defenders of New Hampshire. In 2010 that...
left to join the Can-Am League
Canadian-American Association of Professional Baseball
The Canadian American Association of Professional Baseball, based in Durham, North Carolina, is a professional, independent baseball league located in the Northeastern United States and the Canadian province of Quebec. It operates in cities not served by Major or Minor League Baseball teams and is...
, the league re-established the Road Warriors for the 2006 season to replace the Pride, but did not give them a location.
With the move of the Atlantic City Surf
Atlantic City Surf
The Atlantic City Surf were a professional baseball team based in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The Surf was most recently a member of the Can-Am League, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball...
to the Can-Am League
Canadian-American Association of Professional Baseball
The Canadian American Association of Professional Baseball, based in Durham, North Carolina, is a professional, independent baseball league located in the Northeastern United States and the Canadian province of Quebec. It operates in cities not served by Major or Minor League Baseball teams and is...
for the 2007 season, the Road Warriors returned to fill the gaps in the schedule until the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs
Southern Maryland Blue Crabs
The Southern Maryland Blue Crabs is an American professional baseball team based in Waldorf, Maryland. They are a member of the Liberty Division of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, an independent baseball league which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball. From the 2008 season...
joined in 2008. In October 2010, it was announced that the Road Warriors will again fill in scheduling holes left by the departing Newark Bears.
Former Cincinnati Red
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....
Wayne Krenchicki managed the team from 1998 to 2000 before becoming the manager of the Camden Riversharks
Camden Riversharks
The Camden Riversharks is an American professional baseball team based in Camden, New Jersey. They are a member of the Liberty Division of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball...
from 2001-2006. Krenchicki now manages the Newark Bears.
Early History
The team was founded in 1998 as the Newburgh Black Diamonds and in 2000, moved to Lehigh Valley to be the Lehigh Valley Black Diamonds, based in Quakertown, PennsylvaniaQuakertown, Pennsylvania
Quakertown is a borough in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 8,979. The borough is south of Bethlehem and north of Philadelphia, making Quakertown a border town of both the Delaware Valley and Lehigh Valley metropolitan areas...
. From the 1998 season to 2001, they played in the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball
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...
, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball
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...
.
The Black Diamonds never really had a home field. In their first season in the league they were forced to play in Newburgh, New York at Delano-Hitch Stadium
Delano-Hitch Stadium
Delano-Hitch Stadium is a stadium in Newburgh, New York; it has a current capacity of 3,100.-Early years:Baseball in Newburgh goes back to the 1860s: the Hudson River club played from 1863–67, compiling a 18-18 record against many of the top teams of the day...
. When a lease agreement could not be reached with the Newburgh stadium the team played the entire 1999 season on the road. After the league amended their charter before the 2000 season forcing all teams to have a home stadium the Black Diamonds played at Memorial Park in Quakertown, Pennsylvania
Quakertown, Pennsylvania
Quakertown is a borough in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 8,979. The borough is south of Bethlehem and north of Philadelphia, making Quakertown a border town of both the Delaware Valley and Lehigh Valley metropolitan areas...
. They spent the rest of their short existence as a traveling team in 2001. In 2002 The Black Diamonds became the Pennsylvania Road Warriors when the stadium appeared to have fallen through and a deal to purchase the team could not be reached.
The Lehigh Valley Black Diamonds were originally slated to play at the Lehigh Valley Multi-Purpose Sport Complex
Lehigh Valley Multi-Purpose Sport Complex
The Lehigh Valley Multi-Purpose Sport Complex was a proposed $15 million, 6,400 seat stadium that was slated to be built directly off I-78 in Williams Township, Pennsylvania, near Easton. The project would become one of the most expensive sporting complex failures in recent history.- History :The...
, a 6,400-seat, $15 million-dollar ballpark in Williams Township, Pennsylvania
Williams Township, Pennsylvania
Williams Township is the name of some places in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania:*Williams Township, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania*Williams Township, Northampton County, Pennsylvania...
. Construction was halted by developer Jim Petrucci when the team owner, Thomas Flaherty, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on February 1, 2000, with some $3 million in debts. Bankruptcy records showed 128 people submitted claims for $52,683 in season ticket sales.
For the four years that the Black Diamonds were in existence they would only have a home stadium for two of them. Their win-loss percentage and standing in the league was also less than good. In 1998 they finished the season with a 42-58 record placing them in 4th place in the six team league. In 1999 they would finish tied for last in the league with a 52-67 record. In 2000 the Black Diamonds again finished last in the now eight team league with a record of 51-88. Finally, in 2001 they finished last for a third year in a row with a dismal 37-89 record.
The Black Diamonds would go down in history as one of the most un-successful and poorly managed team in baseball history. While in Quakertown for the 2001 season they played at Quakertown's Memorial Stadium. The stadium was not built for minor league baseball and only held about 900 fans. The Black Diamonds stood third in line behind the Quakertown summer college baseball league and American Legion
American Legion
The American Legion is a mutual-aid organization of veterans of the United States armed forces chartered by the United States Congress. It was founded to benefit those veterans who served during a wartime period as defined by Congress...
team in terms of schedule priority. Therefore most of their games were afternoon games that took place on weekdays. According to statistics the average attendance for the season was 86 people per home game. One home game had a paid attendance of 2 people. The players who played on the 2000 Black Diamonds were also left without host families or hotels. To save money the team management paid for the team members to stay at a local campground for the season. A 4 part article about the team was written in 2001 and featured in ESPN the Magazine. Players from the 2000 team stated that about seventy percent of the players on the team lived in the campground that year. One player said that oftentimes the team would come home from a 5 hour bus ride at 4 in the morning and players would have to set up a tent in the pouring rain.
Finally after spending the 2001 season as an away team the Lehigh Valley
Lehigh Valley
The Lehigh Valley, known officially by the United States Census Bureau as the Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ metropolitan area and referred to locally as The Valley and A-B-E, is a metropolitan region consisting of Lehigh, Northampton, Berks, and Carbon counties in eastern Pennsylvania and...
franchise was officially disbanded. The team would now be re-named and taken over completely by the league until a replacement team could be found. The Lehigh Valley Multi-Purpose Sport Complex was demolished in early 2005, without ever hosting a single baseball game. In 2002, the team became the Pennsylvania Road Warriors.
Despite the failure of the Black Diamonds, as well as the Allentown Ambassadors
Allentown Ambassadors
The Allentown Ambassadors were an independent baseball team that competed in the Northeast League and the Northern League from 1997 until 2003. They played their home games at Allentown, Pennsylvania's Bicentennial Park.- History :...
, baseball in the Lehigh Valley is not lost forever. Beginning in the spring of 2008, the city of 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...
is the home 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...
, the AAA franchise of 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 IronPigs play at the brand-new Coca-Cola Park, at the former Agere site in downtown Allentown.
Road Warriors
The Road Warriors are named so because they play all of their games on the road, as they do not have a home ballpark.The 2002 Pennsylvania Road Warriors finished with a record of 34-91.
The club was represented with OF Wil Quintana making the All Star team. Quintana hit .302 with 11 HRs in 55 games with the road club.
1B Pat Burns led Pennsylvania appearing 120 games with 441 ABs, 58 runs, 121 hits, 25 doubles and 40 walks.
SP Tim Kester set a Road Warrior record with a 2.57 ERA.
The 2003 Pennsylvania squad finished 30-95.
OF Jerry Amador led with 429 ABs and 53 runs, as well as hitting 18 HRs.
IF Dario Delgado hit 22 HRs with a .289 Avg.
C Mike Lopez-Cao and RP Eddy Ramos made the All Star team.
OF Gary Johnson hit .321 in 72 games.
On the final game of the season UT Asbel Ortiz played every position, in numerical order, from pitcher through right field.
The 2004 Pennsylvania Road Warriors finished with the worst record in Atlantic League history at 23-103.
IF Brady Williams played in 117 games with 440 ABs, 121 hits, 57 runs, 15 HRs, and 49 RBIs.
IF Edgar Tovar and SP Luis Arroyo were nominated to the Northern All Star team. Tovar hit .324 to lead Pennsylvania and Arroyo won 5 games.
DH Branden Florence hit .345 in only 20 games with the team to be signed by the Baltimore Orioles.
The 2006 Road Warriors finished at 42-83.
1B Mike Huggins, SS Nick Ortiz, C Sandy Aracena, DH Manuel Mejia, and RP Melvin Pizarro were all nominated to the Northern Division All Star team.
First Baseman Mike Huggins led the 2006 Road Warriors with 123 games, 443 ABs, 74 runs, 126 hits, 20 HRs, 69 RBIs, and 78 walks.
OF Sheldon Fulse stole 50 bases for the team, Kyle Goldwater won 8 games and Melvin Pizarro saved 10 games.
The final season of the Road Warriors, in 2007, proved to be their most successful as they finished at 43-83.
1B Vito Chiaravalloti
Vito Chiaravalloti
Vito Chiaravolloti is a professional baseball player currently playing in the Independent league. Chiaravalloti attended Christian Brothers Academy, and then went on to the University of Richmond where he was an All-American baseball player...
, IF David Housel, IF Gabe Suarez, C Sandy Aracena, P Emmanuel Ulloa were named to the All Star team. Chiaravalloti paced the line up hitting .296 with 19 home runs, 81 RBIs and recording 76 walks. OF Steven Doetsch was named to the Atlantic League Post Season All Star team by hitting .284 with 22 home runs and 65 RBIs. Former major league pitcher Carlos Castillo finished 8-9 with a 3.34 ERA. Another former MLB pitcher, Benito Baez, went 2-3 with 9 saves and a 2.08 ERA in 40 games. Baez struck out 45 batters in 43.1 innings of work.
Since the 2007 season a Road Warrior alum, LHP Alberto Castillo, made it to the big leagues with the Baltimore Orioles. Castillo pitched for the Warriors in 2006 and 2007 before being invited to spring training with the Orioles in 2008. Castillo quickly pitched his way up the system and appeared in 28 games with the O's going 1-0 with a 3.81 ERA and 23 strike outs.