The cities of York and Lancaster have a historic tradition as baseball rivals, and that tradition continues its rejuvenation in the Revolution’s sixth season in the Atlantic League, and the Barnstormers’ eighth. Named after the English cities of York and Lancaster, the “War of The Roses” Series between the Revolution and Barnstormers is named after the 15th century English civil war conflict in which York was represented by the White Rose, and Lancaster the Red Rose. The current rivalry also echoes the former nicknames of prior professional baseball clubs in the two cities.

Beginning in the late 1880s into the 1960s, the York White Roses and Lancaster Red Roses engaged in fierce competition on the diamond for local supremacy much like the Revolution and Barnstormers do today.

The winner of the War of The Roses series is awarded the “Community Cup.”

The modern rivalry has been as hotly contested as ever, with each club claiming the Community Cup in alternating years since 2007. That year, Lancaster staged a furious late-season rally, sweeping the final regular season series and claiming the Cup by a 10-8 count. The favor was returned in 2008 however, when the Revs claimed their first cup with an 11-9 season series win that again went down to the final weekend of play. The next two seasons there was decidedly less drama, with the Barnstormers corralling the 2009 Community Cup by a 14-6 count, only to see York post an eye-popping 16-4 triumph that was never in doubt throughout the summer of 2010. Four times the Revolution scored 18 runs or more on the ‘Stormers in '10 breaking 20 twice.  In 2011 Lancaster re-captured the Cup by a 10-8 count as it alternated cities yet again, coming down to the final series for the third time in five years.

Rest easy York Revolution fans, despite two wins and three losses in Community Cup history, the Revs still lead the modern War of The Roses series by a 49-47 count all-time.

2012 War of The Roses Season Schedule