Extraordinary Stories From An Ordinary Guy: The "Lancaster's Barnstormer's Turn 10" Story

This was the original entrance to the ball field in 1938. Still
remains today, but without the old ball field behind it.

It was an ordinary day. Taking in a game at Clipper Magazine Stadium on Prince St. in Lancaster, PA. I have written before about the stadium and the Barnstormers, but I never get tired of writing about baseball in Lancaster, past and present. It was in 1938 that fuel oil dealer, Ed Stumpf, built a baseball stadium behind his service station along the Fruitville Pike in Manheim Township. Not just any stadium, but one that could seat 4,000 people with a fence around the outfield and a big scoreboard in centerfield that someone would operate and hang the score on the board after every half-inning.

Old black and white photo taken at the old Stumpf's Field
off of Fruitville Pike. Spent many summer nights in the stands.

During the construction of the field it was determined that part of the infield, as well as part of the outfield, was very soft and mushy. The area had at one time been a swamp before it was filled in and it seems that the fill had not totally taken care of the swamp. So, 22 junk cars were placed in the large hole that was cleared to help make the area firm again. It also seems that whomever layed out the field didn't do their homework since batters standing in the batter's box were looking right into the sun. Even I could have been a great pitcher on a field like that. I can remember many games that I attended as a young boy having to be stopped in the early innings to allow the sun to set so the batters could once again see the ball when it was pitched. The field had lights for night games and Lancaster eventually captured a team in the Eastern League.

This is what the field looks like today. Used for adult leagues.

Our professional ball team was known as the Lancaster Red Roses while neighboring York, PA had a team known as the York White Roses. This all went back to England's War of the Roses. The field was also used in the early 50's as Manheim Township High School's football field in the fall of the year. I was only in elementary school at the time, but I remember my dad taking me to watch a few games during those years. Other events that were held in the ballpark were professional wrestling matches, soccer games, midget football games, high school baseball, home of the Lancaster New Era (Lancaster's evening newspaper) Tournament in little league baseball, Softball games featuring The King and his Court and even had a race between Olympic medal winner and Lancaster native, Barney Ewell, against Harrison Dillard.

The outside of the new Clipper Magazine Stadium.

In 1961 the team was dropped and the stadium changed hands several times. Today it has been converted into several fields that are used by adult leagues for recreation. Well, this year the Lancaster Barnstormers, Lancaster's new team in the Independent League, celebrates it's 10th season at their stadium. My son, Tad, managed to get tickets for the family from the company where he works. They have a upper level enclosed field box that we used for the game. Neat seats with indoor or outdoor seating and food to munch on during the game. I naturally took a walk around the field during the game to snap a few photos. The home team won in extra innings 4-3. Check out a few more photos from the Clipper Magazine Stadium. It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.