RailRiders Pinstripe Pals Returns to Support Local Youth Leagues

The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders are pleased to announce that the Pinstripe Pals program has returned in support of area youth softball and baseball leagues. In partnership with US Foods, applications are being accepted now and 10 youth leagues will be selected for the program this year.

League representatives are encouraged to fill out the Pinstripe Pals application form and submit a 500-word (or less) essay describing why their league should be chosen. Each of the ten leagues selected will receive a $500 sponsorship from the RailRiders to assist in league expenses, as well as a $500 gift card courtesy of US Foods, which can be used to help teams pay for concession stand products and supplies. Applications are due by March 4.

Each league selected will have the opportunity to participate in a pre-game parade at PNC Field before a RailRiders home game and the opportunity for RailRiders assistance with league fundraising. Selected leagues will have a photo of their choice placed in the GuideRail game day program on their league’s designated night. One of the teams in each league will serve as the “Field of Dreams” club on that night and take the field with the RailRiders players.

Applications can be found on our website under the Community tab or upon request. Completed applications can be emailed to Robby Judge at rjudge@swbrailriders.com, faxed to (570) 963-6564 or mailed to:

SWB RailRiders

Attn: Pinstripe Pals

235 Montage Mountain Rd.

Moosic, PA 18507

For more information on the Pinstripe Pals program, presented by US Foods, please contact Jordan Maydole or Robby Judge at (570) 969-2255. 

The 2022 season opens on April 5 in Syracuse with the home opener on April 12 against the Norfolk Tides at PNC Field. Season ticket memberships and mini-plans are available now on www.swbrailriders.com.

RailRiders Football Squares Promotion Returns

With Super Bowl LVI only weeks away, the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders are bringing back a great ticket promotion with the chance to win prizes.  Fans can purchase mini-plans, partial, half or full season memberships to get involved in the RailRiders Football Squares promotion with the opportunity to win on February 13.

Chances to win occur with the score at the end of each quarter and at the end of the game.  The scores will reward you with fun prizes and experiences in 2022.  Squares correspond with the number of packages purchased, so buy multiple plans or memberships for more chances to win!

With the purchase of one mini-plan, you will receive one square.  If you purchase a partial season plan, you will receive two squares. A half-season plan will receive three squares and any full-season membership purchased will net four squares. All squares are placed at random. Winners are determined by looking at the last number in each teams’ score at the end of each quarter and then matching those numbers on the grid and seeing which square intersects those two numbers. 

Winning Outcomes:

Match the score at the end of the first quarter and receive a behind-the-scenes VIP tour of PNC Field on a non-game day (some areas remain restricted due to current health protocols)

Match the score at the end of the second quarter and get four Geisinger Champions Club passes for one game

Match the score at the end of the third quarter and receive four tickets to a 2022 Yankees game

Match the score at the end of the fourth to receive a David Cone autographed baseball

Should the game go to overtime and your square matches the final score after OT, you will win all four of the items listed above.

Additional terms and conditions apply. Please ask your sales representative to clarify any concerns.

Tickets packages for the 2022 season, both full season and mini-plans, are available now and Football Squares are on a limited, first-come, first-serve basis until Friday, February 11. For more information, please visit swbrailriders.com or contact a ticket sales representative at (570) 969-BALL.

RailRiders Join Newly Formed Organization Diamond Baseball Holdings

Diamond Baseball Holdings will support Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in every aspect of the fan experience, community involvement and partnership opportunities.

The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders have entered into an agreement to become a part of Diamond Baseball Holdings (DBH); an organization dedicated to supporting, promoting, and enhancing the sport of baseball through professional management, best practices, innovation and investment. DBH is a subsidiary of Endeavor, the global sports and entertainment company.

Following the closing of the transaction, the RailRiders will continue to be led by Team President, John Adams, and the General Manager, Katie Beekman, and remain an MLB affiliate of the New York Yankees.

“Joining Diamond Baseball Holdings is a tremendous opportunity for our franchise,” Adams said. “NEPA has seen great success from our team on the field and we look forward to creating a next-level fan experience at PNC Field in the years to come. We have been adding energetic individuals to our existing staff and gearing up for 2022. We truly believe that becoming a part of DBH will greatly benefit this team and our community well into the future.”

As part of DBH, the RailRiders will work closely with Diamond Baseball Holdings’ leadership, Pat Battle and Peter B. Freund, to realize the club’s ambitions. Battle is Executive Chairman of DBH, bringing extensive experience at the local and national level, as well as ownership interest in two PDL teams. He is currently Chairman of the Board of Learfield and serves as an advisor to Endeavor across multiple companies. Freund is CEO of DBH, bringing a wealth experience as a longtime Minor League Baseball owner and operator. Freund most recently consulted with the Office of the Commissioner of Baseball on the transition of Major League Baseball’s licensed affiliates while spearheading the formation of the MLB Draft League.

“Diamond Baseball Holdings will be global in our ambitions and hyper-local in our approach and creating incredible fan experiences will remain our number one priority,” said Battle and Freund. “Additionally, we look forward to providing opportunities for growth to the employees of PDL Clubs whose passion and ingenuity have built the sport through the decades.”

Diamond Baseball Holdings was formed by Endeavor, the global sports and entertainment company. DBH will support the RailRiders with ticket sales, partnerships, naming rights, food & beverage, merchandise, content strategy, collectibles/authentics/NFTs and media rights, tapping into the broader Endeavor network for expertise across the various disciplines.

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders Announce 2022 Game Times

The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, Triple-A affiliate of the New York Yankees, have announced their home game times for the 2022 season. The upcoming season opens on April 5 and continues through September 21 with a full 144-game schedule, including 72 games at PNC Field.

The first pitch for all weeknight games throughout the season will be at 6:35 p.m. Saturday games in April and May will start at 4:05 and shift to 6:05 starting on June 4 for the remainder of the year. Sunday games will begin at 1:05 p.m.

The RailRiders will host two STEM School Day games in 2022 with early start times. Scranton/Wilkes-Barre plays Syracuse on Wednesday, May 11, and Jacksonville on Wednesday, May 25, beginning at 11:05 a.m.

Full, half and partial season ticket memberships as well as mini and flex plans are on sale now. Find more information online at swbrailriders.com or by calling (570) 969-2255.

RailRiders to Host High School “Hackathon” at PNC Field

The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders will host local high school students for a “hackathon” on November 6 in the Geisinger Champions Club at PNC Field during NEPA STEM Ecosystem’s Celebration of STEM in Industry.

A “hackathon” is an invention marathon. Programmers, designers, builders and more join together to learn, build, and share their creations. Hackathons are not limited to computer science interests — this “hackathon” is open to students who have an interest in technology and are eager to learn.

Teams of students (with diverse backgrounds and interests in areas like math, science, design, economics, etc.) will be given a “problem” and their challenge will be creating a mobile/web app that will help solve that problem. The “problem” for this event will relate to something at PNC Field, but students will not know the challenge until they arrive on the day of the event. Students will receive hints related to the task through social media during the week leading up to November 6 and multiple experts will be on-site that day to answer any questions they have regarding the challenge.

The students will be creating a “wire-frame” of an actual app, but not completing coding and creating a real app. At the end of the event, students will present their apps to the event judges and a winner will be announced. Cash prizes along with some special gifts from the RailRiders will be awarded to the winners.

Registration is still open for high school teams of three to five students and this event is not open to the public. School districts may register more than one team. Students can range between ninth and twelfth grade and a team should be comprised of three to five individuals. Districts are encouraged to create diverse teams of all abilities and aptitudes with a variety of talents with attention to skill sets such as coding and programming, graphic designers/artists and user experience design, as well as those who excel in science and math. It is suggested to have at least one alternate student per team. Districts can also register for all virtual participation in this event.

To register for this event, contact Stephanie Williams at swilliams@iu19.org. For more information on other events happening during NEPA STEM Ecosystem’s Celebration of STEM in Industry, visit NEPASTEM.ORG.

RailRiders Joining MiLB and Marvel’s Defenders of the Diamond

Minor League Baseball™ (MiLB™) has announced a three-year partnership with Marvel Entertainment, one of the world’s most prominent storytelling brands, for an exciting event series that will play out in ballparks across all levels of MiLB starting in 2022, including PNC Field; the home of the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders.

Today’s announcement was made at the “Marvel: Universe of Super Heroes” exhibit at the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry, which celebrates Marvel history with more than 300 artifacts including original comic book pages, sculptures, costumes and interactive displays.   

“We are certainly excited to join clubs from across Minor League Baseball to help bring this fabled brand to PNC Field starting next season,” said John Adams, the RailRiders’ team president. “Marvel has really become synonymous with super heroes over the last decade and a half and this partnership will allow clubs to take the next step for all of our fans entertainment.”

The new partnership will feature 96 MiLB teams participating in an event series called “Marvel’s Defenders of the Diamond” during the 2022 through 2024 baseball seasons.

In each of the three years of the partnership, all 96 participating MiLB teams will host at least one Marvel Super Hero-themed game as part of the “Marvel’s Defenders of the Diamond” campaign, where teams will wear special edition Marvel Super Hero-branded jerseys on-field during the game with other Marvel-themed activities and promotions taking place throughout the game. Fans may visit milb.com/marvel for the latest updates on the “Marvel’s Defenders of the Diamond” series.

For more information on 2022 season tickets, visit swbrailriders.com or call (570) 969-BALL.

Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield fighting hunger with RailRiders home runs

The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders are proud to partner with Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield to raise money for National Hunger Awareness Month. Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield will donate $10 for every home run that the RailRiders hit during the 2021 season to the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Northeast Regional Food Bank in Pittston.

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre has hit 120 home runs so far this season, putting the current donation total at $1,200.  The RailRiders have 21 games remaining this season, including the remainder of the regular season and The Final Stretch.

“We are proud to partner with our friends at the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders on this important initiative,” said Brian Rinker, Market President at Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield. “Now more than ever, we want to support local organizations that address hunger and food insecurity in our community. We wish the RailRiders the best of luck for a successful finish to the season!”

In our region, one in six children and one in eight adults face hunger each day. The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Northeast Regional Food Bank is a Feeding America partner and works to reduce hunger and promote proper nutrition in addition to preventing food waste. The Food Bank serves four counties in Northeast Pennsylvania: Lackawanna, Luzerne, Susquehanna, and Wyoming.

“Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield has been a great partner over the years and we appreciate their support of the Northeast Regional Food Bank,” said Katie Beekman, the RailRiders’ General Manager. “We have all seen the disheartening statistics and truly hope that this program can benefit those in need in NEPA. Now it’s time for the RailRiders to finish strong.”

For more information, visit swbrailriders.com or call (570) 969-BALL.

Homers That Help Campaign to benefit Wyoming Valley Challenger Baseball

Minor League Baseball™ has announced the creation of a charitable component to Triple-A Baseball’s Final Stretch, the 10-game close of the 2021 season, that will benefit a 501(c)3 charity in each Triple-A city. For each home run hit by Triple-A teams (home and road games) during the Triple-A Final Stretch, Minor League Baseball will donate $50 per home run to a local charity selected by the team.

Wyoming Valley Challenger Baseball has been tabbed as the benefactor of each home run that the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders hit during the final 10 games of 2021.

In addition to the $50 per home run donation, the Triple-A team that hits the most home runs over the upcoming 10-game span will generate an extra $5,000 donation for their charity.

“Minor League Baseball teams have long been great community partners, and we are pleased to make a donation to each of these local charities on behalf of our Triple-A teams for their performance during the Triple-A Final Stretch,” said Major League Baseball’s Vice President, Minor League Operations and Development, Peter Woodfork. “These charities provide a variety of valuable services to their community, and it is our honor to recognize their efforts.”

“The yearly support we have received from the Scranton/Wilkes Barre RailRiders has been remarkable and such a huge boost for our organization,” said Larry Wills, President of Wyoming Valley Challenger Baseball. “I would really like to thank the front office staff and players for the continued support and all that they do for these incredible kids. Now… Let’s swing for the fences!”
The RailRiders host the Syracuse Mets from September 22 through 26 before traveling to Rochester from September 29 through October 3 for their Final Stretch. Tickets are available at swbrailriders.com.

Vejigantes to return in 2022 Copa de la Diversión

The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders are pleased to announce that they will continue to participate in Minor League Baseball’s Copa de la Diversión during the 2022 season. The RailRiders will play on select dates as the “Vejigantes” next season to honor and recognize the growing Latino population in Northeastern Pennsylvania.

76 clubs across Minor League Baseball participated in Copa de la Diversión this season. Seven new teams will join in 2022 and two additional teams that didn’t participate this season will return next summer. Each of the 85 participating MiLB teams, covering 33 U.S. states, will transform its on-field brand to a culturally relevant Latino persona, representing an extension of the team’s and community’s identity.

The Vejigante is a brightly-colored, folkloric masked character that is a blend of African, Spanish and Caribbean influences and a key figure in several annual celebrations. Scranton/Wilkes-Barre first adopted this identity in 2019 for Copa de la Diversión.

2022 Copa de la Diversión dates will be announced at a later time.

The RailRiders have five games at PNC Field remaining this year, returning home from September 22-26 to host the Syracuse Mets in Triple-A Baseball’s Final Stretch. Tickets are available at swbrailriders.com.