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First Posted: 4/5/2012 It was a tough offseason for local baseball fans.
We found out last year that the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees would play the 2012 season on the road &amp;#8211; leaving Northeastern Pennsylvania without professional baseball for the first summer in 24 years.
Then, as the pangs of loss struck the fans who saw spring training taking full bloom in Florida, the announcement came down that the Yankees would be rebranded as the Empire State Yankees. The team would officially be ours but would do so in disguise, wearing uniforms with "ESY" on them and playing on foreign soil in far-away places such as Rochester and Buffalo.
That's when a team from Williamsport offered its support to Northeastern Pennsylvania via Twitter:
"@swbyankees unofficially change their name to the Empire State Yankees. @crosscutters now unofficially Scranton Wilkes-Barre Crosscutters.
"@crosscutters ready to welcome any and all fans from the SWB area to Historic Bowman Field. You can 'unofficially' call us any name you want"
The Williamsport Crosscutters, a Class A affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies, are officially courting area baseball fans. At 84 miles away, the Crosscutters are among the closest ball clubs to the region.
"Our tongue was planted firmly in our cheek when we put that out there," said Gabe Sinicropi, Crosscutters VP of marketing, said of his team's unofficial name.
But there is one thing that stands out about Williamsport's offer to be NEPA's team &amp;#8211; the Crosscutters do fit the bill. In their sixth season as a Phillies affiliate, they offer a look at the future, as baseball's top prospects funnel through the NY-Penn League. They also offer a look at the past, as their home stadium is the second oldest minor league park still in operation.
"It's the kind of ballpark that takes you back to yesteryear," Sinicropi said. "You're really close to the field in our box seats. No matter where you sit, make sure you bring your glove."
"Historic" Bowman Field opened in 1926. It once featured seats removed from what was later called Tiger Stadium in Detroit and the lights that were removed from the famed Polo Grounds in New York.
Those have all been replaced in recent years as the stadium was modernized. At one point, it was even expected to be a temporary home for the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons as Lackawanna County Stadium was being built.
Now, it's being offered as a haven for fans of baseball in this area, an alternative to the Binghamton Mets or trying to get tickets to the oft-filled park in Allentown.
"We haven't announced our full promotional schedule yet, but we have fireworks every Saturday night," Sinicropi said. "We're going to have the Cowboy Monkey Rodeo coming back July 23. We have other appearances and fun stuff throughout the season, including the Phillie Phanatic coming here Aug. 1."
The Crosscutters also do a great job offering community nights for different localities. They haven't had one in the past, but is there a chance there will be a Scranton/Wilkes-Barre night this season?
"It would be a great idea," Sinicropi said. "We haven't had those discussions yet for our promotional schedule.
"We don't expect people (from NEPA) to jump up and buy season tickets, but we think it's well worth a trip for a game or two this summer."
No word on whether or not the Crosscutters would wear "SWB" jerseys or hats if there was a community day for our region.
Single-game tickets are $5-$8, and bonus books (10-12 discounted ticket vouchers good for any game) range from $48-$65. For more on the team, visit crosscutters.com.

ESY, meet the SWB Crosscutters