Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Berks County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
The circus is coming to town.
In the center ring will be Alex Rodriguez, one of the most prominent, and controversial, players in baseball history.
He is scheduled to play in Reading tonight as part of a rehab assignment with the New York Yankees following offseason hip surgery.
His appearance will be quite unusual – and for Reading baseball quite historic.
READING, PA – In a city that has taken to calling itself Baseballtown, the sport is more than a pastime. It’s become something of a lifeline.
The hometown Reading Phillies have come to symbolize endurance and pride for a community that the 2010 U.S. Census ranked No. 1 in the nation in poverty. The Phillies remained long after the railroad screeched to a halt and the city’s “Outlet Capital” moniker faded. They’ve provided a welcome diversion from financial struggles and an 8 percent unemployment rate.
Given the 46-year love affair with the Philadelphia Phillies‘ Double-A farm club, there was an understandable citywide gasp when the team announced it is changing its nickname, logo and jerseys. The move was an unexpected change-up that is testing tradition and the city’s identity and polarizing a fiercely loyal fan base.
Ed Oswald, a retired hairstylist who lives outside the city, is among many who have balked at the idea.
Read more:
http://www.mcall.com/news/local/allentown/mc-reading-phillies-name-change-20121115,0,4165520.story
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