(April 21, 2022) — Strap yourselves in. It’s gonna be a big one.

The York Revolution, York’s Atlantic League professional baseball team, will start its historic 15th season tomorrow on the road in Long Island, giving the staff at PeoplesBank Park a bit more time to prepare for the biggest Opening Day in team history – and put the finishing touches on a long list of ballpark enhancements and upgrades.

Opening Day at PeoplesBank will see the Revs welcome the Gastonia Honey Hunters Tuesday, May 3, for a 6:30 p.m. game. In celebration of the 15th season, the first 1,000 fans through the gates will receive an actual piece of the famous left field wall, the Arch Nemesis, the tallest wall in all of professional baseball. The wood of the wall was completely replaced in the offseason, and the weathered original plywood sheets were saved and cut into giveaways sponsored by Wayneco. They bear an image of the Nemesis and the years of its original iteration.

It’s all part of a long list of pre-game elements that will mark both the start of the Revs 2022 season and its celebration of 15 seasons in downtown York:

Beginning at 4 p.m. the Brooks Robinson Plaza in front of the ballpark will host a free community celebration featuring a DJ, balloon twisting, inflatables for the kids, Cannonball Charlie and team mascot DownTown (who himself got a makeover for the new season), and more.

Shortly before gates open at 5:15 p.m., Revolution on-field host and master of ceremonies Diamond Doug will lead an opening ceremony at the main gates.

The Revolution will present a 15th season commemorative video on the outfield video screen.

The Revs players and coaches will make their entrances in a lap around the field in Jeeps provided by local enthusiasts.

Revolution Manager Mark Mason will support research into juvenile and adult diabetes, a condition faced by both his mother and daughter, in a fundraiser that will result in the cutting of his legendary long hair at home plate. Donations are still being accepted at www.yorkrevolution.com/diabetes.

Renowned ballpark entertainer Tyler Scheuer will bring Tyler’s Amazing Balancing Act to the field and into the stands to stun fans with his ability to balance any object given to him.

Area high school bands will help the team welcome back the national pastime with a group performance of the national anthem.

PeoplesBank Park, meanwhile, will feature a number of changes and improvements team officials said were initiated to improve fan experiences.

“We’ve always strived to maintain or exceed a standard for all of our guests across all elements of the ballpark, and one of my favorite things is when first-time visitors tell us they can’t believe the ballpark is really 15 years old,” said Revolution President Eric Menzer. “From small, behind-the-scenes details to major overhauls that were 15 years in the making, we’ve been looking forward to continuing that tradition through this long list of improvements. Our 15th season celebration made for the perfect time to put them in place.”

Beginning with the previously mentioned Arch Nemesis overhaul, that long list, Menzer said, includes improvements in nearly every element of ballpark operations:

Concourse bathrooms are undergoing major overhauls that include the installation of hands-free sinks and soap dispensers and automatic hand dryers and will later include new tiling.

The Revolution’s WellSpan Clubhouse, the visiting clubhouse, and the umpire clubhouse have been renovated, including new carpeting and paint and new amenities.

The WellSpan Mother’s suite, located just inside the Fox43 Press Box, features all new furniture, flooring, and décor, as well as books and toys for the youngest fans when moms need a moment of privacy.

The WellSpan First Aid Room has been freshly painted and given new flooring and even more prominent signage to aid in those occasional times when fans need the assistance of EMTs inside.

At its Fan Fest event last week, the team unveiled its new York Revolution app. Available in the Google Play and Apple Stores, the app will improve communication of team and player information and provide new ways of notifying fans of event, merchandise, and contest opportunities.

The WellSpan batting cages, used by the Revs and their opponents as well as local programs that rent them, were given new paint jobs and branding and more interior space thanks to improved storage within them.

Unused office space adjacent to the studio of Revolution-owned SportsRadio 98.9 FM WOYK 1350 has been converted to a video and photography studio that will accommodate footage of and interviews with Revs players, promotional videos, and more.

The former All-American Grille behind centerfield has been redubbed DownTown’s Depot and will feature kid-focused merchandise and snacks and desserts.

Young maple trees have been planted along the Brooks Robinson Plaza in front of the ballpark, and sidewalk paving disrupted by the roots of the sycamores previously there has been repaired.

The 16 plaques on the plaza representing Brooks Robinson’s 16 Gold Gloves and highlighting milestones in his career have been cleaned and polished to restore them to their original condition.

Menzer said additional enhancements will be rolled out as the season progresses, including new concession offerings, an expanded selection of merchandise, and new between-inning entertainment elements.

“In many ways, we are finally back to the good old offerings we haven’t truly been able to provide since before the pandemic,” he noted, “but at the same time we have a lot of exciting, new things for people to discover at the ballpark this season. In some ways, it’s a whole new game.”