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{{about|the baseball team}}

{{Infobox Minor League Baseball
| name             = Harrisburg Senators
| founded          = 1987
| city             = Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
| misc             = 
| logo             = Harrisburg Senators primary logo.png
| uniformlogo      = Harrsenshatlogo.PNG
| class level      = [[Double-A (baseball)|Double-A]] (1987–present)
| past class level = 
| current league   = [[Eastern League (1938–present)|Eastern League]] (1987–present)
| conference       = 
| division         = Southwest Division
| past league      = 
| majorleague      = [[Washington Nationals]] (2005–present)
| pastmajorleague  = {{plainlist|
*[[Montreal Expos]] (1991–2004)
*[[Pittsburgh Pirates]] (1987–1990)
}}
| colors         = Red, navy blue, gold, white<br>{{color box|#D31145}} {{color box|#002D62}} {{color box|#CBB777}} {{color box|white}}
| mascot         = Rascal (1998–present)<br />Grrrounder (2004–present)<br />Uncle Slam (1987–1998, 2015–present)<br />Thrilla Gorilla (2004)<br />Senator Rudy (1997–1998)
| nickname       = Harrisburg Senators (1987–present)
| pastnames      = 
| ballpark       = [[FNB Field]] (1987–present)
| pastparks      = 
| leaguenum      = 6
| leaguechamps   = {{hlist|1987|1993|1996|1997|1998|1999}}
| divnum         = 4
| divisionchamps = {{hlist|1994|1997|2011|2013}}
| owner          = [[Diamond Baseball Holdings]]<ref>{{cite web |last1=De Martini |first1=Tom |title=Harrisburg Senators baseball club sold, will continue to play at FNB Field |url=https://www.pennlive.com/news/2024/04/harrisburg-senators-baseball-club-sold-will-continue-to-play-at-fnb-field.html |website=pennlive.com |publisher=Advance Local Media LLC |access-date=April 16, 2024 |date=April 10, 2024}}</ref>
| manager        = [[Delino DeShields]]<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.milb.com/harrisburg/roster | title=Roster }}</ref>
| gm             = Randy Whitaker
| president      = Kevin Kulp
| website        = {{URL|https://www.milb.com/harrisburg|milb.com/harrisburg}}
}}

The '''Harrisburg Senators''' are a [[Minor League Baseball]] team who play in the [[Eastern League (1938–present)|Eastern League]], and are the [[Double-A (baseball)|Double-A]] affiliate of the [[Washington Nationals]]. The team is based in [[Harrisburg, Pennsylvania]], and play their home games at [[FNB Field]] on [[City Island (Pennsylvania)|City Island]], which opened in 1987 and has a seating capacity of 6,187.

The "Senators" nickname refers to the host city being the state's capital and thus home of the Pennsylvania legislature. The team colors are red, navy blue, gold, and white, the same of the parent club, the Washington Nationals.

Harrisburg has won nine [[List of Eastern League champions|Eastern League titles]] and is the first team in league history to win four titles in a row (1996-1999). The 1993 Senators were recognized as one of the [[The National Baseball Association's top 100 minor league teams|100 greatest minor league teams of all time]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.milb.com/milb/history/top100.jsp |title=Top 100 Teams |publisher=MiLB.com |date=2001 |access-date=May 9, 2017}}</ref>

==Previous Harrisburg baseball history==
{{Main|Harrisburg Senators (1893–1952)}}
The city of Harrisburg has a long history of professional baseball. The Harrisburg Base Ball Association existed as long ago as 1884 (according to a stock certificate issued on March 1, 1884). According to another source, in 1901, the first baseball club in Harrisburg was created. In 1912, Harrisburg won the first of three Tri-State Association championships in a row. In 1915, an affiliated [[International League]] team moved from [[Newark, New Jersey]], to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The club lasted one year before moving to the [[New York State League (1885–1917)|New York State League]] and disbanding. This left the city without professional baseball for seven years.

In 1924, an incarnation of the Senators joined the newly formed [[New York–Pennsylvania League (1923–37)|New York–Penn League]] which was eventually renamed the [[Eastern League (1938–2020)|Eastern League]]. Initially, the Senators and most of the other New York–Penn League teams were not affiliated with a [[Major League Baseball]] team. In 1927, the Senators started a five-year campaign with three [[List of Eastern League champions|Eastern league championships]], winning titles in 1927, 1928, and 1931. The Senators' reign ended in 1936, when flood waters from the surrounding [[Susquehanna River]] ruined their home ballpark, Island Field.

Another team representing Harrisburg affiliated with the [[Pittsburgh Pirates]] formed four years later, though in the smaller [[Interstate League]]. Like the Senators before it, the team gained success quickly, winning the league title one year later. The success, however, was short-lived, as the team moved to nearby [[York, Pennsylvania|York]] in 1943. Another team affiliated with the [[Cleveland Indians]] was created, but was not as successful. The Interstate League disbanded this Harrisburg team in 1952, and any form of professional baseball was not played in the city for the next 35 years.

[[File:Harrisburg Base Ball stock.jpg|thumb|A stock certificate of the Harrisburg Base Ball Association from 1884]]

==Modern franchise history==

===New England roots===
The modern Harrisburg Senators originated in the New England states.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/minors/league.cgi?code=EL&class=AA|title=Eastern League (AA) Encyclopedia and History - Baseball-Reference.com|website=Baseball-Reference.com|access-date=January 24, 2018}}</ref> First established in 1976 as an affiliate of the [[Milwaukee Brewers]], the [[Berkshire Brewers]] played one season in [[Pittsfield, Massachusetts]]. After that season, they moved to [[Holyoke, Massachusetts]], where they took the nickname the [[Holyoke Millers|Millers]].

In 1981, the franchise changed affiliations, moving from the Brewers to the [[California Angels]]. After the 1982 season, the team relocated to [[Nashua, New Hampshire]], as the [[Nashua Angels]]. After the 1983 season, the team's affiliation changed again, this time to the [[Pittsburgh Pirates]]. The team changed its name then to the [[Nashua Pirates]].

At the same time, during the mid-1980s, Harrisburg Mayor [[Stephen R. Reed|Stephen Reed]] initiated a revitalization plan that included [[FNB Field|a ballpark for a new Minor League Baseball team in the city]]. The Nashua Pirates relocated to Harrisburg and was rechristened the Senators on [[December 9]], 1986.<ref>[https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1986-12-14-sp-3105-story.html "Nashua Baseball Team Moving to Harrisburg," ''The Associated Press'', Sunday, December 14, 1986.] Retrieved January 25, 2019</ref>

===The Senators===
Like the original Senators, success was quick, winning the [[List of Eastern League champions|Eastern League championship]] in its first season. In 1991, affiliation shifted from the Pittsburgh Pirates to the [[Montreal Expos]], an affiliation continuing through that team's move to Washington, D.C., where they continued as the [[Washington Nationals]]. The first several years of affiliation with Montreal brought consecutive championships from 1996 to 1998. In 1999, the Senators played the Norwich Navigators for a shot at their record-setting fourth consecutive Eastern League championship. In the bottom of the ninth inning of game 5, the Senators trailed by 3 runs, but with 2 outs, the bases loaded, and a full count [[Milton Bradley (baseball)|Milton Bradley]] hit a walk-off grand slam to right center field to win the fourth-straight championship for the Senators, an Eastern League first.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.senatorsbaseball.com/cgi-bin/featured/news.cgi?id=6|title=The Official Site of The Harrisburg Senators – senatorsbaseball.com Homepage|website=Harrisburg Senators|access-date=24 January 2018}}</ref> In 2003, Sueng Song pitched the first no-hitter in modern Senators history.

In conjunction with Major League Baseball's restructuring of Minor League Baseball in 2021, the Senators were organized into the Double-A Northeast.<ref>{{cite web|last=Mayo|first=Jonathan|title=MLB Announces New Minors Teams, Leagues|url=https://www.mlb.com/news/new-minor-league-baseball-structure|website=Major League Baseball|date=February 12, 2021|access-date=June 15, 2024}}</ref> In 2022, the Double-A Northeast became known as the Eastern League, the name historically used by the regional circuit prior to the 2021 reorganization.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.milb.com/news/minor-league-baseball-historical-league-names-to-return-in-2022|title=Historical League Names to Return in 2022|website=Minor League Baseball|date=March 16, 2022|access-date=June 15, 2024}}</ref>

==Uniforms and logo==
The official colors of the Harrisburg Senators are red, navy blue, metallic gold, and white. The home and away uniforms resemble those of the [[Washington Nationals]], with a red cap for home games and navy blue for away. Both caps include the "H" and streaking baseball logo, with the "H" in the same script as the Nationals' pretzel-shaped "W." The white home jerseys include red and navy blue trim around the collar and sleeves with the "Senators" wordmark in red with metallic gold bevels and navy blue outline. The grey away jersey has navy blue and red trim around the collar and sleeves, with the "Harrisburg" word mark in navy blue with metallic gold bevels and red outline. Both word marks are identical to the Nationals brand.

In 2007, the Senators added a unique logo to their brand, incorporating the prevalent and much reviled [[mayfly]] into the "H." Because of FNB Field's location on [[City Island (Pennsylvania)|City Island]] in the [[Susquehanna River]], thousands of mayflies are attracted to the ballpark's bright lights, obscuring their view.

==Ownership==
The city of Harrisburg paid $6.7 million in 1995 to acquire the team from the previous owners of the franchise, who were planning to move the team to a new taxpayer-financed ballpark in [[Springfield, Massachusetts]].<ref name="news">{{cite news| url=http://www.pennlive.com/sports/patriotnews/index.ssf?/base/sports/1168131331144770.xml&coll=1| date=January 7, 2007| title=Reed, Interest in Senators' sale is on rise| first=Geoff| last=Morrow| newspaper=Harrisburg Patriot-News| access-date=January 7, 2007| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928015930/http://www.pennlive.com/sports/patriotnews/index.ssf?%2Fbase%2Fsports%2F1168131331144770.xml&coll=1| archive-date=September 28, 2007| url-status=dead}}</ref> Instead of appeasing the desires of the ownership group with a new stadium, Harrisburg Mayor [[Stephen R. Reed|Stephen Reed]] led the city of Harrisburg to purchase the team instead. The previous owners had bought the team only six months earlier for just $4.1 million.

Citing the ballpark as the major link in his downtown revitalization project, when asked how he could afford the hefty price tag, Mayor Reed responded by asking, "How could we not?" For a time, the Senators remained one of the only sports franchises in the United States to be completely owned by the community in which it was based. In 2006, the city put the team up for sale to combat a major budget deficit. Mayor Reed stipulated that the new owner must keep the team in Harrisburg for at least 29 years.<ref name="news"/>

The team was eventually bought by Senators Partners, LLC of [[Northbrook, Illinois]], headed by [[Jerry Reinsdorf]]'s son Michael, for an Eastern League record $13.25 million. Mark Butler, CEO of [[Ollie's Bargain Outlet]], became the team's majority owner in March 2015, replacing Michael Reinsdorf who was principal owner and managing partner; the purchase price was not disclosed.<ref>{{cite news|title=Harrisburg Senators announce change in ownership|url=http://abc27.com/2015/02/25/harrisburg-senators-announce-change-in-ownership/|access-date=June 22, 2017|publisher=ABC 27 News|date=February 25, 2015}} includes text and video.</ref>

In April 2024, it was announced that the team had been sold to [[Diamond Baseball Holdings]] (DBH), a sports management group owned by [[Silver Lake (investment firm)|Silver Lake]], an [[United States|American]] [[private equity]] firm.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.pennlive.com/news/2024/04/harrisburg-senators-baseball-club-sold-will-continue-to-play-at-fnb-field.html|title=Harrisburg Senators baseball club sold, will continue to play at FNB Field|work=Penn Live|access-date=2024-11-05|language=en}}</ref>

==Triple-A franchise bid==
In mid-2005, [[Peter Angelos]], the owner of the [[Baltimore Orioles]], gained the permission of the [[Double-A (baseball)|Double-A]] [[Eastern League (1938–2020)|Eastern League]] and the [[Triple-A (baseball)|Triple-A]] [[International League]] to move Baltimore's Triple-A affiliate from [[Ottawa|Ottawa, Ontario]], Canada, to Harrisburg.<ref name="times">{{cite web| url=http://www.washtimes.com/sports/20050818-125641-2879r.htm| date=August 18, 2005| title=O's, Nats battle over Harrisburg|first=Thom| last=Loverro| work=The Washington Times| access-date=January 7, 2007}}</ref> One of the hangups with the agreement was that a buyer for the Double-A Senators franchise had to be found. The Ottawa franchise moved to [[Allentown, Pennsylvania]], as the Triple-A team for the [[Philadelphia Phillies]], renamed as the [[Lehigh Valley IronPigs]].<ref name="times"/> The Baltimore Orioles also signed a player development deal with the [[Norfolk Tides]] of the International League. The Tides became be the Triple-A affiliate of the Orioles.

==Stadium renovation==
{{main|FNB Field}}

[[FNB Field]] received a $32 million [[renovation]] ($19.1 million in state funding) in two stages. Originally the renovation was to begin in 2005; however, delays in state funding for the project were postponed until 2008, meaning the improvements were not implemented for Senators fans until the 2009 season, and the second stage was completed before the 2010 season.<ref>[http://www.frontiernet.net/~rochballparks3/harrisburg/harrisburg.htm Photographs of FNB Field, home of the Harrisburg Senators – ''Rochester Area Ballparks'']</ref>

==Life Size Bobblehead Hall of Fame==
In 2016, the Harrisburg Senators started a tradition by recognizing great players from their history in a unique way, The One & Only World-Famous, Life Size Bobblehead Hall of Fame. These enshrined Senators' legends will each receive their own life-size bobblehead. The life-size bobbleheads will be on permanent display at FNB Field with each bobblehead holding a commemorative plaque. The Senators plan to enshrine players yearly.

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
|-
!Season Inducted
!Player
!No.
!Date Inducted
!Major League Affiliation
!Season(s) with Senators
|-
| rowspan="3" | 2016 || [[Vladimir Guerrero]] || 27 || April 16, 2016 || Montreal Expos 
|1996
|-
| [[Cliff Floyd]] || 30 || July 9, 2016 || Montreal Expos 
|1993
|-
|[[Bryce Harper]] || 34 || August 13, 2016 || Washington Nationals 
|2011
|-
| rowspan="2" | 2017 || [[Matt Stairs]] || 25 || May 6, 2017 || Montreal Expos 
|1991
|-
| [[Brandon Phillips]] || 7 || August 5, 2017 || Montreal Expos 
|2001–2002
|-
| 2018 ||[[Stephen Strasburg]] || 37 || May 26, 2018 || Washington Nationals 
|2010
|-
| 2019 || [[Jamey Carroll]] || 13 || August 3, 2019 || Montreal Expos 
|1998–2002
|-
| 2021 || [[Ryan Zimmerman]]|| 16 || August 7, 2021 ''(June 27, 2020)''|| Washington Nationals 
|2005
|-
| 2022 || Gregg Mace || 27 || July 23, 2022 || –
| 1987–2019
|-
| 2023 || [[Michael Barrett (baseball)|Michael Barrett]] || 8 || July 29, 2023 || Montreal Expos 
|1998
|-
| 2024 || [[Aaron Barrett]] || 32 || July 20, 2024 || Washington Nationals 
|2013, 2019, 2021
|}

==Broadcast==
Every Harrisburg Senators ballgame is aired on [[WTKT|1460 the Ticket]] (AM 1460 WTKT – Clear Channel). [[Terry Byrom]] has been the voice of the Senators since 2005.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.pennlive.com/senators/index.ssf/2014/08/broadcaster_terry_byrom_embrac.html|title=Broadcaster Terry Byrom embraces Metro Bank Park's unique radio booth location|date=7 August 2014 |access-date=2016-08-19}}</ref> The games are also streamed on the team's website. Some games are also aired on the local TV station, [[Comcast Network]], and occasionally has games aired on [[MASN]]. The first radio play-by-play broadcaster for the Senators was Dan Kamal, who did the broadcasts from 1987 until the mid-1990s. Kamal at the time was also the radio voice of the [[Hershey Bears]] of the [[American Hockey League]]. He later was a TV analyst and studio host for the [[Atlanta Thrashers]] and then the [[Columbus Blue Jackets]] of the [[National Hockey League]].

==Roster==
{{Harrisburg Senators roster}}

==Team records==

===Season records===
:This is a partial list of the last five seasons completed by the Senators. For the full season-by-season history, see [[List of Harrisburg Senators seasons]]

{|class="wikitable"
! style="background:#D31145; color:#ffffff;"|Year (affiliation)
! style="background:#D31145; color:#ffffff;"|Wins
! style="background:#D31145; color:#ffffff;"|Losses
! style="background:#D31145; color:#ffffff;"|Winning pct.
! style="background:#D31145; color:#ffffff;"|GB (Division standing)
! style="background:#D31145; color:#ffffff;"|Manager
|-
| 2019 (Washington Nationals)
| 76
| 63
| .547
| −1.5 (2nd out of 6 in Western Division, 1st Half Division Winner)
| Matthew LeCroy
|-
| 2020 (Washington Nationals)
| colspan="5"|''Season canceled due to the [[COVID-19 pandemic]]''
|-
| 2021 (Washington Nationals)
| 42
| 76
| .356
| −30.5 (6th out of 6 in Southwestern Division)
| Tripp Keister
|-
| 2022 (Washington Nationals)
| 52
| 85
| .380
| −27.5 (6th out of 6 in Southwestern Division)
| Tripp Keister
|-
| 2023 (Washington Nationals)
| 59
| 77
| .434
| −15.5 (6th out of 6 in Southwestern Division)
| Delino DeShields
|-
| 2024 (Washington Nationals)
| 68
| 70
| .493
| −12.0 (3rd out of 6 in Southwestern Division)
| Delino DeShields
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align:center"| CURRENT SENATORS TOTAL
! 2584
! 2590 <!-- 5174 games, please update this and all time total if you edit -->
! .499
! —
! —
|}
– in GB is behind, + in GB is ahead

===Individual season records===
{|class="wikitable"
! style="background:#D31145; color:#ffffff;" colspan=4|Batting records
|-
| Games
| 141
| Jamie Carroll
| 1999
|-
| At Bats
| 565
| [[Brandon Watson]]
| 2003
|-
| Runs
| 134
| Lawrence Fischer
| 1932
|-
| Hits
| 198
| Horace McBride
| 1930
|-
| Total Bases
| 355
| Joe Munson
| 1925
|-
| Doubles
| 40
| Horace McBride
| 1930
|-
| Triples
| 21
| Horace McBride
| 1930
|-
| Home Runs
| 37
| [[Andy Tracy]]
| 1999
|-
| RBI
| 129
| Joe Munson
| 1925
|-
| Walks
| 93
| [[Val Pascucci]]
| 2002
|-
| Strikeouts
| 139
| Andy Tracy
| 1999
|-
| Sacrifices
| 30
| Glenn Killinger
| 1928
|-
| Sacrifice Flies
| 11
| Lance Belen
| 1988
|-
| Stolen Bases
| 52
| Jim Reboulet
| 1987
|-
| Batting Average
| .400
| Joe Munson
| 1925
|}

{|class="wikitable"
! style="background:#D31145; color:#ffffff;" colspan=4|Pitching records
|-
| Games
| 60
| Alberto Reyes
| 1994
|-
| Complete Games
| 22
| Louis Polli
| 1927
|-
| Shutouts
| 5
| Louis Polli
| 1927
|-
| Wins
| 23
| [[Clint Brown (baseball)|Clint Brown]]
| 1928
|-
| Losses
| 18
| Clint Parkes
| 1929
|-
| Saves
| 35
| Alberto Reyes
| 1994
|-
| Innings
| 292
| Charles Parkes
| 1929
|-
| Walks
| 130
| [[Bill Dietrich]]
| 1931
|-
| Strikeouts
| 161
| Ronald Chiavacci
| 2001
|-
| ERA
| 2.15
| Clint Brown
| 1928
|}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* {{Official website|http://www.milb.com/harrisburg}}
* [https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/team.cgi?city=Harrisburg&state=PA&country=US Statistics from Baseball-Reference]

{{Harrisburg Senators}}
{{Washington Nationals}}
{{US Eastern League}}
{{South Central Pennsylvania sports}}
{{Sports in Pennsylvania}}
{{Diamond Baseball Holdings}}

[[Category:Baseball teams established in 1987]]
[[Category:Eastern League (1938–present) teams]]
[[Category:Professional baseball teams in Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:Sports in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania|Senators]]
[[Category:Pittsburgh Pirates minor league affiliates]]
[[Category:Montreal Expos minor league affiliates]]
[[Category:Washington Nationals minor league affiliates]]
[[Category:1987 establishments in Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:Double-A Northeast teams]]
[[Category:2024 mergers and acquisitions]]
[[Category:Harrisburg Senators| ]]