atlanticleague.com

Sept. 26, 2014, was a beautiful night in York.

The weather was pristine that Friday evening, remembers Eric Menzer, president of the Revolution. His team was in the Freedom Division Championship Series — the Atlantic League's semifinals — facing the Sugar Land Skeeters in a pivotal Game 3 of the best-of-five playoff series.

Johan Limonta's walkoff single in the 10th inning won a thrilling game, 3-2, for the home team, but what fans buzzed about that night and the days to follow was the game-tying home run Sean Smith hit in the 8th inning. Having torn his patella rounding first base, the now-retired outfielder dramatically hopped on one foot around the bases after his clutch hit. The Santander Stadium crowd roared during Smith's "hop seen 'round the world," as it is titled in the Revs' media guide. The hit and hop garnered more than 1 million YouTube views, the top spot on SportsCenter's 10 best plays and recognition from other national media outlets.

What Menzer remembers most about that night was the playoff-record crowd of 6,682 that stayed until the end. At one point, he recalls looking at someone in the press box and saying, "Remind me who thought this was a bad idea."

A worthy investment?

City and county officials close to the project believe Santander Stadium has benefited the city in the eight years and nine seasons since the Revs first played ball on June 15, 2007. The $34.5 million stadium, paid without debt — a rarity if not a first for modern-day pro sports venues in America — has been a linchpin for nearby economic development, with several businesses, apartment units and a charter school having cropped up in the shadow of York's ballpark, initially named Sovereign Bank Stadium.

Read the full article in the York Daily Record. http://www.ydr.com/local/ci_28882405/york-revolution-impacts-city-beyond-ticket-sales