The Governor's Cup

The Governor's Cup was established in 2003.  The actual trophy, which returned to Reading on June 19, 2008, stands 27" tall and weighs 22 lbs.

The Governor’s Cup was first awarded after the 2003 season and is the trophy presented to the winner of the season-long series between the Reading Phillies and the Altoona Curve. The cup was instituted by Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell to celebrate the rivalry between teams representing professional baseball in the eastern and western halves of the commonwealth. The team emerging victorious in the series gets to keep the cup at their stadium for the next season.

Altoona was in possession of the Cup from 2003-2007.  Reading clinched their first winning season series from the Curve since the trophy was created on June 19, 2008.  The R-Phils finished 2008 with an 11-7 record vs. the Curve.  In 2009 the R-Phils wrapped up the season series on July 2.  The Cup continues to reside in Baseballtown.  

Reading is the Double-A affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies while Altoona shares the same relationship with the Pittsburgh Pirates. In addition to being cross-state rivals in the Eastern League’s Southern half, the R-Phils and the Curve are the only farm teams (above the rookie ball level) associated with Pennsylvania’s two Major League clubs that play in the same league and same division. Even the Phils and Pirates are now in separate divisions in the National League (Pittsburgh shifted from the East to the Central in 1994).

The trophy itself stands 27 inches high and weighs 22 pounds. The 18-inch base is solid ash, like a baseball bat, and is one foot wide at the bottom. The silver-plated cup is nine inches tall and large enough to chill a bottle of champagne. Each year’s winner and its won-loss record in the Governor’s Cup series is engraved on a metal plate.