GROWTH, AWARDS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS TIMELINE

1987
*Craig Stein purchases the team from Joe Buzas

1988
*First year Craig Stein operates the team; Chuck Domino hired as General Manager
*Attendance increases from 100,895 in 1987 to 144,107
*Chuck Domino wins first of four Eastern League Executive of the Year Awards

1989
*Attendance rises to 178,734
*Chuck Domino wins second of three Eastern League Executive of the Year Awards
*Chuck Domino also named Class-AA Executive of the Year by The Sporting News

1990
*Broke the 200,000 barrier in total attendance for the first time (204,240)

1991
*Presented the Bob Freitas Award by Baseball America, given annually to the best operation at each level
*Led Eastern League in attendance with 250,610 fans

1993
*Chuck Domino named “One of the Top 66 Business People in the Delaware Valley” by Philadelphia Magazine
*Became the 3rd Eastern League team to ever draw over 300,000 fans with a league-leading 313,083
*Dan "Dirt" Douglas named Eastern League Groundskeeper of the Year

1994
*Presented the Larry MacPhail Trophy by Minor League Baseball as the Best Promotional Team in baseball

1995
*Became the first city in the Eastern League to draw over 300,000 fans in three consecutive years with 383,984.
*Chuck Domino named the “Person You Would Want to Run Your Franchise” in a Baseball America article titled “Building the Perfect Beast”

1997
*Set 10th consecutive attendance record with 398,192 fans
*Chuck Domino wins third Eastern League Executive of the Year Award
*Became the Eastern League All-Time Attendance leader having surpassed 5,256,841 fans on May 18
*Dan "Dirt" Douglas named Eastern League Groundskeeper of the Year

1998
*Chuck Domino name Minor League Executive of the Year by The Sporting News
*Set 11th consecutive attendance record with 423,336 fans despite a team record 85 losses
*Named the 3rd Best Minor League City (Rochester, Durham) by Baseball America

1999
*Presented the Larry MacPhail Trophy (Best Promotional Team in Baseball) for the 2nd time in five years
*Presented the Bob Freitas Decade Award by Baseball America as the top Double-A operation during the 90s
*Set 12th consecutive attendance record with 448,367 fans

2000
*Presented the Bob Freitas Award by Baseball America, given annually to the best operation at each level
*Named “Small Business of the Year” by the Berks County Chamber of Commerce
*Chuck Domino named “Executive of the Year” by the Mid-Atlantic Baseball Scouts Association
*Set 13th consecutive attendance record with 461,848 fans (481,546 with playoffs)

2001
*FirstEnergy Stadium named Best Ballpark in the Minor Leagues by digitalballparks.com
*In debut season, the Reading Eagle Pool Pavilion named “Best of Philly – New Attraction for Kids” by Philadelphia Magazine
*Surpassed 7 million in all-time attendance
*Groundskeeper Dan “Dirt” Douglas presented the Harry C. Gill Founders Award by Sports Turf Managers Assoc. – the Associations top honor

2002
*Led the Eastern League in attendance with a franchise record 486,570 fans
*Averaged over 7,000 fans per game for the first time in franchise history
*Season total was the 3rd highest total in Eastern League History

2003
*Awarded the John H. Johnson President's Trophy, the top honor given by Minor Lg. Baseball
*Chuck Domino named Minor League Executive of the Year by Baseball America
*Led the Eastern League in attendance with 465,717 fans
*Drew 9,000+ three straight games for the first time in franchise history (Aug. 12-14).
*Drew 8,000+ six straight games for the first time in franchise history (Aug. 12-24).
*Drew 7,000+ nine straight home dates (July 10-31) – 2nd time in franchise history (7/10-8/8/00).
*Averaged 9,083 fans over the last six games despite finishing the year 26 games out of 1st and 16 out of the playoffs.
*Set franchise record for single-game attendance with 9,803 on August 23 (23 games out of first at the time).
*Surpassed 8 million in all-time attendance

2004
*Led the Eastern League and had a franchise record 7,138 fans per game
*GM Chuck Domino inducted into the Berks County Chapter of the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame

2005
*Led the Eastern League in attendance at 468,105 fans
*The R-Phils became the first E.L. team to draw better than 450,000 fans in six consecutive seasons
*The city of Reading became the first E.L. city to surpass the 9-million mark in total attendance 
*Broke ground on Gordon Hoodak Stadium at Lauer’s Park. An $850,000 downtown youth stadium built by Baseballtown Charities on the grounds of Lauer’s Park Elementary School. The school is named for the former stadium which housed several professional teams from 1907-1941. The likes of Babe Ruth, “Shoeless” Joe Jackson and others have played on site.

2006
*Led the Eastern League in attendance at 460,216.
* Team won Extra Innings Award for excellence in community service for opening of Gordon Hoodak Stadium
* Chuck Domino named Eastern League Executive of the Year
* Scott Hunsicker named Most Valuable Professional (Top Assistant GM)
* Ashley Forlini named Rawlings Woman Executive of the Year

2007
* Led the Eastern League in attendance at 466,385
* FirstEnergy Stadium became the first ballpark in the modern Minor League's never to be home to a AAA franchise to welcome its 10 millionth fan
* Scott Hunsicker named Eastern League Executive of the Year in his first season as General Manager