Monthly Archives: March 2010

RHP Kris Benson signed with the Arizona Diamondbacks.

SS Jason Donald and C Carlos Santana optioned to AAA Columbus.
* This means Lou Marson will most likely be on the Indians to start the year.

RHP Drew Carpenter optioned to Lehigh Valley

SS Brian Bocock optioned to Lehigh Valley. Looks like we know of at least two infielders for the Pig’s 2010 season, Andy Tracy being the other.

LHP Sergio Escalona optioned to AA Reading.

Ironpig’s – Reading Phillies Exhibition is on!

The Morning Call reports that an exhibition game will be held on Tuesday April 6th at Coca Cola Park. Details on tickets and times will be released later today.

Per the Morning Call Website:

“The reason, according to the IronPigs, is because it will give their players a chance to play under the lights before the start of the regular season.”

Those pesky lights again.. good idea and bonus game for us! Rejoice Pig fans!

20 days… or should I say 12 Days!!!!

I try to keep most of my posts factual and today I will add a little more than the usual amount of opinion. Feel free to comment, speculate, respond, etc.

The Phillies 5th starter will be Jamie Moyer, if not to start, it will be absolute by May. Kendrick is better suited as a middle reliever. He gets a lot of groundballs with that sinker but he is still predictable and therefore hittable. Moyer is still as saavy and smart on the mound as he has ever been. He will be there until he decides to retire.

Scott Mathieson will not be with Lehigh Valley long. Although the Phillies management has stated he needs more innings in the minors, with Brad Lidge’s “issues” and the question marks surrounding Baez… Mathieson will be up sooner rather than later in the season. Expect to see Madsen, ineffectively, pushed to the closer role until this happens.

If Brandon Pickney and Brian Bocock are assigned to the Ironpigs this season there is a chance to see them at SS and 2B. As our friend Decal referenced, “Pinckney & the Brain,”
could be the Pig’s double play combo in 2010. For those who don’t remember the cartoon Pinky and the Brain, well, look it up. It should prove for some amusement this summer.

Stephen Strasburg will not pitch in Coca Cola Park this year. The Nationals are eager to groom him at AA and pull him up at the first glint of contention. I see the Nationals finishing above the Pirates and Mets.

The Kansas City Royals will be this year’s biggest surprise sleeper. They have young talent and they can’t get any worse, can they? They might not win their division but they will be turning heads.

Mike Cervenak’s first game back at CCP he will go 0-5 with 3 K’s. Ok, that’s just a guess but if it happens I can claim genius…

20 days…

FLOTG – For Love Of The Game

Someone reminded me of that today, I was thinking far away from the box and he called me on it. I’m glad he did. These things happen and there isn’t a thing you can do but there is something you shouldn’t do and that’s take it out on the game.

We Ironpig fans know what it’s like to support a poor performing team. The Noise Nation was founded by creating fun and excitement even in the worst of baseball circumstances. As the dawn of a new season approaches quickly, there will be changes to the field, to the team and even within Noise Nation.. but none of this is the game’s fault. The game is solid, it is constant. At Coca Cola Park fans of all ages, of all backgrounds come together and have this in common. We love baseball.

The next time I see something happening I dont like, I hope I won’t need to be reminded again. All that we do, the Noise Nation and perhaps you too, is… For Love of the Game.

21 days…

This afternoon we learned that Meredith Marakovits will be leaving SETV’s sports broadcast team and has accepted a position with ESPN Radio to cover the NY Yankees.

We had many fun times and Meredith was there since the beginning of the Noise Nation.

We wish you luck and don’t forget to come visit us when you can!

Yesterday someone asked me what I most looked forward to on opening day. The first home game at Coca Cola Park in 2010. Was it the players, the thrill of the crowd, the food the game? I thought about it for a moment and it isn’t really any of those. Let’s take a look at the opening day menu of events..

Some guy on a TV show I don’t watch will sing the National Anthem. The National Anthem is my favorite part of the game and I have to say I am happy to see the team select a local to honor our nation, I just hope that he honors our nation and doesn’t try to further his own “career” by trying too hard. I curse Whitney Houston for starting the trend of manipulating the song to the singer’s preferences.

Next up will be the US Army Parachute team. Very cool. Followed by an A-10 Warthog fly over. Still cool but not super impressed. As a young Marine I called in air support from the Warthogs and I have to say the aircraft is one of a kind. The C-130 flyover last year was awesome, for those who didn’t see it.

Prior to all these events the plaza by the East gate will have magician Michael Mage. Mage has a good show and is entertaining, catch one of his shows sometime, it’s well worth it. Tootsie the clown will be there. I don’t like clowns. An ill fated autograph request from Tiny Tim as a child must have scarred me, but simply put.. I don’t like clowns.

Also there, The Allentown Hobo Band! Ok, this is definately at the top of my favorites list. I can only dream that the band will venture out to right center field to seranade us with that old classic, “In Heaven There is No Beer!” Good stuff, people, good stuff.

And last but not least, the Groveland Elementary Jump Rope team. The Groveland Elementary Jump Rope team. Maybe the dodgeball team had a prior engagement…

So it should be a fun day, all the above stuff is just gravy on top of the baseball we all long to see, but what I really look forward to are the people.

The ticket taker who always smiles and has such beautiful eyes…

The Bud Light Trough staff and friends…

The folks who walk laps around the stadium for excercise…

The Pork Racers!

And really, all the people at CCP. From the ushers to security to the parking lot gang.. it’s just good people and good fun. They are what I most look forward to.

Not much going on today. Phillies spring training game on TV at 1:00.. ESPN I believe.

If you get a chance, check out the Reading Phillies new and improved website.

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/index.jsp?sid=t522

It takes on a similiar form as other minor league sites and seems to navigate much better than the old site.

23 days…

National’s prospect Stephen Strasburg is being sent to AA Harrisburg’s spring camp.

Reading’s homestand on April 26-28th against Harrisburg are now a hot ticket to get…

Ticket’s can be purchased at the Reading Phillie’s Website.

MLB.COM reported that Cliff Lee has a right lower abdominal strain and has traveled to Seattle for evaluation. Depending on severity, Lee could start the season on the Disabled list.

Lee, who came to the Phillies briefly last season, was traded to Seattle for 3 relatively unproven prospects. I was wondering when this “aha” moment would happen just didn’t think it would happen so soon. Let’s see if this makes the Phillies front office look better to the fans who had dreams of a Super pitching rotation in 2010.

I’m going to say we will have Scott Mathieson in the Lehigh Valley bullpen to start the season. Phillies management has repeatedly stated their interest in the reliever and that he just needs more innings under his belt to get back to the Phils roster.

Good news for Pig fans. Mathieson was dominant in Reading last year. We lost a lot of game in 2009 in the 9th inning because of poor late inning efforts. Who knows where the Pigs land if they had a solid closer last season.

26 days…