This was a great day and a great game. So many things to make note of… I hope I remember everything.
The Pigs won today defeating SWB 4 to 1! They took 3 of 4 from the Yankees and finally won their first series of 2010!
Today was Turn Back the Clock Day and it was accompanied with an old time scoreboard look, organ music and a little less advertising and hooplah. Also got to meet a Ed Jones who played with the Allentown Cardinals when they played in the 50’s. Real nice guy and had some mementos with him along with some good memories to share with the kids.
I’m going to start off with Cody Ransom. He has really worked hard and turned himself around with his fielding of the hot corner. Today he snagged a few balls behind the bag and gunned down the runners at first. He also made an amazing snag of a line drive, landing on third to complete an unassisted double play. That catch made a huge difference in the game as the Pigs held only a 1-0 lead at that point and with only one out that ball was easily a run scoring double. Good job Cody! Keep it up!
We also saw Andy Tracy get ejected. Andy is a veteran player and is widely known to not protest calls. Well today he was called out on a pitch well high and outside. My thought was that how delayed the call was the umpire, Johnny Conrad, felt Andy was showing him up and called the third strike well after Tracy began his trot to first. On the way back to the dugout words were exchanged and he was tossed. I have never seen him as angry as he was today. He might have a game suspension heading his way this week as he made contact with the umpire. A member of the Noise Nation who was within hearing distance believed Andy said “Well throw me out” and Conrad complied. We haven’t had a scuffle like that at Coca Cola Park since Steve Kline went crazy, earning himself a suspension and eventual release a few days later.
The Pig’s bats did come alive today smacking 12 hits for 4 runs. Four Ironpigs had multi hit games and Melvin Dorta extended his hitting streak to 11 games. The Pigs also stranded 12 on base.
One thing of note was Scranton’s lack of an effective double play between second and short. At least three times errant throws allowed a baserunner to reach first. They did complete one double play later in the game but it was hot and I have the feeling that everyone wanted that game to end and come home.
Nate Bump took a hard line drive off of his arm this afternoon. Rumors circulated that he will be fine for his next start but you never know until the day after an injury like that. Also with Jimmy Rollins pending return we might see Wilson Valdez back in a Pig’s uniform although he did hit another home run. We’ll see. Hope to see Mathieson back too.
Pigs head to Norfolk tomorrow. Hope they had a chance to spend some time with their families before leaving. Game is at 7:15 tomorrow and we’ll be listening.
OINK!
noisenation.mlblogs.com 
UMPIRES! They really need to learn people are not at baseball games to see them. I know, they are people too. But this was another case where the umpire could have turned his back, instead, he was looking for trouble by glaring at Tracy all the way back to the dugout and after he was in the dugout. I pay to see players, not umpires!! As a side note, there were a few blown calls and tv replays confirmed those blown calls as well.
Listening to the radio broadcast there was one call in the first inning with Scranton batting where both Provence and Schaffer were astounded by a fair ball being called foul.
I definately have to agree, I never saw Andy so angry before.
And yes, Cody is playing very well at 3rd! There was a play in the top of the 9th that looked like it may have been foul and he didn’t go for it. Some of the fans were saying he should have dove for it and he took his glove off and motioned for them to take his place. I was chuckling. I really think he thought it was going to go foul.
The highlight of our day was Frankie getting to play catch with the boys on the field after the game. I just love watching them play catch with their daddy.
And how sweet to have the players kids throw the ball to their daddy’s before the game. That was really nice for Father’s Day.