Monthly Archives: June 2010

Does anyone else see Ferrous in this cloud over Coca Cola Park last night? I really thought about photoshopping this but I resisted. Enjoy!

An article posted on the PCL website yesterday gave a tip of the hat to Ironpig fans who have shoved an Ironpig into All Star contention at just about every position.

Link to complete article below:
http://pacificcoast.league.milb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20100609&content_id=10985866&vkey=news_l112&fext=.jsp&sid=l112

Pigs lost both ends of tonight’s doubleheader against Toledo. I will spare you the details but the below image says it all…

Whole Hog Pulled Pork Every Thursday at CCP!

Every Thursday the good folks at Royal Gourmet Foods cooks up some whole hog pork and serves a sandwich plate for a deal at $7.50. You get potato salad and much to the chagrin of those around me, baked beans to go with a sizeable pork sandwich. I cannot emphasize how much better it is than the big porker sandwich offered at every game.

Yum

They had some literature at the stand and it looks like they cater parties, weddings, etc. so it’s worth a look if you’re planning something big.

It has been a while since I wrote anything about food but I had to write this. I have a smoker and often cook my own pork shoulders. I lived in NC for 4 years where pulled pork is an every day staple. I consider myself expert in the art of eating pork. I really, really like this pork!

It was cool hanging out with the “Duck Pond” tonight! Great group and hope to see them around the Noise Nation often!

Tomorrow is Friday Fireworks! OINK!

Current standing in fan voting for the AAA All Star game per the International League Website:

Catcher
1. Carlos Santana – Columbus
2. Paul Hoover – Lehigh Valley
3. Dusty Brown – Pawtucket

1st Base
1. Andy Tracy – Lehigh Valley
2. Chris Richard – Durham
3. Freddie Freeman – Gwinnett

2nd Base
1. Joe Dillon – Durham
2. Luis Maza – Lehigh Valley
3. Tug Hulett – Pawtucket

Shortstop
1. Elliot Johnson – Durham
2. Angel Sanchez – Pawtucket
3. Brian Bocock – Lehigh Valley

3rd Base
1. Cody Ransom – Lehigh Valley
2. Pedro Alvarez – Indianapolis
3. Mike Hessman – Buffalo

Designated Hitter
1. Dan Johnson – Durham
2. Angel Sanchez – Pawtucket
3. Barbaro Canizares – Gwinnett

Outfield (3)
1. Daniel Nava – Pawtucket
2. John Mayberry – Lehigh Valley
3. Justin Ruggiano – Durham
4. Rich Thompson – Lehigh Valley
5. Bubba Bell – Pawtucket
6. Chris Duffy – Lehigh Valley

Starting Pitcher (2)
1. Drew Carpenter – Lehigh Valley
2. Jeremy Hellickson – Durham
3. Jak Arrieta – Norfolk
5. Aroldis Chapman – Louisville
6. Nate Bump – Lehigh Valley
…
9. Brian Mazone – Lehigh Valley

Relief Pitcher (2)
1. Scott Mathieson – Lehigh Valley
2. Mike Zagurski – Lehigh Valley
3. Dustin Richardson – Pawtucket

It looks like the Ironpig fans are voting! But so are fans in Pawtucket and Durham! Keep it up!

Voting continues until June 25th and you can cast your vote on the International League website!

It was pretty obvious that yesterday was a rain out early on in the day. That’s the bad news. The good news is that we get treated to a double header today, the first game starting at 6:05. It’s looks like Savery will make the start in game 1 and Duckworth in game 2.

It really was a shame it rained yesterday. The Turn back the clock old time game theme was in full swing when I got to the Park. The scoreboard screen had turned into a static old time scoreboard and old time and organ music was piped into the stadium under a reasonable volume. No ads or promotions were being sent our way and it seemed like our previous post comments were seen and made into reality.

I did hear a lot of rumbling about the stadium opening when it was pretty clear it would be a rainout but I have a theory about why this is. If you really think about it, it’s not as terrible as you think. Now everyone knows if the stadium opens it costs a lot… from paying game day employees to parking to food and beer. I don’t feel that the collection of funds from concessions evens that out.. (you get a parking voucher if no game is played) no matter how long the rain delay is. For my opinion.. the reason those gates opened was to give the folks who ordered Picnic Patio and Party Porch tickets a chance to get their money’s worth of food. It’s no secret that these areas are sold out all season and no way to exchange for a similiar ticket. The Ironpig’s policy on ticket exchange (also that of the International League) is that no refunds are made and tickets can be exchanged for a ticket of equal or lesser value, if available. Had the gates not opened, there are no party packages available and the people who paid $25+ for those food packages get a $9 ticket in exchange. With the gates open, they get the food they bought and then can still exchange for the lesser ticket. At first thought, it does sound like “Oh those greedy sales people” but it you sit back and look at the whole picture… opening the stadium so these folks can at least eat the food they paid for is the better option. At least it is in my eyes.

So yesterday I posted a few notes about the new mascot outfits. It’s becoming very clear that there is not a fond reception of the new stuff. Some change is good, some change is bad, some change starts bad but grows on you and some change you just can’t… well change. React as you will, but I’m sure something will be done. You’re voices are being heard and I will go as far to say there is already brainstorming going on to correct this or make it more palateable. Remember, it’s not how you look on the outside.. it’s what you are on the inside and make sure to give those on the inside the love that they deserve because they might not like their makeover too. (Has your mom ever gotten a haircut she didn’t like? Making fun of her just made her cry and we don’t need a sad pig out there)

Final results of the poll as of this morning:
143 people preferred the old mascot
57 people liked the new
6 votes for the indifferent option
3 people just didn’t care

Anyways, today is a new day.. we have a double header going on and come on out and have some fun!

OINK!

I’ve been getting rumors and new information all morning but after sorting through and considering all sources the following seems to be the most convincing of them. Don’t take this as absolute truth, just trying to piece together a possible scenario.

The new outfits were designed by the same person who designed the Philly Phanatic.

The team requested that the new outfits be identical to the old. Multiple pictures were sent with.

What we saw is what they got back.

So the moral of this post is be careful who you look to blame for this, whether positive or negative. Haven’t heard any details but the Front office staff might be as surprised and frustrated with this as we are.

Hope for no rain tonight for the retro hat giveaway. I saw the hat last night and it’s a nice looking white Allentown Cardinals hat. Not looking good as far as the weather goes but we can hope! 🙂

OINK!

Sometimes you get the big scary pig…

That’s exactly what the crowd at Coca Cola Park got tonight. In an amusing skit played out for the birthday of our loveable and recognizable Pigs, Ferrous and FeFe, we got more than we expected.. boy did we ever.

Fans gasped, some groaned, some stared in disbelief and a hoard of children ran screaming in horror as the mascots came out in their new look. I’ll let you form your own opinion before I go on.

Photo by Heather Mastropieri

Now I don’t know the driving force behind this change was… I liked the original costumes. The new ones seem to be a cross between the Phillie Phanatic and Snuffleuffagus in a Country Bears Jamboree kind of way. Literally, children were scared. Heck, I was scared. Why change a good thing? The team spent almost 3 years establishing a brand with the faces of Ferrous and FeFe images and every kid in the Lehigh Valley could recognize them. Would we be accepting of a creepy change to the Jolly Green Giant or Mr. Clean? Come on..

I initially thought this was a joke. Haha! Someone sewed these together in a garage last week and we all laugh and tomorrow the real Ferrous and FeFe return. Not likely though. The rumor mill sent me some info that these new Pig-like creatures are here to stay. The only real way to tell they are pigs is by their nose. I really wonder why… I wondered why my dad cut down a perfectly healthy tree. I wondered why my dog continually dumps the trash can for recreation. Some answers won’t be known but this is true. The team owns these Pigs and can do whatever they want to them. I even heard that a Facebook group has been created to restore the Pigs to their original look.

I’ll just keep wondering…

The Pigs won their third straight game and have not allowed a run in 22 innings!

The offense hasn’t exactly been firing on all cylinders but who needs runs when you’ve got defense going like this? Cody Ransom made another great play at 3rd base tonight!

The Mudhens must have caught whatever the Knights left in the visiting locker room tonight as they ended the game with 3 errors.

Home plate umpire John Merry didn’t seem to want this game to end. In the bottom of the eighth Mudhen pitcher Scot Drucker walked the bases loaded and in the top of the 9th Scott Mathieson walked two before a double play and strikeout to end the game. Merry was squeezing that strike zone tight.

Man it feels good to end a game with a 96 mph Mathieson strikeout!

More notes coming in my next post…

Thanks to RD for sending this over!