Monthly Archives: July 2010

Now that All Star Valley is officially past us.. I have mixed feelings. I am sad to see it end but also a little relieved that we can get back to business as usual here in the Lehigh Valley. I’ve read a bunch of articles and posts about the game last night that point out how the Ironpig’s organization put on a good show last night. I have to agree, but, the Ironpig’s put on a good show every day!

One blog that really captured the event’s feel was Ben’s Biz Blog on MLB.com blogs.

http://bensbiz.mlblogs.com/archives/2010/07/on_the_road_hogging_the_spotli.html

Check it out.. it’s a good read.

Aside from the Erik Kratz call up to the majors in the middle of the game… we also learned that the Padres selected outfielder Quintin Berry off of waivers and is lost to the Phillies organization. We wish him well and will certainly miss him. A definate casualty of the Phillie’s many injuries/transactions this year.

As for me, I’m taking a break this afternoon. A weekend packed with post All Star game parties will have me ready to wave the white flag on Monday.

OinK!

When I got to The Coke this afternoon it was still raining. I said a prayer asking for the rain to stop and just moments before the bubbles starting flying by.. the rain stopped and the clouds parted clearing the way for a wonderful night here in the Lehigh Valley. I really appreciated the early 5:00pm gate opening. It allowed fans to straggle in as they arrived and there was little crowding around the gates once opened.

I will try to keep my notes organized but forgive me.. I have so many tonight and will do my best.

The staff was superbly prepared. Food stands were fully staffed and supplied and ready to go. I enjoyed some smiles from our friends Scott, Annemarie and Jenny in the Trough before heading to the 3rd base side to get a pretzel burger. (By far the best food item at The Coke)

The field looked good too. The All Star logo in the outfield was a little light, but with all the rain these past few days I find it amazing that it was there at all. Also noticed a star imprinted on the infield grass. My hat is off to Bill Butler and his crew.

The Noise Nation got fired up early and had some fun with Centerfielder Bubba Bell. Yesterday we got the chance to talk to Bubba and identified ourselves to him and he jokingly took back his autographs.. he must remember the antics we pull in the outfield. So when Bubba took the field we greeting him with our trademark LEFT RIGHT LEFT cheer (We follow the player’s steps) and Bell gave us a questioning look and laughed as we all cheered for him. At one point he helped respond to our “Give me a K!” cheer and he turned to us and to the delight of the crowd, yelled “K!” Great guy.. hope to see him again at The Coke.

I did see something wonderful happen too. A boy walking behind me got pushed into my back by the crowd and dropped his All Star game commemorative cup full of lemonade. A nearby employee saw this happen and got his lemonade refilled. Good people there.. good people.

The game went fast. Real fast for Coca Cola Park standards. The official time was 2 hours 22 minutes. Each team had 5 hits and the International league came out on top 2 to 1. Oh yeah, there was a game tonight too 🙂

We were stalked by a photographer early in the game and the results found their way on to the Morning Call’s website. Click here to view these photos.

I have to say there were many occasions where a camera stopped by the Noise Nation. We also had a lot of team representatives walk by our area showing their support of the respective teams. Some new visitors to The Coke and they seemed genuinely impressed.

Andy Tracy. Our Andy Tracy. The Mighty Tracy! He banged out the IL’s first hit and promptly was pulled from the game for a pinch runner. We saw Nate Bump pitch and inning but Scott Mathieson never got in the game.

I honestly have to say this was by far the most excited crowd since The Coke opened in 2008. I have been to all but 3 games and it’s rare to see the energy level of tonight.

The fireworks were great afterwards and, although I won’t name them all here, thanks to all the sponsors who made this event possible.

We did miss Matt Provence with the call on the radio.. but the Noise Nation was VERY happy to see that he joined Mitch Williams on the MLB Network TV broadcast! It was announced earlier in the day that McCarthy (who was scheduled to call the play by play) was attending to his injured son. Our prayers and thoughts go out to him with wishes for a speedy recovery.

So the game ended.

Many many thanks go out to Kurt Landes and all of the Front office, field staff and game day employees. What a great night and great event for the Lehigh Valley!!

I want to make mention of one special employee. While in the parking lot I was assisting a fan whos car battery had died when two men approached with the same problem. With many tries we couldn’t get these guys car started and headed over to the team office. We ran into team receptionist Pat Golden on her way home and Pat stayed late and helped us get these guys the help they needed. She could have easily told us she wouldn’t be able to help and headed home after a long night at work but she didn’t. Pat stayed there with us until help was on the way and did so with a smile. She is a shining example of the great employees of the Lehigh Valley Ironpigs! Thank you Pat!

The Pig’s hit the road tomorrow and the team staff get a well deserved break.

OinK!

More to follow later but for those interested… MLB Network will be replaying the entire All Star game tonight from 2:00am to 5:00am.

OinK!

I just couldn’t resist.. this song has been in my head all morning. (with some modifications)

Huppert
The IL are gonna have their day Tonight.

Daren Brown
The PCL are gonna have their way Tonight.

Huppert
The PCL grumble: “Fair fight.” But if they start a rumble, We’ll rumble ’em right.

Daren Brown
We’re gonna hand ’em a surprise Tonight.

Huppert AND IL
We’re gonna cut ’em down to size Tonight.

Daren Brown AND PCL
We said, “O.K., no rumpus, No tricks.” But just in case they jump us, We’re ready to mix Tonight. ALL We’re gonna rock it tonight, We’re gonna jazz it up and have us a ball! They’re gonna get it tonight; The more they turn it on the harder they’ll fall!

Huppert AND IL
Well, they began it!

Daren Brown AND PCL
Well, they began it!  And we’re the ones to stop ’em once and for all, Tonight!

Andy Tracy
Tonight, tonight, Won’t be just any night, Tonight there will be no morning star. Tonight, tonight, I’ll see my love tonight. And for us, stars will stop where they are. Today The minutes seem like hours, The hours go so slowly, And still the sky is light . . . Oh moon, grow bright, And make this endless day endless night!

Huppert
I’m counting on you to be there Tonight. When the IL wins it fair and square Tonight. That PCL punk’ll Go down. And when they’ve hollered “Uncle” We’ll tear up the town!

 Huppert
So I can count on you, boy?

Andy Tracy
All right.

Huppert
We’re gonna have us a ball.

Andy Tracy
All right.

Huppert
I’ll see you there about seven oh five.

Andy Tracy
Tonight . . .

Dan Johnson
Tonight, tonight Won’t be just any night, Tonight there will be no morning star,

PCL
We’re gonna rock it tonight! They’re gonna get it tonight, They began it, They began it, The began it. We’ll stop ’em once and for all. The PCL are gonna have their way, The PCL are gonna have their day, We’re gonna rock it tonight. Tonight!

IL
We’re gonna jazz it tonight! Tonight! They began it, And we’re the ones to stop ’em once and for all! The IL are gonna have their way, The IL are gonna have their day. We’re gonna rock it tonight. Tonight!

Dan Johnson
Tonight, tonight, I’ll see my love tonight. And for us, stars will stop where they are.

 Dan Johnson AND Andy Tracy
Today the minutes seem like hours. The hours go so slowly, And still the sky is light. Oh moon, grow bright, And make this endless day endless night, ALL Tonight!

Tonight is the night we’ve waited 2 years for! Going to be a great time! If you can’t make the game itself, it will be broadcast on the MLB Network!

OinK!

Today was by far my favorite day of this whole week.. I am making that call now and unless the IL team gives me the call to pitch the 9th inning of the All Star game.. it isn’t going to top today!

As many of you know, today was supposed to be a workout/practice day for both teams but it rained. Forecasts call for more tomorrow so be prepared. Now comes the good part. Instead of canceling the free event (no parking, no admission fee) the Ironpigs set up an autograph session for every player participating in the All Star game.

I got there about 2:15 and around 2:30 the International League team came out to tables, similiar to the team autograph session held earlier for the Ironpigs. I grabbed an All Star program and got in line. The crowd was small for The Coke’s standards.. I would estimate about 500 people.. and I was able to obtain autographs from all of the IL players there. After about an hour an announcement was made and the Pacific Coast League players came out and did the same. I got all the autographs. It seemed everyone got all the autographs. Now that is cool in itself. I am not a huge autograph hound but it was great interacting with the players who were very friendly and accomodating. The shorter lines probably had something to do with that. Only one player, I won’t name him and to be honest I don’t know how to pronounce his name, was less than friendly. One out of 40 some guys.. not bad.

Got to meet Jesus Montero and ask him his opinion on the possible trade of himself to Seattle for Cliff Lee that fell through and his response was, “I’m happy where I am, but I am happy wherever I go.” Great attitude to have for a young prospect.

Joked around with Pawtucket outfielder Bubba Bell who laughed and asked me to take it easy on him when he found out that the Noise Nation was responsible for the Left Right Left cheer during home games in The Coke.

I had to ask Fresno’s Mike McClendon if he was any relation to former player and manager Lloyd McClendon and he smiled and said he wasn’t. There was not much of a resemblence but I had wondered.

Got to talk to both Andy Tracy and Dan Johnson about last night’s HR derby and both concentrated on complementing their opponents and that they came out to have fun and put on a show for the fans.

All in all this was a great group of guys who really came out and took time to sign for us fans. There was Ironpig’s management mingleing with the crowd. I saw Chuck Domino out there, trainer Jason Kirkman telling stories of getting through airport security with a World Series ring and even Robbie Aaron and Alex Cohen of the Ironpig’s radio team.

You have to take a step back and look at how awesome this idea was. The rain out of Pigapalooza and the soggy, yet exciting HR derby last night put a damper on the event as a whole but the organization really hit one over the wall with this impromptu dealing with the situation of yet another rain affected event. Thanks to all involved and whoever thought of this.. I owe you a beer!

Leaving The Coke via the Union Blvd exit I thought my excitement was over but entering the intersection by the LSI building a man stepped out in front of us causing my friend to slam on the brakes. As we came to a stop, we got a big smile and wave from none other than Ironpig Scott Mathieson. We waved back and told him to be more careful as we needed him to stay healthy. He laughed and flashed another of his trademark smiles and we went on our way.

Like I said, my favorite day of this week.

See you at the All Star Game tomorrow!

OinK!

Finally the rain brings us Pig fans some good news! The workout day is still on but the players will not be on the field working out. The rain put an end to that but instead… both teams will be available for 45 minutes (each team) for fans to obtain autographs. I see this as a much better event than watching a practice.

From the Ironpig’s website:

Gates will still open at 2 p.m. for today’s Workout Day presented by Lehigh Valley Health Network. However, due to the weather, the teams will not be hitting on field but will be signing free autographs on the concouse. Each team will sign for 45 minutes allowing fans to get autographs from the top players in Minor League Baseball’s premier leagues.
“Our fans are so loyal and passionate that we were adamant in hosting a free event for all of the Lehigh Valley and surrounding regions to enjoy,” remarked IronPigs General Manager Kurt Landes. “This is the perfect afternoon to ‘play hooky’ from work and enjoy a once-in-a-lifetime intimate opportunity to see these All-Stars up close.”
No tickets are needed to attend this event and all seating is General Admission — granting fans access to the Field Level seating bowl, the Capital BlueCross Lawn and other areas on a first-come, first-serve basis. Gates will open at 2 p.m. and as an added bonus, there is no cost for on-site parking.
All in-park food and beverage locations will be open for the Triple-A All-Star Workout Day. For the safety of our fans, no outside food or beverage is permitted to be brought inside Coca-Cola Park.

Well… kind of.

A 3 star General once told me that even the best plans completely fall apart when the first shot is fired. Nothing could be more accurate to describe the All Star week’s events at The Coke. Pigapalooza “rained out”. (I still agree this was the best decision) Then the monsoon that swept through during tonight’s Home Run Derby. I have to give it to the fans though.. most stuck it out.

I honestly thought that Andy Tracy’s 10 home runs would stand up in the final round but I was wrong. Dan Johnson tied his 10 and sent the finals into a tie breaker round where Tracy hit none and Johnson hit one to seal the victory. It is of note that at least 3 of Tracy’s outs were inches away from getting over the wall and if just one had cleared, it would have pushed him over the top.

While most of us got soaked and the rain was constant, it was still a great fun time. The fans were really into the event and made their opinions known loudly when disapproving of an umpires judgement. A few fans reached over the wall to snag a fly and the umps made the correct call of out. The boo’s ensued and we all had a good laugh. The whole stadium, showing that they had enough of the rain and wanted to go home, gave an intense boo for the magician when he came out for his final appearance. It was all in fun though.. I hope no feelings were hurt.

Hoping the rain holds out for the game on Wednesday.. also the workout tomorrow.

OinK!

The Red Sox granted pitcher Boof Bonser free agency. Possibly someone the Phillies could use?

Rich Thompson (pitcher) was recalled to the Angels. Looks like he won’t be playing in the AAA All star game after all.

The Dodgers signed LHP Jack Taschner.

The Mariners released Mike Koplove.

OinK!

Yes, I said seven. Everyone seems to forget about the 2 local high school players who are a part of this competition. If you watched the qualifying rounds (and the video from last year) you know they can hit the ball hard too.

1. D.J. King – King recently graduated from Nazareth High School and will continue at Bloomsburg University next season.

2. Westyn Baylor – Baylor, of Bangor High School, set a school record for homeruns this season with 10.

3. Andy Tracy – If you read this blog and don’t know who Andy Tracy is.. well let me know and I will promptly block you. Andy is currently 3rd in active minor leaguers in total home runs and is by far the most productive Ironpig in team history. That Bud Light Trough will soon be renamed Tracy’s Trough.

4. Dan Johnson – Durham Bulls. Johnson currently leads the International League in HR’s with 24. He made his MLB debut with the Oakland Athletics in 2005, has also played for the Rays and Yokohama Bay Stars.

5. Jeff Frazier – Toledo Mudhens. Frazier has been in the Detroit system since 2004, with a short stint in the Seattle organization in 2007. He has 16 HR’s and 52 RBI this season. He, like Andy Tracy, has also pitched one inning of relief for Toledo, allowing 2 hits and 4 runs in a game in 2009.

6. Alex Gordon – The 1st round pick of the Royals in 2005 (2nd overall) has 13 HRs between 2 minor league levels this season.

7. Jay Gibbons – Albuquerque. Gibbons is hitting .326 with 13 HRs for the Isotopes. He has played in the Blue Jays, Orioles, Brewers and Dodgers organizations.

8. J.P. Arencibia – The 51’s slugger currently leads the Pacific Coast League in HRs with 25. In 4 seasons of pro ball, all in the Blue Jays organization, Arencibia has accumulated 76 HR.

Looking at this field I would say I’m rooting for King and Baylor first, then Andy Tracy. I wouldn’t be surprised if one of the High School contestants makes it to the second round but don’t think they have the endurance to make it to the finals. I think most of these guys might hold back. Especially some of those who have been hiding injuries. The 3 day break will be nice to help heal.

My official prediction for this,, based on nothing but gut feeling is this.

First place – Arencibia
2nd pace – Johnson
High School to 2nd Round – King

Just picking for fun. Let’s see how close I get. 🙂

See you there tonight!

OinK!

The high school player who bats first is the best to watch. While we await tomorrow’s HR derby… Enjoy!