Monthly Archives: April 2011

My intention is not to detract from the significance of this milestone, just to poke a little fun and hopefully entertain you all in the mean time. Please do not take any of what I write below seriously as I am writing in jest. 🙂

The attendance is getting closer and closer to 2 million! Tonight it was announced that we are about 77,000 fans from meeting that mark and it should happen in the next few weeks. Let’s take a closer at what is being offered as a prize…

Pair of Season Tickets for all remaining 2011 IronPigs Home Games

Ok, so a season ticket costs $648 times 2 it’s a $1,296 value.. well about there. Take about 10 games off of it for games already played and the value is about $1,116.

IronPigs “2 Millionth Fan” Jersey
There’s another $80 from the team store and $20 for personalization. Add $100 more value.

Team Autographed Baseball
This has more sentimental value, but if you had to estimate a value.. I would say about $25.

All Promotional Giveaways from the 2011 Season
This one’s pretty easy. The Ironpigs offered all the season’s giveaways as a package for $150. Count it.

ONE free membership to one club of choice
This one can vary. If you choose the kid’s club, it’s $15. If you’re a Diamond Diva and choose that it jumps to $30.

Opportunity to be invited to one IronPigs special event
I’m taking this one as an invitation to either the Winter Banquet or Golf Tournament. $80 for the Banquest or $100 for Golf.

Ceremonial First Pitch
This one is a little tricky. If you have a group outting or are a sponsor for the night you get a free pitch. I believe I read that others who want to can pay something like $100 to toss out a first pitch (if it’s your birthday, etc)

A FeRROUS or FeFe appearance
This one is another cut and dry. Posted on the Pig’s website you can have Ferrous and FeFe show up for $100 an hour. Less if you’re a charity.

A “Behind the Scenes tour” of Coca-Cola Park for you and your family
Tours are given by appointment at the park. Admission is $4.

Here’s where it gets interesting.

2 million sips of Coca-Cola
Today I did my own experiment. I cracked open a can of Coke and started sipping. I got 24 sips.. roughly a half ounce per sip. That may be a little high for the purposes of math so I went logical and chose to use the quantity of 1 milliliter as my unit measure for a sip. One can of soda holds 355 ML of soda or 355 sips. To reach 2,000,000 sips you would need 5,634 cans of Coca Cola. Figure that a 12 pack of Coke costs retail about $5.. you would need 469 12 packs of Coke with a retail value of $2,347. Yeah, that’s a lot of Coke.

It gets better though…

2 million bites of pretzels from Pretzel Factory
I did some more research tonight on this prize. A box of rivets (pretzel bites) contains 25 bite size pieces, retail price of $5 per box. To reach 2,000,000 bites of pretzel.. you need 80,000 boxes of rivets. Yeah, that’s $400,000. Ok, lets say the rivets are big and we give them 2 bites apiece. That’s still $200,000 worth of pretzel bites. Keep in mind this isn’t what it’s going to cost to provide the rivets.. it’s what the real retail value of them is.

2 million swings at Bethlehem Golf Club
I’m going to have to estimate on this one. Obviously you’re getting coupons for buckets of balls at their driving range. I’ve been to driving ranges before and a large bucket of balls gives you about 60-70 balls for $5-7. For easier math I’m going to generously use 100 balls for $5. Add $100,000 in value to the driving range. Again, not the cost to the sponsor, but retail value. I’ll get to my point at the end of this.

2 million Martins potato chips
I love potato chips and this one is for me! So back to the process of figuring value (not including the impact this many chips, pretzels and sodas have on your health) figure 200 chips per bag and $2 per bag. Again trying to be generous with this figure. That’s about $20,000 in value.

2 million Mike & Ike’s
Boxes of this candy cost about 50 cents.. you get about 50. Easy math again. 2 million of them carry with it $20,000 worth of retail value.

2 million Peanut Chews
I love peanut chews! I will suffer through my weak teeth to eat these often! You get about 50 of them for $5 a bag. Add $200,000 in value.

So who still wants to be that 2 millionth fan? Yeah a lot of you I bet! Would be pretty cool!

Now I would be silly, (Yes I used silly) to expect to truly receive these quantities of the items as stated above. It is a promotion and sounds great to throw out there as a pun. I like it, I really do and it is enjoyable to tell folks you won 2 million of this and 2 million of that.. but be careful who you tell. The IRS will be listening and they won’t care if you really got something or didn’t. They also don’t care what it cost the organization to put this prize together. They care about, yes you guessed it, fair market retail value.

If you haven’t added it up already… that would be $543,980. You betcha! That’s quite a haul! Talk about jumping a tax bracket! Think you’ll be sneaky? Any prize given over a value of $500 or greater, the organization MUST give out a 1099 form to the IRS.

Current tax rate for income above $373,650 in a tax year is 35%. So not only would your earnings be taxed at this rate.. of the $543,980 of value you received as the 2 millionth fan, you would owe (and this is just the Federal component) $190,393.

I think they allow you to pay in installments.. not sure if they accept peanut chews or pretzels.

But fear not! There is a loophole. If you donate the prize to a non-profit before using any portion of the prize, you are not responsible for the tax.

Whew! Here I thought I would have to skip a game….

***

My intention is not to detract from the significance of this milestone, just to poke a little fun and hopefully entertain you all in the mean time. Please do not take any of what I wrote above seriously as I am writing in jest. 🙂

OinK!

The Ironpigs split the double header against the Scranton WB Yankees tonight to remain alone in the top position of the Northern division!

Game one started out with an exciting opening. Jorge Vazquez got Scranton on the board early with a two run HR off of starter Ryan Feierabend. Feierabend didn’t bend too far and closed the inning out by picking a runner off of first base. He held his composure nicely and continued to pitch well into the 4th inning when he allowed three more runs to cross before exiting the game.

The Ironpigs bounced right back in the bottom of the first, exploding for 4 runs supported by long home runs by Belliard and Young.

Scranton tacked on one more run in the 5th and the Pigs were shut out for the rest of the game. That was all they needed as the Pigs fell by a score of 4 to 6. Belliard was the only Ironpig to have a multi-hit game and his average is still a scorching high .389.

Game 2 seemed to crawl along miserably slow. The Yankees came on early in the game scoring 3 quick runs but were answered by a quick 2 scores by the Pigs in the bottom of the 2nd. Not much happened until the bottom of the 6th when Brandon Moss hit a ball out of the park.. literally. This ball cleared the trough and landed in the middle of Ironpig’s Way! The 3 run shot put the Pigs up 5 to 3 and that’s all they needed. Juan Perez came on to get his first save of the season.

We did get to see Mark Prior pitch one inning for the Yankees. The former big leaguer came on and pitched a perfect 5th inning.

For the Pigs staff, Drew Carpenter took the start for a bullpen day on the mound. He pitched two innings allowing 3 runs and no walks with one strikeout. On came Scott Mathieson who pitched well for 3 innings tonight.. (Could this be a transistion to a long relief role?) Although Mathieson allowed 4 walks, he only allowed one hit and struck out 3. Jason Grilli took the win for his efforts in the 6th inning allowing 2 hits and no runs.

Brandon Moss had two hits, one of them being his game winning home run…. as did Frandsen who also had an RBI tonight.

It is great to have winning baseball in the Lehigh Valley! For a few moments tonight it was hard not to think, “Here it comes.. same old Ironpig luck” but they turned it around and the 200 or so who stayed until the end of the game went home with a smile. The Pigs still stand alone at the top of their division with Pawtucket only 1/2 game behind.

See you tomorrow! OinK!

Today we get the Scranton Wilkes Barre Yankees back in town. Two games tonight then a game each night until Thursday. 5 games in 4 days!

Tonight – Weather is calling for temperatures in the mid-50’s and a slight chance of rain. Very slight. Game one starts at 6:05pm and will last for 7 innings as most double headers in the minors do. Game two normally will start 45 minutes after game one.

The giveaway tonight is the Ferrous mascot bobblehead! The first 2,000 kids 17 and under will receive this. Gates open 1 hour and 15 minutes before game time so think 4:50pm on a bobblehead day if you really have to have one.

Starting pitchers:
Ryan Feierabend will face off against Scranton’s Andrew Brackman. Brackman has one start this season and lasted 5 innings allowing 3 runs on 5 hits for a no decision.

Game 2 starters will see Drew Carpenter vs. Amaury Sanit. Both are standard to their respective bullpens but neither are a stranger to starting.

Tomorrow night the first 3,000 18+ adults receive a free Ironpig’s hat.

Wednesday is Irish heritage night. Always a good time with singing and dancing and baseball.

Thursday we will see a Go Green grocery bag and a Green jersey auction.

Come on out and have fun with us!

OinK!

The Ironpigs got on the board early with a Cory Sullivan sacrifice fly to score Rich Thompson in the first but the Chiefs responded in the bottom half of the inning with 3 hits and 2 runs in response.

Syracuse tagged on 2 more runs in the 3rd inning when Chris Marrero homered. Both teams added another run, Pigs in the 4th and Chiefs in the 5th. The Pigs brought it to a one run deficit in the 7th with a Delwyn Young pinch hit 2 run home run.

Going into the top of the 8th the Pigs regained the lead when Jeff Larish hit his 3rd home run of the season to put the Pigs up 6 to 5. (Who was complaining about Larish not being a home run hitter?) This kick started a 6 run inning that showed the Ironpig bats are definately coming alive! With pitching as we have been getting and the overall hitting effort these guys are putting up… we can look forward to a lot of excitement this season!

Rain started coming down hard in the top of the ninth bringing on a rain delay that ended the game with a Pig’s Win!

For the pitching staff:

Bass went 4 innings allowing 4 runs on 5 hits striking out 3 and walking 2.

Perez came on in the 5th for 2 innings allowing a solo HR to Marerro while striking out 3.

Stutes pitched the 7th and 8th allowing 1 run on 3 hits and 2 walks. He struck out 4.

Final score, Pigs 10 Chiefs 6.

With SWB Yankee’s loss today the Ironpigs have sole possession of first place in the Northern Division!!!!

OinK!

Last night at Stabler Arena the LV Steel Hawks record fell to 1 and 5. The only thing more disappointing was Jimmy T’s poor performance in the musical chairs competition held mid-4th quarter. He was first to go and I shouldn’t talk as I only lasted 2 more rounds myself.

It was fan appreciation night and there was a good showing of fan support. Word is that the first 3 home games brought in 2,000 plus fans each time the gates opened and that’s not too bad. Myself and Steel Hawk’s Booster Club President Gene McCombs were invited on field to observe the official coin toss… not sure how much luck we gave them though, as the toss went to the Chicago Slaughter.

The Slaughter came to visit the Lehigh Valley via bus. That’s a long trip in a bus but the most interesting aspect was the Chicago team’s head coach. None other than Steve McMichael who spent seasons in the NFL with the Patriots, Packers and most notably the 1985 Superbowl Champion Bears. The defensive tackle then entered the world of professional wrestling starting out with supporting Lawrence Taylor at Wrestlemania XI and continued with a stint as a commentator and wrestler in the now defunct WCW.

Also saw a mention of the Noise Nation on Twitter from Ironpig’s General Manager Kurt Landes, who was in attendance last evening. Good to have the support of some old friends and glad to see him out there supporting the Steelhawks like a kind older brother.

Really, I know Stabler Arena isn’t the greatest. It’s been there forever and still has a lot of signs of the past. I even saw an old pay phone in there. No beer sales and concessions are a bit sparse in comparison to Coca Cola Park. Understandably, it’s also considered one of the smallest fields in the arena football network. (Here comes my but)… but, we really should support this team. It’s fun. It really is. Support them now and they stay around. I’ve heard talk of shady teams/owners of the past but this group of folks is great. They want to give you the best fan experience. They love football and love providing football to the Lehigh Valley. If we support them, they will stay.

I know what you’re thinking.. they stay.. where? Stabler? Why would we want them to “stay” there. Well if you don’t live under a stone you know there will be an indoor arena constructed in this area (somewhere) for the use of the Phantoms hockey team. Yes, you can play indoor football in a hockey arena and I guarantee the accomodations will be better there. Oh, for those who choose to, I would think there would be beer too.

So here’s what I’m saying… Support this team. Only 4 more home games this season and get out there and have some fun. We keep the team around and it will get better.

Video courtesy of Cheryl Pursell

Despite a cool, windy and rainy day… the Pig’s bats continued to push runs across the plate today in their 4 – 2 win against Syracuse today!

Rich Thompson hit another ball hard to lead off the game only for the wind to knock it down for a fly ball out. Rich hit his first home run of the season and his glimmer of power early this season is a welcome addition to his normal hard nose and aggressive style of play.

Jeff Larish hit his second HR of the season followed in the same inning by a solo shot from Erik Kratz. Looks like the catching position is beginning to produce and Larish continues to get the ball in play.

One interesting play in the 5th inning, pitcher Eddie Bonine lost a shoe and was able to cover 1st base when 1st Baseman Jeff Larish fielded a ground ball. We were trying to think of a good nickname for Eddie and we have one now. “Shoeless” Eddie Bonine!

Shoeless Eddie was the story of this game! Working 7 innings scattering 4 hits for 1 run and striking out 3. I love that Bonine uses the knuckleball effectively and with the rest of the crew is making this starting pitcher line look like one of the best the Pigs have sent out there.

Jason Grilli pitched the 8th allowing a solo home run to pinch hitter Alex Valdez before closing out the inning.

Ironpig closer Scott Mathieson came on in the ninth to strike out two and end the game with a short pop up!

OinK!

I’m catching up a bit this morning. Went out and had a fun Friday night. We’re in the last 2 weeks of my bowling league and in spite of my 153 average I was able to put up a solid 191 and 205 game before collapsing with a 145 in the last game. Anyways…

The Ironpigs really pulled one off yesterday in Rochester! The Pigs were down 2 to 4 before a big 4 run inning in the 7th and a 3 run 8th inning game led them to a 9 to 4 victory over the Redwings. I was out bowling so I missed the radio call but will do my best to annotate from the box score. (Hey, at least I’m not cutting/pasting again)

Frandsen, Young, Belliard and Barfield each had mult-hit games. Nicely done by the hitters on a night what was described by pitcher Michael Schwimer on Twitter, “I couldn’t feel my hand when I was pitching it was so cold…” @mschwimer.

The pitchers did well. Bump started the game and hit a well, bump in the 2nd inning allowing 4 runs on 5 hits and 4 walks. Note – only one of those 4 runs was an earned run. Drew Carpenter took over in the 5th and effectively shut down the Redwings for 3 innings allowing only one walk and striking out 2. Michael Schwimer came on to pitch the final two innings allowing just 2 hits and one walk. Not bad for not feeling your hands. 🙂

So on to today’s game!

The Pigs are taking the trip from Rochester into Syracuse for a short 2 game set. Syracuse is currently 5 and 3 and shares the Northern Division lead with Scranton WB. Starting for the Pig’s today will be Eddie Bonine. Bonine lost a heartbreaker in his last start and will face Syracuse’s Tom Milone. Milone is 1-0 with a 0.00 ERA. He pitched 7 shutout innings against our Ironpigs just 6 days ago and came out the victor. Hopefully this time will end in the better for our guys.

OinK!

Via the Reading Phillies Facebook and confirmed by R-Phils Media Rep, and our old friend, Tommy V… the 2012 AA All Star game will be played in Reading!

What a quick reward for a beautifully restored field!

More details when I get them…

The Reds place former Ironpig Justin Lehr on the 7 day disabled list.

The Marlins placed Neil Sellers on the 7 day disabled list.

The Dodgers loaned pitcher Oscar Villareal to the Mexican league. (Monterrey)

The A’s placed Michael Taylor on the 7 day disabled list.

The Phillies place Pitcher Matt German on the restricted list. Catcher Jim Klocke voluntarily retired.

The below Phillies minor leaguers were placed on the 7 day disabled list:
RHP Brody Colvin
RHP Brian Gordon
RHP Mike McGuire
RHP Drew Naylor
LHP Nick Hernandez
LHP Matt Way
C Joel Naughton
C John Suomi
1B Tagg Bozied
2B Albert Cartwright
OF Tyson Gillies
OF Jeremy Slayden

The Blue Jays re-signed outfielder DeWayne Wise.

(Notes from Baseball America’s transaction blog)

***
Today the Pigs take on Rochester pitting pitcher Nate Bump against Red Wings Scott Diamond. Diamond’s last outing vs. SWB lasted 5 innings allowing 3 runs on 3 hits (1 run being earned) and striking out 2. He received a no decision in that contest. Diamond was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Braves in 2008. In Class A(Advanced), he was awarded the team’s Pitcher of the year award following a 15-2 season with a 2.89 ERA. He made his first AAA appearance with the Gwinnett Braves in 2010 and was selected by the Rule 5 draft by Minnesota at the end of the 2010 season. To allow Diamond to play in the minors, the Twins sent prospect Billy Bulluck to the Braves.

Should be a good day for baseball and let’s hope the Pigs can get back to above .500 baseball!

OinK!