Monthly Archives: April 2011

The Ironpigs suffered another heartbreaking loss today at the hands of the Syracuse Chiefs with a final score of 0 to 2.

The Ironpig pitchers were again pretty solid:
Bonine took the loss allowing 6 hits and 2 runs (1 earned) in 6 innings with 8 strikeouts. He looked pretty sharp this afternoon.
Carpenter came in to pitch the 7th and 8th allowing only 1 hit and striking out 2.
Perez closed out the game striking out 2 and allowing no hits/runs.

Eddie Bonine did look real good out there today. I did pick up on, also mentioned by radio broadcaster Matt Provence, that Bonine was able to strike out Syracuse leadoff hitter Brian Bixler 3 times with 9 total pitches. I like the way he pitches and thinking back to my baseball card collecting days, Eddie Bonine has a name that reminds me of the old school days of baseball. When cards were given out with tobacco and gloves looked like oven mitts. A classic sounding baseball name. We ought to give him a good nickname for here in the Valley… any suggestions?

The hitters were not so solid. The Pigs scraped out 6 hits in the game and Belliard had the only 2 hit day.

Even worse than the hitting was the fielding. It was real sloppy today out there. There was 3 errors, 2 by first baseman Frandsen (normally a shortstop) and 1 for Barfield (allowed the second run to score). In fact, the Chiefs got their first run of the game from a passed ball by Erik Kratz for the second straight game.

I thought about the field setup today and want to look at the first 3 game lineups. There seems to be a lot of shuffling going on in the lineups and positions so far. Getting the feel of the team and where everyone fits. This may not produce results every day in the early season but finding where each player produces the best is great for the long run of the 144 game season. The team may be 1-2 and under .500 again, but I’m still liking what I see out there.

Today was dog day! My dog Wally was there and had a great time! A wonderful group of friendly people and dogs enjoyed the 60 degree overcast day. Wally even got to see his friend Max and his family again and a good time was had by all.

Tomorrow the Ironpig’s will send Brian Bass to the mound to face the Chiefs’ Craig Stammen in an effort to split this 4 game home series. The weather is supposed to be considerably warmer in the evening so you can keep the winter coats in the car for one night. (Don’t pack them away just yet though)

Another great day for a ballgame. See you all tomorrow night!

OinK!

All photos by Cheryl Pursell

I was driving the speed limit on Rt 22 tonight, ready to turn off the Airport road exit to the ballpark when, with Jeff Larish standing on second base, Erik Kratz flied out to end the game with the Pigs falling to Syracuse in the 10th inning.

Yes, you read correctly… I was not in attendance for the first time since April 30th of 2008. As a result of my web poll a few weeks back, I chose to attend the Steelhawks game tonight at Stabler Arena. I don’t regret the decision but I am disappointed in what I missed. Some outstanding pitching on both teams yet 2 unearned runs scoring for the bad guys and the Pig’s lose their first game of 2011. (I am not too disappointed about missing fireworks)

From the multitude of text messages I received throughout the night, the tweets of others and the box score.. I can relatively get a picture of what went on tonight. The Pigs left 13 on base and were a combined 0 for 15 with runners in scoring position. The lone run came on a Barfield home run. I did hear a lot of commotion of an interference call early in the game that negated an Ironpig run and was contested amongst fans. Need thoughts and opinions from those who were there… was it a legit call?

2 unearned runs and 0 for 15 with RISP will lose you a one run ballgame. Tomorrow is another day…

Speaking of tomorrow! Tomorrow is DOG DAY! One of my favorite days of the season! My dog Wally will be in attendance and is very excited to attend his 6th Ironpig’s game! Look for us in the outfield and maybe Wally will give you one of his trademark wet kisses.

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So on to the excitement of the night for me.. the Steelhawks! I arrived early and was greeted by Coach Britt himself! The crowd was thinner than the last home game but still there were seats filled! I got the numbers put on my new Steel Hawk’s jersey, bought a Dance Team calendar and got a few autographs from the lovely Precious Metals squad.

The story of this game was a David vs. Goliath thing where, (like a few of the interns of the past at CCP), David couldn’t get the sling shot to work. The game started off well with a fumbled kickoff and the Hawks getting the ball on the 5 yard line but were held and turned the ball over on downs. This set the tone for the rest of the night. The defense held and the offense handed the ball back to their opponent. They scored, the Steelhawks didn’t. It wasn’t over until about 4 minutes in the fourth quarter when a 4th down pass was dropped and the teams took to a knee to run the clock.

Altogether a fun but disappointing night. At least the Phillies won today!

OinK!

Another great charity event going on tonight at the Garfield hotel & grille in Northampton!

We Rock For Autism 2011 is heading your way April 9th at The Garfield Hotel. Doors open at 6pm, First band goes on at 7pm.

Performing Artists are:
Jake Kaligis
Connie Edinger Trio
Dina Hall & The Backbeat
Friar’s Point Band

Cost at the door is $5. This is a 21 and over event. Children are permitted to this event if accompanied by their parent/parents. There will be no charge for children.

Come on out for a night of great acoustic music and blues. I look forward to seeing you there!

Tonight the Ironpigs will face the Syracuse Chiefs, AAA affiliate of the Washington Nationals. The Pigs will go will last night’s starter in Nate Bump and the Cheifs bring in Garrett Mock. Mock, a 28 year old Houston, TX native, pitched in only 7 games in the 2010 season due to a season ending neck injury. He was a 2008 International League All Star and earned an IL Pitcher of the Week title in 2009.

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The Noise Nation will have its first split event night tonight as we are attending both the Ironpig’s game as well as the Lehigh Valley Steelhawks game at Stabler Arena! Come out and support our Lehigh Valley teams!

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A special thanks to Keith Groller and his Calling All Sports radio crew for having me as a guest this morning! Great time and hope to be back soon!

OinK!

Tomorrow morning I will be a part of Keith Groller’s “Calling All Sports!” radio show!

Be sure to listen in on 1470 AM! We took calls last year so if you have a question and Keith opens it up for callers, have them ready!

The show can be heard from 9-11 on The Fox, AM 1470, and is available online at fox1470.com.

OinK!

I’ve been to this event two years in a row and I have to say it is a great time. There is a lot of food, beverages and fun. Well worth taking a nice spring day off and playing a round of golf with fellow baseball fans! Shotgun start, best ball, carts/greens fees/lunch/gift included.

When – Wednesday May 25th at 8:00am

Where – Bethlehem Golf Club (Yes, the one right off of Schoenersville Road)

How much – Individual $100, Twosome $185, Foursome $350

What for – Ironpig’s Charities!

Why – Because it is a great time!

All donations are tax deductible and it goes to a good cause. You can get an entry form at the Ironpigs or ask me, I have a copy and will happily email it to you.

Any questions can be sent to Sarah Marten smarten@ironpigsbaseball.com

The Ironpig’s rained out today. Surprise surprise…

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GAME PREVIEW: EXTREME AT STEELHAWKS
Steelhawks Look to Bounce Back at Home
Bethlehem, PA: The Lehigh Valley Steelhawks return home for the first of three consecutive home contests on Fox Point Programs Field, inside Stabler Arena, when they take on the Great Lakes Division leading Bloomington Extreme on Saturday evening at 7 p.m. The Steelhawks are coming off a hard fought 63-58 loss at the hands of the Reading Express in a game that saw twelve lead changes.
The Extreme enter the game at 4-1 and boast one of the IFL’s best passing attacks. Led by a standout receiving core that includes James Walton, Johnny Gray, and Glenn Johnson the Extreme will look to air it out and test the Steelhawks secondary early and often. Quarterback Rocky Hinds however will have to deal with a Steelhawks defense that is among the top in pass defense.
The Steelhawks (1-3) will look to right the ship and get back into the win column after a heartbreaking loss last week. The Steelhawks will have to do it without their two top offensive weapons however as Wide Receiver Irani DeAraujo is out with a neck injury suffered against Reading, and Top 3 IFL rusher Isaiah Grier is out with a foot injury. In their absence, look for Quintin Lopez (8 Receiving TD’s) and Ryan Leafey (averaging 4.5 yards per carry) to fill the void and keep the offense clicking on all cylinders.
“We had a tough week last week as far as injuries are concerned,” stated Steelhawks Head Coach Rich Britt. “However, I am fully confident that the next guy in line will step up. We are truly blessed to have superstars in the making in Q (Quintin Lopez), Leaf (Ryan Leafey), and Dom (Stewart). Other guys will have to step up as well, no doubt especially on defense.”
Kickoff is slated for 7:00 p.m. with doors opening at 6:00 p.m. The game will be the first annual March of Dimes Night, with partial proceeds going towards helping grow stronger, healthier babies. Fans who can’t attend can watch the game live on Service Electric TV 2 Sports. Tickets for the game can be purchased by calling the Steelhawks front office at 610-282-3100, via the Steelhawks Website (www.lvsteelhawks.com), thru ticketmaster, or by visiting the Stabler Arena Box Office at 124 Goodman in Bethlehem. For further information on the Lehigh Valley Steelhawks please contact Executive Vice President Mike Clark at 610-282-3100.Season ticket flex packages, starting as low as $8 per game, are still available but great seats are limited so reserve your seats close to the action and call the team’s front office at 610-282-3100. Don’t miss out on the fun and exciting atmosphere that is Steelhawks Professional Indoor Football!

Tonight on the mound for the Pig’s is returning 2010 Ironpig Nate Bump. The Pig’s are looking for the season’s first sweep as they take on the Yankees for the back half of this two game series.

The SWB Yanks will put Hector Noesi on the mound to thwart the Ironpig’s efforts. Noesi was a combined 14-7 with a 4.82 ERA between 3 levels of minor league ball last season.

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The weather will definately play a factor in tonight’s game. Looking at the forecast shows light rain throughout the early evening but the radar spells a different story. Radar maps indicate rain from the writing of this post into the hours past 8:00pm. It does look like the weather will pass around 8:30 to 9:00pm so I would bring a poncho and stuff to keep the kids occupied during a lengthy rain delay. Why no umbrella? Because I feel umbrellas are completely inappropriate within seating at sporting events. Too many people poked or dripped on. That’s my opinion. If you’re on the lawn.. go for it. In the stands, no thanks. Fear not though, the gates will open, picnic tickets will get their food and the teams will push to get this series in tonight. Heck, it’s Friday and no school tomorrow so make a late night of it. I doubt the fireworks will be held afterwards. After last years.. “complaint”, it came about of a safety rule that fireworks set in place and affected by wet weather shall be set off and not taken apart. If this game goes past 11:00pm the risk of an onrush of hotel customers might be preempted by an early decision to cancel the fireworks as not to upset someone who lives over 5 miles away. (That part is opinion mixed with a slight amount of saracasm) Simply put, wet fireworks must be set off. Late fireworks are now frowned upon. Not setting them up keeps them dry and we go home less amused.

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On to a more happy topic…

I was informed today that the Pediatric Cancer Foundation of the Lehigh Valley is holding a charity golf tournament on May 9th at Green Pond Country Club. They have a bunch of raffles and an all inclusive $95 bill for this great event for a great organization.

More details about the Pediatric Cancer Foundation can be found on their website:
http://www.firstgiving.com/pcflv

All Photos from Cheryl Pursell

The park was buzzing tonight! Ryne Sandberg came out to a rousing ovation and the usual Opening Day activities commenced. Fans showed up as early as 3:00pm to get in line and they all got quite a show!

The first inning started out well for the Pigs. Frandsen got it started by taking a pitch in the side. Cory Sullivan then singled and Delwyn Young grounded out driving in the first run of the 2011 season. Belliard and Moss both had RBI singles before the inning came to an end.

Something I noticed, even in the first inning, was Sandberg baseball. With a 3-2 count and 1 out, the hit and run was successfully executed. In 3 years I may have seen Dave Huppert call for a hit and run maybe twice. More on that later.

In the fifth, the Pigs tacked on 3 more runs with a Delwyn Young home run, a Belliard double and a Jeff Larish home run.

The Yankees came close to a rally in the 7th when Jason Grilli loaded the bases, but Stutes came in to shut them down and end the inning with a strikeout. They would add another run with a walk and triple in the 9th off of Scott Mathieson.

Overall the pitching looked good for the Ironpigs. Worley came out with the win and Stutes with a hold. Mathieson ended the game effectively but was not elligible for a save given the lead opening the bottom of the 9th. All four pitchers combined for 15 strikeouts and kept us busy at the K corner.

This was a welcome start to the season for us Pig fans. We needed this. The win puts the Ironpigs above .500 for the first time in franchise history and thus begins the Ryne Sandberg era in Allentown. My thoughts… Sandberg ran this game to win not develop pitchers. Dave Huppert is a great development oriented coach. When Grilli got into a bind, Sandberg pulled him for Stutes. This would have been a situation where (while developing a player’s abilities) a minor league coach would leave the pitcher in to see how he reacts and performs in a tough situation. One thing for sure… the Pigs were playing to win tonight and win they did.

One thing I did notice was some open seats. While a paid attendance of 9,225 is really good… I was expecting a sell out capacity crowd for Opening day. The weather and it being a school night can easily be the reason. Let’s get out there and support this team! It’s well worth it and you’re going to get a show on the field as well as between innings!

Haven’t gotten any photos in yet… will post when I do.

OinK!