Monthly Archives: May 2011

The Pigs won a stressfull and defensively exciting game tonight in Toledo by the final score of 1 to 0!

Early in the game, the umpires became a factor in this game. Many, too many to list actually, bad calls could have impacted the game but the Pigs came out looking good and took home the win.

The lone run came on a sacrifice fly by Domonic Brown scoring Rich Thompson. In all the Pigs claimed 12 hits tonight and left an incredible 22 on base. The only other possible run was when Young was called out at home and the replay clearly showed him score.

The pitching did its job tonight, Feierabend with a solid 5.1 innings, Grilli with a 2.2 inning feat striking out 4 of the 8 batters he faced. Perez came on in the 9th.. added a little drama until Erik Kratz picked the runner off second base leading to a strikeout to end the game.

Tomorrow is an early game.. Game time is 10:35 AM. I guess they have education days too.

Tonight was also our 2nd Live Chat Virtual Road Trip! Thanks to all who attended and looking forward to our next live chat on Wednesday evening!

Many thanks to LehighValleyLive.com for setting up the live chats for us!

Come hang out with us in our live chat during tonight’s Ironpigs vs. Mudhens game.

Lehigh Valley IronPigs vs. Toledo Mud Hens

Game starts at 6:30pm and we’ll be chatting about all the good stuff that fans chat about!

See you there!

Today I caught the first half of today’s double header in Columbus and was impressed with a solid 4 to 1 win. I then packed Wally up in the car and headed over to mom. Helped remove an old tree stump and just got home. The second game wasn’t as pretty, the Pigs lost 6 to 12… but I still like what I’m seeing. Here is the Columbus powerhouse splitting a 4 game series at home against the Ironpigs. Splitting a series is a morale boost.. had they taken the series it would have been a serious statement to the rest of the league. Lehigh Valley is no longer the butt of International League jokes.

By now you know the stats and results. They can be found in multiple places so I will look at a more popular topic of late.

Will Chase Utley rehab here in the Lehigh Valley?

I seriously doubt it. I’ve heard many times that Utley does not like playing rehab assignments and when he’s ready he will go straight to the Phillies lineup. We saw this with Ryan Howard just last season. The marketing propoganda went out strong filling Coca Cola Park with 10,000 fans, sharpie in hand and there was no Ryan Howard. Plain and simple, he can easily work on his swing in Clearwater and when he’s ready.. well he’s ready. I don’t feel there will be any pit stops along the way for him to return. That’s how I feel… what do you think?

Tomorrow the team heads to Toledo with a 6:30pm start. We will also be holding our next Virtual Road Trip Chat Room thanks to LehighValleyLive.com!

I’ll be there at 6:30pm to host and feel free to stop by and chat with other baseball fans while listening to the Ironpig’s Radioooo Network.

Until then,
Dan

Well the Pigs got rained out tonight in Columbus. Eh, it rains now and then.. at least it wasn’t a home game.

For better news, we are close to printing the Noise Nation Charity Cook Book. The book has been edited (Thanks to Jim L.), the photos are in place (Thanks to Frank Mitman) and just tying up some loose ends for our great sponsors!

To sum up the book, there will be:
20 Appetizer & Drink Recipes!
11 Salads & Sauces!
12 Side Dishes!
23 Soups, Snacks & Sandwiches!
38 Main Dishes!
41 Desserts!

A whopping total of 145 favorite recipes of the Noise Nation’s family, friends and athletes!

I know you are wondering who these athletes are so…

Allison & Brandon Moss
Amber & Brian Mazone
Andy & Tiffany Tracy
April Slayden McKinney (Jeremy Slayden’s sister)
Bubba Bell
Carrie & Drew Carpenter
Cheryl & Nate Bump
Erik & Sarah Kratz
Jeff Larish
Jessica Williams (Of the National Pro Fastpitch Softball League)
Lauren & Mike Zagurski
Matt Rizzotti
Michael Schwimer
Natalie & Brian Bocock
Sarah & Ryan Feierabend
Scott Mathieson

Also an old family recipe from our favorite radio broadcaster Matt Provence!

Several recipes from these great businesses in the area!
Looper’s Bar & Grille
Black Forrest Deli

And a special mention to the wonderful sponsors whose generosity made this project possible:
Applebees
Aw Shucks
BVD’ Rangs
Bravo!
Buca di Beppo
Cast group
Easton Women’s Softball League
Condoms galore
Diamondwear Apparel
Westgate Optical
Enternet
Fink Ink
Fossils Last Stand Pub & Grill
Frank Mitman Digital Imagine
Heather Mastropieri – My Thirty One
Hidden Mountain Coffee Traders
JC Sons Excavating
Kathy Frederici – Arbonne International
Martin’s chips
PA Commercial Action Network
Michael Schlossberg
Mike Welsh
Modern Design Salon
Outback
Philly Pretzel
Whitehall Turf Equipment
Scentsible by nature
Scott & Annemarie
Trexler Auto Sales
Tommy Burke Provisions

Thank you to all involved and stay tuned for the on sale announcement!!

With the uncertainty of the Facebook group, I want to make you all aware of what I discovered this week.

I receive many visits from the links I post on Facebook, (That fancy stats program included with WordPress:-)

Facebook has announced they will be archiving all of the old Facebook groups including the Noise Nation’s page. We are “able” to create a new page but each an every member must seek out and rejoin the group and we will lose most of the functionality, such as group events, announcements, etc.

For this reason I will not be recreating our Facebook group and rely on our Blog and Twitter to notify you of new information on this blog.

The best way to keep in touch with the most recent announcements is to subscribe to the blog. It’s easy and you will receive every post as an email sent directly to you.

To subscribe simply click the link on the Left side of this blog and enter your email address. It’s as easy as that!

Once again, I would like to take a moment to thank all of our readers and contributors to this blog. It’s a lot of fun and hope to continue long into the future!

Dan

While I was at my bowling league banquet tonight.. we took 2nd for those who care.. the Ironpigs lost to Columbus by a score of 7 to 10.

They went down early with start Bump allowing 8 runs in 4 innings. I don’t see this as terrible as it sounds. The Clippers have a dynamo powered lineup and tomorrow is a new day.

Of note, Domonic Brown hit his first AAA home run of the season.

OinK!

The Columbus Clippers came into this game on a 13 game winning streak and had lost only 2 games at home.

The Pigs got on the board early with 3 runs in the first. Also in the 1st Rich Thompson came down with his 400th career Stolen Base!!

The Clippers took back 2 runs in the 3rd and tacked on one more in the 5th when Brandon Moss lost a ball in the lights. No worries though as Brandon Moss Hog cleared the bases with a grand slam in the top of that inning!

Great job by Michael Schwimer in the 8th! After back to back walks issued by Juan Perez, Schwimer came on and allowed an off the wall single, resulting in the bases loaded with no outs situation. It is surprising that Columbus couldn’t get the runner to score from second on such a long fly ball but chalk it up to a conservative baserunning situation. Schwimer then struck out three straight batters to get out of the inning!

In the top of the ninth, Moss Hog came on to hit another HR, 3 runs this time and took the franchise record of 7 RBI in one game home with him!

Chance Chapman, in perhaps his last appearence with the Ironpigs for now, closed out the game and the Pigs win 10 to 3 over the Columbus Clippers tonight, ending the Clippers 13 game winning streak. Let’s hope they can continue with this momentum and carry it throughout the home stand. The Ironpigs improve to 7 and 3 on the road and actually have a losing record at home at 8 and 9.

Key hitters:
Brandon Moss – 2 for 4 with 7 RBI
Domonic Brown – 3 for 4 with an RBI and 2 runs scored.
Brian Bocock – 2 for 3 with 2 walks
Rich Thompson – 1 for 3 with 3 walks and 1 run scored

The bullpen did a great job tonight allowing 3 runs on 4 hits between Gordon, Carpenter, Perez, Schwimer and Chapman.

Many thanks to all who participated in the “Virtual Road Trip Live Chat”! The next Road trip will be Monday, May 9th.

OinK!

From the Steelhawks:

Bethlehem, PA: The Lehigh Valley Steelhawks return home to face their cross town rival Reading Express for the fourth and final time this season this Sunday for a special 4 p.m. start. The two teams have played down to the final minute in each of their previous three contests with the Express having the edge in all three. The Express are on a path for the Atlantic Division title, and the Steelhawks will try to derail that for another week.
The Express are coming off a victory against another division opponent, the Richmond Revolution by a score of 49-28. MVP candidate Chris Malleo is a dual threat a the Quarterback position and is the reigning IFL Offensive Player of the Week. Look for Malleo to target Receiver Jeff Willis and newcomer Mike McCoy.
The Steelhawks have had a tough time of late, and hope to turn all their negatives into positives in the second half of the season. A victory over the Express would certainly help with that. On defense Adrian McLeod has shown up in a big way since being acquired in Week four. The Steelhawks Linebacker is averaging nearly ten tackles per game and has contributed two sacks and two forced fumbles.
“This could be a huge morale booster for our guys, especially after getting beat up in La Crosse last week,” stated Steelhawks Head Coach Rich Britt. “We need to play as a team, because it will take an entire team effort to drop the Express. They are extremely talented, and we’ve played them close each time, but we need to take advantage of every opportunity we get.”
Kickoff for the game is slated for 4 p.m. with doors opening at 3 p.m. The game will be the first annual RELAY FOR LIFE NIGHT to help support the American Cancer Society. The team will be wearing alternate Black and Purple jerseys which will be auctioned off all game with total proceeds going to the American Cancer Society. These game worn jersey’s will be cleaned, autographed and delivered to the lucky winners following the game. MOTHERS WILL RECEIVE A FREE TICKET WITH THE PURCHASE OF AN ADDITIONAL ADULT TICKET! 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!

We all remember the deal that the Phillies made with the Indians not so long ago to bring Cliff Lee to Philadelphia.

So far, the Ironpig three who went in exchange for Lee are playing key roles for their team.

Jason Donald is with Columbus, who the Ironpigs will face this evening. He’s hitting .412 at the moment. Not too shabby for a team with a league leading 21 and 5 record.

Speaking of a league leading record we can look at the Big Tribe up in Cleveland. With a 20-9 record they are leading the American League and tied with our beloved Philles for the best records in MLB. I took a moment and looked at the roster that the Indians have put together and it is solid.

Former Ironpig Lou Marson has established himself in the backup catcher role to Carlos Santana. Some other names familiar to us International League fans include outfielder Michael Brantley, DH Shelley (Ironpig destroyer) Duncan, Justin Masterson (aquired via trade from the Red Sox) and former Ironpig Carlos Carrasco.

As for Carrasco, he has been on the 15 day disabled list for elbow problems in his throwing arm. The Indian’s website stated he could rehab as early as this Friday, but fear not.. it will most likely be with AA Akron not the Clippers.

Tonight’s game in Columbus is slated to start at 6:30PM, the weather will be cool and clear and hopefully the Pigs can pull a few wins out of this series. Brian Gordon will make his second start of the season and he appears to be inked in as the 5th starter in our rotation. In his last start on April 29th, Gordon went 3 innings allowing 3 hits and 1 walk while striking out 1 batter. You have to keep in mind that he started against the Pawtucket squad who had been on a tear up until that point. Going into that game the Pawsox were 7 and 3 in their last 10 games. Hopefully Gordon can spark the Ironpigs to break the Clippers spirit tonight.

Opposite Gordon on the lineup will be Columbus’ Corey Kluber. In 4 starts this season Kluber is 0-2, with a 6.50 ERA. If history speaks for itself, the Ironpigs might not do well against a pitcher with a line score of that quality. Us fans have noticed that the Pigs seem to come alive against the pitchers who have better stats and struggle against those high ERA throwers. Let’s make tonight the exception to the rule!

Tonight will also be the first “Virtual Road Trip Live Chat!”

This is how it works. Click on this link:
http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/ironpigs/index.ssf/2011/05/lehigh_valley_ironpigs_at_colu.html

You will see the post as listed on Lehigh Valley Live.com. Towards the bottom you will see instructions how to join the live chat.

A login setup will take a few moments to get in but it is painless.

A few notes of this live chat…

– Profanity will not be allowed. $%#^! should suffice if you feel the need to express yourself in this way.
– Topics not of the game or otherwise not related to fans or sports in general will not be included.
– Comments will be filtered and approved.

With that said, stop out tonight during the game and enjoy the friendship and camaraderie with fellow Pig Fans!

OinK!

The Pigs now hold a 2nd place spot in the International League North Division, behind SWB Yankees and tied with the Paw Sox with a 14 win – 12 loss record.

We all knew the bullpen would be a strength this season, with younger prospects returning for another year in the Lehigh Valley.

Let’s look at the numbers.
Ironpig’s starting pitchers have a combined ERA of 5.20. They have 6 wins and 10 losses with 97 strike outs compared to 35 walks. Vance Worley has the season’s only complete game.

The bullpen looks like this… 2.74 ERA, 107 strike outs compared to 47 walks with 9 holds and 7 saves.

While the starters are allowing more runs, 72 in 125 innings.. the bullpen has allowed more walks.

It seems both are doing their jobs effectively, keeping in mind the numbers include Feierabend’s bad night in this last home stand.

For the hitters, Bocock and Naughton have the highest average at the moment, albeit not many at bats so I will go with Erik Kratz’s .306 average as being the team leader. Larish is at the top of the HR list with 6 and Frandsen the RBI’s with 15. Also of note is Rich Thompson’s 11 Stolen bases.

Looking good so far…

Well this road trip out west (Not sure if the covered wagon’s Matt Provence spoke of this week will be transporting the team) will be a certain test for this revitalized Ironpig team.

They start with a 4 game set in Columbus. Granted they have an additional travel day to rest up… but Columbus has been trouncing its opponents. Sporting a 21 and 5 record, they have lost only twice at home in 2011. Being able to stand up to the 2010 Governor’s Cup champions will open eyes around the league about the performance of Sandberg’s crew.

From there the Pigs move on to Toledo for a breath of fresh air. (Is there a such thing as fresh air for Pigs?) Toledo is just above the .500 mark with a 14-13 record and have played better on the road than at home. 4 and 6 home, 10 and 7 on the road. Perhaps the 5,995 faithful fans who show up in Toledo each game are a distraction to them?

Of note! The Lehigh Valley fans are again on top of the International League in attendance with a 8,266 average per game! In fact, we lead all of AAA baseball, with Round Rock coming in second with 7,654 per game.

Oh yeah, the Pigs won today closing out the 4 game series with the Buffalo Bison. The Pigs took the series 3 to 1 without the need to pull out the tarp. It was a beautiful day at gametime and the school kids out for education day were enthusiastic. Not sure if it was the game or missing school, but there for sure was a dismal performance by former Ironpig Val Pascucci. Pascucci narrowly missed dropping an easy fly ball early in the game to complement his 0 for 4 with 3 strike outs day at the plate. Now THAT’S the Pascucci we remember!

Tomorrow is an off day, hopefully we will get some entertaining news. I really hope I don’t have to use the streaker tips provided by Grilli via Twitter. (It’s a joke for anyone thinking I’m serious)

OinK!