Monthly Archives: June 2011

Brian Gordon signing with the Yankees started a flood of players to be lost.

Belliard retires.

Orr has a baby.

Bump leaves game injured.

Also heard Shoeless Eddie Bonine is expected to have Tommy John surgery.

Exactly how good IS the R-Phils starting pitching staff?

SE 2’s Doug Heater has reported that IronPig pitcher opted out and signed with the Yankees. More details later…

The IronPigs lost a heartbreaker to the Bats tonight by a final score of 7 to 8. The Pigs took an early lead and were up 5 to 3 before Perez came in and quickly allowed Louisville to plate 4 runs. The Bats added one in the 9th for insurance and it proved to assist as the Pigs scored two in the bottom of that inning to fall 1 run short.

Erik Kratz had another great night both at the plate and behind the plate. Erik went 3 for 3 with two walks (one intentional) and 3 RBI. Kratz also made a great play at home blocking the plate and tagging out the runner with a slightly late throw.

So that’s that. Tomorrow is the final game in the 4 game set in Louisville’s only appearance at The Coke this season. Hope to pull out a series win and keep that win column growing!

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Today was also Dog Day at the park! There was a reported 455 dogs in attendance and my dog Wally was one of them. Some photos from today:

Scott Mathieson brought his dog too!

Dr. Melvin!

Nurse Holly!

Coolest dog in town!

Sandberg getting ejected - Heather Mastropieri

I’m in an opinionated mood today so I will put this out there and ask for your thoughts/comments..

The Pork Race is getting stale. Even though Hambone won yesterday, we all know it’s fixed… and it’s losing its luster, its excitement and thrill. At least for me it is. We know what’s going to happen..

“HAMBONE IN THE LEAD!”

“OH DIGGITY!! YOU CHEATER!”

“Kris P. Bacon wins!”

“Insert advertising slogan here”

Yeah, I know 4 years is tough to keep up an act and those getups aren’t easy to run in… and to criticize without suggestions for improvement is in poor taste… so here are my suggestions. (Feel free to add your own in the comments)

1. Let them run. They jog now, paying more attention to where they are “supposed” to be and theatrics than they are about running. For example, take a look at the R-Phil’s Veggie Racers. They tear across the park with a competitive drive pushing and shoving the whole way. To them it is about winning, about bragging rights and holding up that vegetable’s good name.

2. Give it more of a story line than Hambone loses and Diggity cheats. Yes, I’ve got an angle on this one. You have to go back a ways or at least pay attention to the Boomerang Network late at night.

Remember the cartoon “Wacky Races”? Penelope Pitstop, Peter Perfect, the Ant Hill Mob, the Army Surplus Special… and who could forget Dastardly and his laughing dog, Muttley!

For those not old enough to remember, Penelope Pitstop drives along honestly and sincere hoping to win while the others fumble around trying to get their jalopies through the entire race. The bad guy of the show, “Dastardly”, comes up with clever but ill fated attempts to sabotage the other racers and always seems to come up short on the win. His dog Muttley always shakes off the self imposed disasters with a hushed laugh.

I love(d) this show! You can still watch it on Boomerang late at night and there are some clips on youtube so check them out.

This is my suggestion to help reinvigorate the Pork Races. Don’t allow a cheating Diggity to win while he cheats.. show the kids in attendance that cheaters don’t always win and have the cheating be the exact reason why Diggity doesn’t win. And let these folks run. The race used to have excitement and thrill.. the promo video is cute, but it really builds up to, well… not much.

That’s my opinion and does not reflect the opinion of all. I encourage you to leave your own in the comments, below.

As a kid I loved watching the WWF wrestling on Saturday mornings. The good guys vs. the bad guys and the feuds and battles of all those now classic names of the 80’s. I even was a die-hard fan of the short run WWF cartoon and had the rubber wrestlers to recreate the best matches at home.

Today the Lakewood Blue Claws (Phillies affiliate) hosted the Iron Sheik and Nikolai Volkoff. I would love to see these guys at Coca Cola Park!

I am posting two examples of Volkoff’s singing.. one looks like it was vintage 1980’s and the other was recorded tonight in Lakewood and posted by the Blue Claws on youtube.

From this:

To this:

While the first video brings back fond memories of youth.. I really like the second better.

Nikolai Volkoff, born on Oct 14th, 1947 in what was then the Socialist Republic of Croatia (as Josip Nikolai Peruzovic) was on the Yugoslavian weight lifting team until he defected to Canada while participating in a competition in Vienna. He received training from the legendary Stu Hart and made his wrestling debut in 1967. While playing a heel for most of his career, he later became a fan favorite and has stayed in the wrestling industry making appearances now and then.

The Iron Sheik, (Hossein Khosrow Ali Vaziri), was born on March 15th, 1943 in Tehran, Iran as he was billed as a wrestler. He moved to the US in the 1970’s to partner up with Volkoff and become the most jeered wrestlers in the land. The Iron Sheik was also involved in a few incidents in the Lehigh Valley area but I can’t recall the specifics so I will spare you from that. I believe Jimmy Snukka and Hacksaw Jim Duggan were involved..

So the Blue Claws hit the jackpot with this promotion in my eyes! I would love to see more celebrity visits to The Coke. Can we trade a couple bobble head nights or jersey auctions for something like this?

OinK!

Who said Ryan Feierabend can’t pitch at home? Feierabend went 7 innings, allowed 1 run on 3 hits and took the win in a 6 to 1 victory over the Louisville Bats. (Thanks Dean)

John Mayberry was the star hitter of the game going 3 for 4 with 2 doubles and 2 RBI. He also scored 2 of the Ironpig’s runs.

Dontrelle Willis looked confident when he was warming up in the bullpen today. Nods to his catcher and big smiles until he took the mound against Ironpig hitters. He went 6.1 innings allowing 4 runs on 5 hits, (1 run was unearned) striking out 3.

The play of the day goes to Rich Thompson, who started in left field. In the 4th inning with the score 1-0 Ironpigs, Devin Mesoraco hit a long fly ball that appeared to be clearing the wall but up went Thompson and pulled the ball from above the yellow line. Don’t think it was headed out? I had the best view in the park standing behind the bullpens only feet from the catch. It might have hit the top of the yellow wall but it was going for a HR for sure.

By winning the first two of this only home series vs. Louisville, the Pigs secure at least a series split and look to go for the win as they face them on one of my favorite days at the park… Dog Day!

Yes, my best pal Wally will be in attendance is looking forward to seeing all his fuzzy friends!

Speaking of fuzzy friends I want to send a shout out to someone else who has “fuzzy” friends… Today I met Kelly, the best friend of the mascots and works in the promotions department at the Ironpigs. I observed her doing her job and helping kids enjoy the mascot autographs and she was so kind and caring with the kids. Want to say thank you to Kelly and appreciate your hard work!

See you tomorrow!

Woof!

Ryan Feierabend looks to clear that home field reputation this afternoon but has a staunch opponent to deal with.

Dontrelle Willis, the 2003 National League Rookie of the Year, is working hard to make it back to the big leagues. Keep an eye out for that trademark high leg kick.

Willis is 3-1 on the season with a 2.45 ERA in 9 games with 45 strikeouts.

Fun fact, (after last night’s events) Dontrelle hit a grand slam off of Jose Lima on July 7th, 2006.

See you at the game!

OinK!

From our friends at the Philly Pretzel Factory!

AFTER THIS HOMESTAND EACH THE BRAIN TUMOR FUND AND THE ROLLERGIRLS WILL BE GETTING A CHECK FOR $200 EACH—-THIS IS NOT A BUSINESS PROPOSAL, THIS IS JUST MYSELF, JOE AND THE WHOLE PRETZEL GANG TRYING TO GIVE BACK TO OUR FRIENDS———————————–OK, NOW THESE “DARN” STARTING PITCHERS—–HERE WE GO, DAN HAD THE BEST IDEA—-EVERYTIME A STARTING PITCHER STRIKES OUT 12 OR MORE BATTERS AT THE COKE, PHILLY PRETZEL WILL DONATE $60 EACH TO THE BRAIN TUMOR AND ROLLERGIRLS—-BUT LET’S MAKE IT MORE INTERESTING, IF WE DO NOT DO IT IN JUNE, JULY BECOMES $120 EACH, WE DON’T DO IT IN JULY AUGUST BECOMES $240 EACH!!!! NOW THAT’S A PROMO–WHERE ARE THE OTHER SPONSORS, WHO WANTS TO STEP UP?

Thank you to our Philly Pretzel Friends!! $200 to our chosen charity and the Lehigh Valley Rollergirls!

If you noticed, there is a secondary challenge in there.. sponsors, did you take notice?

Who wants to step up and join in the 12 Strike out by a starter in a game challenge and help out Brain tumor research?

To the Ironpig starting pitchers… LET’S GET SOME K’S!!!!

OinK!

The first inning was a wild one tonight with each team scoring 2 runs! Both teams followed up with an additional run, the Bats in the 2nd and Pigs in the 3rd. Louisville tacked on one in the 4th and then Brian Gordon came up and hit a 2 run HR to support his own effort! The first pitcher in Ironpig’s history to hit a home run!

In fact, to tie the game during a steady rain in the 7th, Bat’s pitcher Daryl Thompson hit a solo HR to tie the game.

We should’a pulled the tarp before the 7th inning… things opened up then and Louisville went on to score 3 runs in the 7th to take the lead.

The Pigs came back in the bottom of the 8th starting with a walk to Mayberry, Brandon Moss Hog singled.. both were bunted over on a sacrifice by Barfield and scored on a single by by Erik Kratz!

Mike Zagurski came on to pitch a near flawless 8th and 9th inning allowing only 1 hit and 1 walk.

In the bottom of the 10th, up came John Mayberry… no walk off home run this time but John singled, followed by a Moss Hogg single with no outs. Barfield attempted another bunt but fouled with 2 strikes and was called out. Both runners advanced on a broken bat infield looper by Jeff Larish. Erik Kratz was intentionally walked to load the bases. Up came Brian Bocock… Brian Bocock with the bases loaded.. and he popped out ending the inning and potential walk off win.

In the 13th Rich Thompson and Pete Orr singled and John Mayberry hit a shallow sac fly scored Rich Thompson to win the game 8 to 7! Thompson should have been out by a few feet but the Bat’s catcher couldn’t handle the throw and the Pigs won a thriller here tonight!

For Brian Gordon, he went 6.2 innings and receives a no decision. He allowed 5 runs but only 3 of them were earned raising his ERA to 1.14 on the season. (Errors by Kratz and Mayberry) He added 9 more strikeouts and his curveball hasn’t looked better. Let’s see if this outting pushes him into the IL Pitcher of the week award. Combined this week Gordon went 12.2 innings allowing 3 earned runs, 11 hits and struck out 20. While not a lock for a 2nd award of this season, he is surely of the top contenders.

What an exciting game!!!

OinK!