While I didn’t make it to the game tonight, the 30 degree wind chill estimate at Coca Cola Park tonight makes me feel even warmer as I type out these notes with the heat up and my dog sleeping soundly at my feet. The 222 Classic (it’s almost a classic being it’s 6th year) is often overlooked as one of the greater traditions since the IronPigs arrived in the Lehigh Valley.
IronPig Lineup
Gillies CF
Hernandez 2B
Asche 3B
Ruf LF
Joseph C
Fields DH
Castro RF
Overbeck 1B
Martinez SS
Reading Lineup
Cartwright 2B
Duran SS
Collier CF
Murphy 1B
Henson 3B
Valle C
Mitchell LF
Welty DH
Hewitt RF
The game started off with a walk but was quickly nullified by IronPig catcher Tommy Joseph’s strong throw to second to catch a Reading Player trying to steal.
Tyson Gillies got the IronPigs started in the bottom of the first, lining a single then stealing second base. He later scored on a Darin Ruf RBI single!
1-0 IronPigs
Reading struck back in the 4th when Valley hit a 2 run double setting up a 2-1 lead for Reading. Mitchell followed up with a single moving Valle to third. A delayed steal allowed Valle to score.
3-1 Reading
Reading picked up a fourth run on a strike out wild pitch in the 7th.
4-1 Reading
I took the dog outside and missed the 5th and 6th runs.
6-1 Reading in the 8th.
The Pigs tacked on 3 in the 9th but still fall to the Reading Team by a final of 6-4.
Not sure if we’ll get box scores or stats for this but it’s April and I’m happy happy!
Stay tuned for more details, game notes and overall thoughts in tomorrow’s “The Morning After” post game wrap up and preview!
noisenation.mlblogs.com 
It’s unclear if this contest is even regarded as “official” given it’s not administered by MiLB in any form… neither league is involved, amateur umps are calling it… ask P&S if Dave scored it as usual…
I’d like to know what the “official” attendance was, but can’t find it anywhere on the IronPigs website. Probably for good reason, since it appeared to me that there were less than 1,000 people there. By the 6th inning, that dwindled to a couple hundred. Yes, it was damned cold, and I left in the 6th inning. But it seems to me it’s a shame that between Reading and the Lehigh Valley, there were so few fans willing to brave the cold and wind to come to the ‘Pigs/Fightin’ Phils first game. The proceeds were supposed to go to charity, but I’d be surprised if there were any proceeds at all!
Jim – I believe I heard season ticket holders received complimentary tickets. Was that the case? If so, the charity probably got very little. It’s a shame the weather wasn’t better. Guess we ought to push the other charity events a little harder this year.
Correct: Full season ticket holders, at least, received complimentary tickets. I had two extras and couldn’t give them away. It’s all about the weather…
Yes, we did get free tickets. Can we call it a Classic if it gets this kind of turnout every year? I hope they promote it more in the future — and the weather cooperates — so we can really make it into a worthwhile event.
according to The Morning Call, attendance was reputed to be 2,680 people