Monthly Archives: June 2013

June 28, 2013 · 3:56 pm

An Alternate Take: In Defense of Michael Martinez

Somebody PhotoShop a cape on him, would you please?
Photo (c) Cheryl Pursell

Don’t be a hater, now. I know how you feel. “Mini-Mart” got a scholarship year in 2011 with the Phillies as a Rule-5 pick from the Washington Nationals, after hitting .253 with Harrisburg in the Eastern League and .325 over 33 games with Syracuse. He was able to back up multiple positions up the center of the field–SS, 2B, CF–but didn’t excel. He didn’t excel at the plate either much to the consternation of the Phillies’ Phaithful. Yet he couldn’t be sent down because of the Rule-5 regulations lest he return to rival Washington. I was an agnostic. I was worried about the IronPigs’ playoff push and not with Phillies bench players.

In 2012 he was injured for a time, and spent 32 games with the IronPigs. From the stands, I felt that during that time he was “big-leaguing” us a bit. Observing his play, it seemed to me that he felt playing with the IronPigs was somehow beneath him after the time he had spent with the Phillies. He seemed lazy and only concerned with his own play and not the success of the team. It was noticeably out of place for a player on a Sandberg-coached team. This was my opinion and observation last season. At this point, I was joining the “haters.”

It became obvious as we worked our way through training camp in 2013 that Martinez would be full-time with the IronPigs. He was signed only to a minor-league contract and Galvis would certainly be with the Phillies (until now!–I digress). DiPro-favorite Blanco was injured beyond immediate repair. Full-time shortstop duties would fall to Martinez and Orr. I was not pleased, but as always in March, the glow of the newborn season had me hopeful.

On Media Day this season, we didn’t have the opportunity to talk with Michael, but Cheryl and I did meet his “handlers.” Two nice gentleman presumably from the Dominican who arrived to assist Micheal with his business. Hey, before you make jokes, just consider that married players have wives to help with moving, and housing, and shopping, and whatnot. What’s a single player to do? Anyway, we yukked it up for a little, because Michael didn’t tell them to bring coats. Or, long pants. April 1 in Allentown is NOT the Caribbean, right? We learned that Michael wanted number 7. Cesar Hernandez got to it first. No matter, Michael settled for number 3. No conflict or discussion at all, that we heard of in the locker room.

My observation of Martinez this season has changed my opinion of him. While we haven’t interviewed him for the Wide World of Pigs on NoiseNationTV, we have had the chance to see him play a lot of baseball. He’s been nothing but professional. On a team of youngsters and prospects and organizational guys and grizzled veterans, he and Jermaine Mitchell have been the athletic core and leaders of the team, pushing their play forward on the field. As of this writing, Martinez has hit safely in 9 of his last 12 G (16-39, .410-2-4, 2 2B, 10 R) and in 14 of 17 G (21-57, .368-2-6, 2 2B, 3B, 11 R, SB). Overall, Martinez is batting .276 in 43 games with 5 2B, 1 3B, and 2 HR. His OPS is .703 and he’s been decent in the field. Not perfect, no. But the effort has been there. He made two “star-worthy” plays in center field the other night after not having played that position much at all this season.

Now, we may be seeing the end of Michael’s time with the Phillies’ organization. Hold on. Hold on. Don’t call the caterers just yet. And don’t buy a round of drinks at the club-level bar (OK, do. But because it will make me happy, not because of MiniMart.) He’s been DFA’d and gone unclaimed through waivers. The Phillies have traded for another middle infielder. Freddy Galvis and Cesar Hernandez will get all the time at SS and 2B for the IronPigs for the foreseeable future. Jermaine Mitchell and Leandro Castro (when he heals) will get a lot of the CF time. An injury on the Phillies will have Galvis or Hernandez called up. Martinez is but a AAA player right now.

But he’s our AAA player and he can play on my team any time–OK, not my MLB team. But I’m having fun watching him play, and that’s all I ask. He’s no longer “Mini-Mart” to me. He’s “Super-Mart.”

See you at the park,

@kram209

PS: Credit where due: Matt Provence came up with the “Super Mart” name on the radio, as far as I know.

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Filed under CherylPursellsPhotos, Kram's Korner - From the Club Level, Lehigh Valley IronPigs

Tagged as Haters, Michael Martinez

June 28, 2013 · 10:18 am

Welcome Back, Galvis

Welcome Back Freddy!! Photo (c) Cheryl Pursell

It’s difficult not to apply interpretation to the latest roster move made by the Phillies. Yesterday, the Phillies completed a trade with Cleveland for veteran utility infielder John “old” McDonald (had a farm…), by sending the oft-traded Player-To-Be-Named-Later (or cold, hard cash instead.) We’ll discuss the move below, but first, note the return of Freddy Galvis to the IronPigs via option. This is significant for IronPigs fans on a couple levels:

Freddy should be a pleasure to watch at shortstop every day. You can bet he’ll be playing. His defense is superb and I’d encourage you to come to the park and not leave your seat while the ‘Pigs are in the field.
I wouldn’t be surprised if he starts slowly, but Freddy’s bat should help the ‘Pigs as well. He sparked the ‘Pigs down the stretch in 2011 for the playoffs, and I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see him have a similar effect on the IronPigs over the next month or so.
Get out to the park this month, because I’m guessing we won’t have Freddy for long. I’d expect he’d be back with the Phillies later in the summer, and certainly right away should an injury occur among infielders.

OK, so let’s try to answer some questions about the moves of yesterday and this morning:

Why would the Phillies do this? Well, pump the brakes a little. We’ll get to that.
How did the Phillies make room for “Old” McDonald on the roster? The Phillies made room on the 40-man roster by “outrighting” Steven Lerud to the IronPigs yesterday. They then optioned Freddy Galvis from the 25-man active roster early this morning following last night’s Phillies loss to the Dodgers in Los Angeles.
But wait, I thought Lerud was already on the IronPigs? Yeah, but in order to get him off the 40-man, he has to pass through waivers and accept his assignment. It’s the same kind of thing that happened with Super Mart last week.
So what? Well, Steven’s not available to catch for the ‘Pigs until he accepts his assignment. He will be available as soon as he accepts it, but sometimes the process takes some time. This may be significant because we’ve now a double-header tonight and only one catcher (Rupp) on the roster. Will Suomi “the money” make a trip up 222? Will Justin Dalles jump in a Town Car from Lakewood? Will somebody stub a toe to make room for these guys? We’ll see, but I’d think the IronPigs would like two catchers for tonight. I’d think Josh “emergency catcher” Fields would like that, too. Stay tuned for IronPigs moves today and tomorrow.
What does this “Farmer” McDonald bring to the table? His glove. John McDonald is known as a superior fielder who can play multiple infield positions. He is not a great hitter, batting .056 in the majors this season with Pittsburgh and Cleveland. He batted .265 with Indianapolis over 10 games earlier this season on a rehab assignment.
Wait a minute. Isn’t Freddy Galvis a “superior fielder who can play multiple positions?” Yeah, you’re starting to get the hang of this. But there’s another player you’re forgetting about.
Oh! Pete Orr! Do the Phillies HATE him? Is John McDonald related to John Bowker somehow? Ha, no. But although he can play multiple infield positions, I wouldn’t describe Pete’s glove as “superior.” Plus, Pete bats left, and the hamburger guy bats right, so there’s that. And if Orr hits four home runs tonight, you’ll know why. “Brandon Moss Syndrome.”
OK, so this is so that the Phillies can get Freddy Galvis more at-bats, right? He’s been languishing on the bench in Philly and his average is suffering. Who cares if John “I’m Lovin It” McDonald sits the bench! Yeah. That’s it. But why would they want Galvis to play every day at this stage? They’ve kind of been doing this for the last year and a half.
Wait. I’m not prepared to answer…. Oh, back to the beginning: Why would they DO this? I think other moves are coming. Maybe at the trade deadline or maybe next season, but the Rollins-Utley era could be coming to an end. They want to be sure what they have in Galvis. They want him ready to step in and hit the ground running. The Galvis-Hernandez era could be upon us, and we get to watch it at Coca Cola Park right now. In fact, Asche-Galvis-Hernandez, right? Who knows? I’m just guessing.
When will Galvis get here? Where will he bat? I certainly wouldn’t expect him tonight (Friday), but perhaps Saturday, and certainly Sunday. Brundy’s a little squirrely, but I see Galvis batting second, and Hernandez dropping to 7 or 9.

Well, that was fun. As I mentioned above, doubleheader tonight with first pitch at 5:35PM. All doors open at 4:35PM.

See you at the park (and DiPro will see you at the ‘Drome)

@kram209

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Filed under CherylPursellsPhotos, Kram's Korner - From the Club Level, Lehigh Valley IronPigs

Tagged as galvis, roster move

June 28, 2013 · 9:24 am

Ein Glas Bier – And More – The Velodrome – Tonight

Mike Walter Madison/ BRL All-Stars Preview

Friday, June 28th at Valley Preferred Cycling Center, the BRL All Stars share the spotlight with the greatest cyclists in the world on a very special night in T-Town.

The brightest stars from the Red Robin Marty Nothstein Bicycle Racing League will take the track to celebrate all they have accomplished this season. Riders from the 9-11 year old age group will compete in a 3 lap scratch, and riders from the 12-16 age group will take part in a 4 lap scratch, and there will be a 5 lap scratch open to all age groups. The night will feature an awards ceremony, as well as team introductions, and much more. Which one of these youngsters will use the lessons learned from the pros on Friday to propel themselves to Olympic greatness? You’ll have to be here to find out.

Alongside the up and comers will be the greatest track cyclists in the world. The feature event of the night is the 100 Lap Madison for the Mike Walter Trophy. A Madison involves teams of two both wearing the same jersey. For those who haven’t seen the race, each rider completes a lap and then grabs their teammate by the arm and slings them forward to propel them further along.

Tuesday night at Valley Preferred Cycling Center featured a 40 lap Madison, a warm up for the 50 and 100 lap races on Friday. The team of Luke Ockerby and Eric Workowski won the 40 lap event Tuesday. Ockerby will be paired for the first time with Austrian Andreas Graf, and Workowski will be paired with Patrick Kos of the Netherlands. Workowski may be more nervous, however, watching his daughter Emma compete in the Red Robin BRL races on Friday night.

American tandem Bobby Lea, teamed with Barry Miller is looking to win the Mike Walter Madison for the third straight year Friday. The Americans will face stiff competition from the same international riders that they have all season long. The powerful German team of Kalz and Grassman, along with the dynamic Dutch duo of Yondi Schmidt and Nick Stopler will look to unseat Lea from the Madison Throne.

Friday is also German Night at Valley Preferred Cycling Center. The night will feature a special appearance by Johan the Yodler, $3.00 Widmer Hefeweizens, and fresh German fare including German potato salad and organic bratwurst courtesy of Rodale Catering.

Pocono Raceway will be in the plaza to promote the Pocono IndyCar 400 fueled by Sunoco, and the official Chevy Camaro Pace Car will be taking a few laps around the track. Pocono Raceway will be giving out tickets to lucky fans throughout the night, so be sure to visit them in the plaza.

Friday night is a special night at Valley Preferred Cycling Center, so be sure to come out and enjoy all the action.

Stay tuned for our Friday night report which just might appear Saturday morning with all the Hefeweizens!

Dishing right round like a record, baby!

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Filed under DiPro's Dish, The Velodrome, Valley Preferred Cycing Center

June 27, 2013 · 12:42 pm

Tyler Cloyd, We Need You

The IronPigs have dropped their first two games to the Durham Bulls after dropping a couple in Columbus. It’s a 4-game losing streak and it has to end. We can look forward to Carlos Zambrano again tomorrow night, but he has to face Jake Odorizzi–a formidable opponent. Tonight’s the night to make a move.

Let me take you back to May 3, 2013. The IronPigs were on a 3-game losing streak. They had just returned from a Western-division road trip and dumped the first game of the series to the league-leading Indianapolis Indians. It was a Friday night, and the team needed a stopper. Tyler Cloyd took the mound sporting an 0-3 record. Fans were not confident.

What happened next was a dominant outing from Tyler. He shut down the red-hot Indians and the ‘Pigs won 7-1 in a game that took but 2:33 for a full nine innings. The ‘Pigs then went on to win the last two games of that series, both in walk-off fashion. It was a return to the Tyler Cloyd of 2012.

That’s what the IronPigs need tonight. They need Tyler Cloyd to come out and shut down the Durham Bulls. The bats need to keep hitting the ball, and the ‘Pigs need to get back to the winning ways. As I wrote the other day, these next 27 days are the key to the season. The ‘Pigs need to get hot now, or I’m going to be entering this season in a contest for a free funeral. I know it’s been two weak outings for Cloyd since he returned from the Phillies. I know he’s given up a fair few home runs. But,

It’s up to you, Tyler. We’re counting on you.

Oh, one more thing: That dominant outing on May 3 basically earned Tyler his call to the Phillies. I can’t promise that this time, but a return to form will go a long way towards keeping Cloyd at the top of the list of starters should the Phillies come calling again.

Hoping for a win, I’ll see you at the park,

@Kram209

Welcome Aboard! New Contributor to The Horn & Bell!

The Noise Nation staff would like to announce a new contributor to The Horn & Bell Blog!

Chuck Satterlee has joined the team recently and will be serving as the correspondent covering our beloved Lehigh Valley Steelhawks!

Chuck’s column, “Satterlee Said What?” will be providing us will in depth coverage and analysis of the Steelhawk’s 2013 playoff run!

Join us in welcoming him to the Noise Nation and Horn & Bell family!

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Filed under Satterlee Said What?, Steel Hawks

June 26, 2013 · 1:24 pm

Allentown’s Lepchenko at Wimbleton

The Lehigh Valley’s own Varvara Lepchenko is representing us over at Wimbleton. While suffering a close loss in the first round to Eva Birnerova, she and partner Saisai Zheng went on to win their first doubles match.

Photos, all from the Varvara Lepchenko Facebook fan page:

The Heart of the Season

We’re a little over half-way through the IronPigs season. We enter a pivotal point. This morning the IronPigs trail the Pawtucket RedSox by 6 1/2 games in the International League North Division. However, the IronPigs lead in the Wild Card race over Buffalo and Norfolk by a game and a half. There are ten games left versus Pawtucket–6 home and 4 away–and eight games left versus Buffalo. The season series versus Norfolk is over, but the Tides are reeling–2-8 over their past 10 games. There’s plenty of opportunity for this Lehigh Valley team to make the playoffs.

But don’t order your playoff tickets yet. We’ve got work to do. Over the next 27 days the IronPigs play 19 home games in 18 days, so go along with 6 away games (2 of which are 1 hour north in Moosic; 4 against last-place Syracuse) and three off-days for the All Star Break. This massive home schedule is the opportunity this team needs to take control. It won’t come with ease, though. The Phillies continue to have problems scoring runs, and when they do have a lead, their relievers haven’t been able to hold it. We know these problems will trickle down to the IronPigs as pitchers get shuffled around and the Phils search for bats. The trade deadline will be approaching during this time too. If the Phillies want a better player, they may decide to ship a couple prospects, which could cost the IronPigs some players. There’s not much in Reading to help us, either. On the flip side, though, should the Phillies trade away a couple high-priced veterans, it could yield MLB-ready prospects (or close) and that could give us an extra player or two for the playoff run. The host team in the Gildan National Championship is still a possibility! One final thing: Expect to see tired and surly IronPigs staffers by the time the ‘Pigs leave for Rochester on July 21. There’s plenty of work for them over this stretch.

The First Home Stand

The IronPigs will play at home the next nine days as they host Durham and Toledo for their annual 4-game visits. The Pigs then enjoy a one-game “series” against Syracuse on July 3 as their share of the Independence Day weekend. Here are the events of this series:

Tuesday, June 25: Salt and Pepper Voucher Day; Ballpark Bingo
Wednesday, June 26: Domonic Brown Commemorative Glass
Thursday, June 27: Comic Book Night; Happy Hour; Pig Roast
Friday, June 28: Fireworks
Saturday, June 29 (6:35): Fireworks
Sunday, June 30 (1:35): Youth Replica Jersey Shirt (new away jersey design; #13 for Josh Fields?!?)
Monday, July 1: Fireworks
Tuesday, July 2: Fireworks (DOLLAR DOG NIGHT- the only one for 2013!)
Wednesday, July 3: 3-D Fireworks Extravaganza

Roster

When Chase Utley was activated by the Phillies, Michael Martinez was optioned to the Lehigh Valley. He was later DFA’d to be removed from the 40-man roster to make room for JC Ramirez, who was called up by Philadelphia as Mike Adams headed for the DL. Mike Stutes also headed for the DL, so Phillipe Aumont was recalled by Philadelphia. Michael Martinez then passed through waivers unclaimed, was outrighted to the IronPigs and will rejoin the team for this home stand. The IronPigs received RHP Luis Garcia from the Reading Fightins. He’s a reliever who’s been really good for both Clearwater and Reading this season. He had a difficult year in Independent ball last season, and sources tell me had immigration trouble which has impacted his career trajectory. However, reports out of Reading have him hitting 97-98 MPH with his fastball. He also reportedly throws a slider at various speeds which will effect its movement. He should be interesting to watch.

Wait, How Did We Get Here?

The ‘Pigs are returning from their annual Ohio road trip where they took the Toledo series 3-1. Although Toledo is in last place, they were on a hot streak when the IronPigs arrived in town. The Pigs then split with Columbus 2-2. The perennially tough Clippers were on a cold-streak, but the IronPigs managed to snatch defeat from the claws of victory via a Tyler Cloyd slow start and a bullpen melt down on BBQ day. What’s worse is that Pawtucket was on the same Ohio junket playing opposite us, and went 7-1 to our 5-3, picking up two games in the process.

What to Expect from Durham

Well, don’t expect a return of Richie T. He broke his foot/ankle making a play against the wall recently, and will be on the shelf with surgery and rehab for a time. He’ll not make the trip back to Pennsylvania this time, unfortunately. Durham is in first place in the IL South, with about the same record as Pawtucket in the North. The come in having won one, 6-4 over their past 10. They arrive from Buffalo where they dropped three of four. Also don’t expect to see Super-Prospect Wil Myers, who is now up with Tampa. Some familiar names with Durham right now: INF Mike Fontenot, Pig-Killer Shelley Duncan, Pitching Prospect Jake Odorizzi (probable to face Zambrano on Friday). The Bulls have only two active OF on their roster right now with Thompson injured and Cody Rogers on the restricted list; I suppose they have utility-type infielders who can play corner OF if the web roster’s not up to date. That may be something to watch over this series: Outfield play for the Bulls.

What to Expect from the IronPigs

The ‘Pigs have been playing solid ball on all levels in June with mostly solid starting pitching and relief. Hitters doing well up and down the lineup–starters and reserves. Here are the questions the IronPigs will face during the upcoming stretch:

Can Tyler Cloyd return to form? I think that we all can agree that Tyler did a more-than-adequate job during his time will the Phillies. He had one bad outing in Fenway, but was otherwise outstanding. His three games “returning” for the IronPigs have been less so. He seemed to get it together after a shaky start in Columbus. I look forward to seeing how he does Thursday night against Durham.
How long will we have Carlos Zambrano? I’ve been thinking about this question from a number of viewpoints. On one hand, Z seemed to say publicly that he was ready and that he wanted the Phillies to make a decision before his July 1 opt-out. In this case, he can’t be happy with his solid-but-not-spectacular performance Sunday night in Columbus, nor can he be pleased with having another start Friday night, two days prior to his opt-out (projected; not announced). On the other hand, if other teams (the Orioles and the Blue Jays were the others initially interested) aren’t calling, there are worse places to pitch than with the IronPigs. He could just stay in our rotation until he gets a bite, and THEN opt-out. As a AAA I feel he’s really solid. For MLB, I’m not so sure. It will be fund to watch, as well.
How long will we have Darrin Ruf? Ruf’s not hitting the cover off the ball, but he is playing some good baseball both at the plate as well as in Left Field. You’ve got to wonder how long the Phillies are going to wait before they consider that he can’t be that much worse than Delmon Young. When I hear that they’ve called up Darrin Ruf, I won’t be surprised.
How will the PawSox do over this time? Ehh, it’s probably too early to start the scoreboard watching, but I don’t want them too far ahead. They’re home for Toledo and Scranton before they head off to Rochester then down to Allentown.

What’s for Dinner?

PigStop Menu for the current home stand:

Tuesday: Pasta Station

Wednesday: Pig Trough: Pig Skins covered in Chili and the fixins

Thursday: Cheeseburger Quesadilla

Friday: Polish Committee (Kielbasa, Pierogies, Kraut, Mustard)

Saturday: Pretzel Dog

Sunday: Carolina Pulled Pork Sliders

Monday: Patty Melt – 1/2lb beef patty on rye

Tuesday: Build Your Own Panini (sounds good, but remember, this is dollar dog night)

Wednesday: Pie A-LA-MODE!

(good stuff, but I miss wing night..)

See you at the park

(maybe we should try to get a tailgate in there someplace)

@Kram209

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Filed under Kram's Korner - From the Club Level, Lehigh Valley IronPigs

June 22, 2013 · 10:22 am

Cycle tracks will abound in Utopia – It went down in T-Town

British futurist H.G. Wells wrote about cycling in Utopia in his 1905 novel A Modern Utopia. I imagine good old H.G. probably didn’t dream of a cycling track in sunny Trexlertown, PA.

But…

The Valley Prefered Cycling Center aka The Velodrome was certainly the East Coast Utopia for cycling this past Friday night when the UCI Festival of Speed came to town.

UCI Festival of SPEED

The Velodrome was abound with Worldwide Olympic caliber talent with athletes representing New Zealand, Great Britain, Germany, Trinidad & Tobago, The Netherlands, Austria, and of course the U.S.A.

The International field was strong this Friday when Olympic cyclist Njisane Phillip (Trinidad & Tobago), whose family was seated just a few rows in front of me, finished 1st in the Final Sprint Standings. Not to be outdone Germany’s Marcel Kalz took the line 1st for the Pro Men Super Sprint Elimination and the Pro Men UCI 30km Points Race. The Netherlands Jenning Huizenga won the Pro Men UCI 15km Scratch to round out the International Field for the men.

Perkasie PA’s own Matt Baranoski won one for the home team when he finished 1st in the Pro Men UCI Keirin Final and exacted revenge on Phillip after placing 2nd to him in the Sprint.

On the women’s side the night belonged to Emmaus native Kim Geist who pretty much won every event she entered taking 1st prize in the Pro Women Elimination, Pro Women UCI 10km Scratch, and Pro Women 25 Lap Points Race.

Kim is certainly rides with an inspiring story. In 2007 , well on her way to a 2008 Olympic birth she was basically run over by a tractor trailer on Route 100 in Macungie. While Kim didn’t get the chance to compete in 2008 and didn’t qualify for the 2012 London Games she is aiming for the 2016 games in Rio. We’ll try to catch up with Kim this summer and see where she may be riding off to in the future.

New Zealander Stephanie McKenzie finished off the women’s field by out riding everyone to the Pro Women UCI Keirin Final victory in back to back weeks. Next week should be Stephanie’s last race in T-Town before heading back home so you will get one last chance to see this top women’s track racer.

While I haven’t been to the Velodrome in probably more than 30 years like a fine wine it has only gotten better with age. If you haven’t been there lately or ever you simply must go before the summer is through.

Executive Director Marty Nothstein , Alicia Marinelli, Matt Hagen and all the staff at VPCC put on a truly first class show. The action keeps moving and even during multiple intermissions the crowd was never distracted from the track. The food is great and reasonably priced. The racing is top notch – have you purchased your tickets yet? (Tickets can be purchased in advance by contacting 610-395-7000 or info@thevelodrome.com. General Admission tickets are $5 and Finish Line tickets are $8.)

As we have mentioned before Alicia and Matt came to the Velodrome from The Lehigh Valley IronPigs. On Friday night a crowd favorite from Coca-Cola Park and Parkland grad Ben Youngerman aka The Utility Man entertained the crowd between races.

I caught up with Ben and we talked about how he turned his IronPigs gig into The Utility Man entertainer. Ben was featured by MLB Network during the Winter meeting and will visit at least 9 different states this Summer with more probably to come. He mentioned he recently got an inquiry from Florida for his entertaining show. We wish Ben good luck and he’ll be at CCP in the near future!

Many thanks to Matt and Alicia for being so gracious and welcoming. I certainly had a great time and have some tickets for anyone who wants to catch a race – there are 2 to give so let me know. First Beer is on me – next one is on you!

Next Friday, June 28 is German night at the track with German Beer, German rider autographs and more. Pocono Raceway will also be at the Velodrome to promote the upcoming Pocono Indycar 400 on July 7th at Pocono Raceway. I think I heard a 100 lap Madison race as well – always fun to watch. Be there!

Click any of the pix below to start the show

Dishing while turning left

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Filed under DiPro's Dish, The Velodrome, Valley Preferred Cycing Center

June 20, 2013 · 11:38 pm

How Could The Lehigh Valley Gain an NPF Softball Team @profastpitch @IronPigs @NYNJComets

The past two night’s the NY/NJ Comets faced the Akron Racers at Coca Cola Park right here in Allentown. I attended both games. Attendance last night was reported as “Over 800” and tonight’s crowd looked about the same.

800 fans.

800 tickets sold.

800 concessions customers.

800 people spending their hard earned money at Coca Cola Park.

800 smiling faces with memories of Coca Cola Park.

800 people who showed up despite very little public marketing.

We can do this Lehigh Valley.

Sure there will be obstacles. It’s a baseball field and softball fields have different dimensions. Some temporary fencing and temporary bases solved that problem very easily. The pitcher’s mound.. well that’s a bit more difficult but I have a solution. Softball pitchers do not really pitch off of a “mound.” It’s more a big circle with the standard pitcher’s plate centered in it. The NPF currently uses an artificial turf mat that is pinned down over the grass in front of the baseball mound. How do you solve that? Go back a few years and think about what the infield looked like in older baseball parks.

Image from the first game at Ebbets Field in 1913.
Library of Congress

Check out that dirt pathway to the pitcher’s mound. Looks like a softball pitcher would easily fit while adding a bit of nostalgia to the park.

Granted, 2nd base would probably be permanently surrounded by grass but hey… it’s Coca Cola Park.

Moving along, the IronPigs use Coca Cola Park for roughly 72 days a year. Sure, other stuff might go on but that’s 293 days where it is NOT being used. It’s NOT generating revenue. It’s NOT making anyone happy.

The NPF has a 44 game season. That’s 22 home games that could be applied to using Coca Cola Park to generate more revenue. We saw how easy the field was transformed into and out of softball mode. Almost not an issue. Comet team staff handled ticketing while I observed IronPig field and concessions staff working as well. So the IronPigs get something out of this too! Concessions amount for a lot of cash.

800 people showed up without significant marketing. Imagine how many would show if there was a 22 game schedule set early in the year? Imagine how many youth softball teams would sign on to group nights at the park? Imagine if there was TV/Radio/Print marketing letting folks know about these games? How about bus trips? I am among many who would travel an hour or more to see minor league baseball in Reading before we had the IronPigs. There is no Reading or Scranton Wilkes Barre that would compete for a softball team. The drawing area would be much, much larger.

So you’re thinking.. yeah yeah, we heard this before. The Philly Force team crapped out. They couldn’t pull in 100 fans a game. I hear ya there. I attended many of the Force games myself but this is much different. The Force played at Bicentennial field which had the amenities of… well, there wasn’t much. Poor concessions, small parking lot in a difficult area to get to. They were out of the way and an inconvenience.

Coca Cola Park is thee Gem of Minor league baseball parks. It is set just a short distance from both the City of Allentown and Route 22. Coca Cola Park (even with only a few of its many concession stands open) has better concessions than most parks around. Coca Cola Park has beer!

Beer! Yes, Beer!

I’m going to use this as a tool to send a message to our local civic leaders and the management and ownership of the NPF, Coca Cola Park and the IronPigs…

YOU can make this happen. YOU can benefit from this. YOU can work together in a fair way beneficial to all parties.

We’d appreciate it if you gave it some consideration.

That’s what I have to say about that… What do you think?

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Filed under Coca Cola Park, Lehigh Valley IronPigs

June 20, 2013 · 5:12 pm

NoiseNation TV: Wide World of Pigs, episode 1

Cheryl did a great job editing the video, including the roll credits at the end. But, just to make clear, thanks go out to:

Cheryl for the camera and editing, Jason for wrangling the players and for his experience in the dugout, Dan for the jacket and patch, Cody and Cameron for their time and for being good sports, Matt Sutor for the media access. Now, if we can just get some phone books for me to stand on….

It was a lot of fun. Enjoy. Or, at least, have a laugh on us…