All photos by Noise Nation Photographer Cheryl Pursell!
Monthly Archives: September 2013
Photos of AAA National Championship! @OMAStormChasers @DurhamBulls @Ironpigs
Filed under Lehigh Valley IronPigs
Should the LV Phantoms Consider a Name Change?
New town, new fans… could the Lehigh Valley Phantoms benefit from a name change?
Think about it. We already have the IronPigs and the Steelhawks here in the Lehigh Valley. Could the Phantoms become more.. local?
Granted there are places in the Valley reputed to be haunted… the King George Inn.. (oh wait, yeah) well, while whatever cheap money making endeavor demolishes the King George Inn will certainly be “visited” by angry Revolutionary War era spirts that’s for another conversation.
Perhaps the Phantoms could use some suggestions:
– Lehigh Valley Metal Mice?
– Lehigh Valley Platinum Polar Bears?
– Lehigh Valley Wrought Iron Wrangers? (Ok, NY Fans wouldn’t like this one)
– Lehigh Valley Brass Bobcats
I’d love to hear your suggestions! Leave the in the comment section below!
Many teams perform a complete rebranding and are successful when relocating to a new city. Look at the Richmond Flying Squirrels. Richmond lost their Richmond Braves a year before and have a booming operation now. Even our beloved Lehigh Valley IronPigs were once the Ottawa Lynx. Could you imagine the Lehigh Valley Lynx playing at Coca Cola Park?
I’m going to say it here, the Phantoms are not going to change their name. I’m grasping for something to write in what will probably be the last “off-season” for Lehigh Valley Pro sports in a long time. Just next year the Steelhawks football season will lead into the IronPigs baseball season into the Phantoms Hockey season. We will have pro sports in the LV all year long!
So why would any successful team change a well recognized, successful and long term brand? I don’t know.
Staring at you Reading Phillies. Staring at you.
Filed under Lehigh Valley IronPigs, Phantoms Hockey, Steel Hawks
Next Year’s Bobbles
We’ll have plenty of post-mortem for the 2013 IronPigs yet to come, but for now consider this:
Which four players should be immortalized with an IronPigs bobble head figurine next season? Here’s what I’ve got:
- Pettibone
- Diekman (bobble side-arm as in Lakewood?)
- Ruf
- Asche
What say you Noise Nation? Any other ideas for giveaways or promos for next season? I was hoping for a mini-ironrail, but that will have to wait, I guess.
See you at the park (for the National Championship Game),
@Kram209
I Love Stats Like This
The Indianapolis Indians won the International League West Division with a record of 80-64. When they visited the Lehigh Valley to play the Ironpigs from May 2 to May 5, three of their starting pitchers were Francisco Liriano, Charlie Morton, and Gerrit Cole. While neither of those pitchers suffered a loss in that series, the Ironpigs won all 3 of the games they started. On May 3, Charlie Morton started and threw 3 hitless innings. The Ironpigs eventually won the game by a 7-1 score. On May 4, Gerrit Cole allowed 2 runs in 6 innings but the Ironpigs won that game in 13 innings by a 3-2 score when Leandro Castro drove home Cody Overbeck with the game winning run. Then on May 5, the Ironpigs faced Francisco Liriano. He allowed 4 runs in 5 innings but the Ironpigs managed another walk-off victory when Leandro Castro singled home Cesar Hernandez in the bottom of the 9th for a 5-4 Lehigh Valley victory.
Today, all three of those Indianapolis pitchers are in the starting rotation for the NL Central leading Pittsburgh Pirates. The Pirates currently have a record of 80-57. Liriano (15-6 2.57), Morton (7-3 3.00) and Cole (6-7 3.80) have combined to start 50 games for Pittsburgh and have a combined record of 28-16. So, 35% of the 80 wins by the Pittsburgh Pirates this year have come from the 3 guys who faced the Lehigh Valley Ironpigs in a 4 game series in early May. Pretty remarkable that the Ironpigs won all 3 of the games started by Morton, Cole and Liriano.
Filed under From the Desk of Decal, Lehigh Valley IronPigs
2 Goals Missed, 1 To Go & Maybe 1 More…
The IronPigs officially were mathematically eliminated from any playoff hopes tonight.
The IronPigs officially tied the season series with the SWB Railriders today BUT lost the newly minted IronRail Trophy in a tiebreaker that stated that in case of a tie, the winner would be whoever won the final game.
The IronPigs are still hanging on to their hopes for Highest Average per Game in Attendance but it’s as slim a chance as the Wildcard spot was this morning.
Ahead of the Lehigh Valley is Columbus.
Columbus has had 67 openings with 2 remaining. They have sold a total of 612,565 tickets this season for a current average of 9,143 per game.
The Lehigh Valley has had 68 openings with 2 remaining. They have sold a total of 594,261 tickets this season for a current average of 9,004 per game.
Both parks have a capacity of 10,000. It is a holiday weekend.
How the Pigs take the lead: Sell out both games giving them a final average of 9,036. Columbus sells an average below 10,900 for both games.
How Columbus wins: Sell 10,901 tickets over the two games.
*****
With that said, there IS ANOTHER CONTEST we can help the Lehigh Valley win!
Our beloved bartender from Coca Cola Park has entered her recipe in the “Thrillist’s Search for America’s Best Bloody”(Bloody Mary)
Known to some as Rebecca, to others as Becca and to most as “Fred” our favorite Balloon artist is currently in 6th place in the entire United States!
Let’s get the votes in! I know you can do it, we once almost voted the entire IronPig’s team into the IL All Star game, we can win this!
Win this for the Lehigh Valley! Perhaps if she wins she will demonstrate how to create the drink for the Vast Valley of Sports?
You’re looking for Lehigh Country Club, the Remedy by Rebecca Kline!
Click here to vote!
As Big Joe would say, “Do it NOW!”
OinK!
Filed under Coca Cola Park, Lehigh Valley IronPigs
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