Monthly Archives: January 2014

January 8, 2014 · 8:34 pm

How Do You Replace The Lead Singer?

“Back in black
I hit the sack
It’s been too long I’m glad to be back”

–AC/DC

————————————————————-

In February, 1980, Bon Scott, the lead singer and voice of the hard rock band AC/DC passed away. They considered disbanding. Ultimately, a new lead singer was found (Brian Johnson) and the above lyrics opened side 2 of their best-selling album, Back in Black.

A change in voice can be a big deal. The wrong choice can alienate fans and doom a project. Change is never easy.

………………………………………………………………..

It became official today. It was the news that was rumored throughout the club level late last season: Tim Cherones, PA announcer since the inauguration of the IronPigs in 2008, would not return for a seventh season in 2014. We could hardly believe it. Denial was the most common response to the news. It was difficult to imagine. Matt Provence might be “The Voice of the IronPigs,” and rightfully so. But, Tim is–was–the “Voice of Coca Cola Park.” It wouldn’t be the same.

We know this. Tim’s missed a couple games. Not many. Few and far between, but it has happened. The results haven’t been pretty. In fact, Mrs. Kram has stated that she will not attend an IronPigs game when Tim is not on the PA (…umm, can I get a refund on her seat?…)

Alas, change is inevitable. The show must go on, and the IronPigs begin their search for Tim’s replacement ( here ).

Here in Kram’s Korner, we’re always ready to help. We have suggestions:

Lindsey Knupp: I thought she did a great job filling in last year. She was better than any other substitute for Tim we’d had in the past. She knows the game. She knows the script. The press box is nice and comfy compared to running around on the field all game long. The downside? Well, Ed said he won’t ever attend a game with a female PA. And, we lose Lindsey as the Mistress of Ceremonies on the field (another downgrade, probably). But Ed will come around–nothing a couple Bloody Marys won’t fix. And they’ve already had a couple good “on-field” MCs. Plus, Mrs. Kram approves. Lindsey’s the leader in the clubhouse…
Jason DiPro: DiPro does a pretty nice Bob Sheppard impersonation. And, if we can get an intern to deliver the Captain to the press box, the price will be right. For the fans, the possibility that DiPro will become the first International League PA announcer to get ejected from a game will add an extra level of excitement–kinda like waiting for the car wreck at a NASCAR race. And think of the benefits for recently re-signed shortstop Andres Blanco! Alas, we’d lose DiPro, the fan. And I’m not sure he could stay in one location for nine straight innings. Or goodness, extras…
Kram: I was nominated on Twitter earlier today. Laughable. I’ve got a voice for silent film. Or, possibly, for a sinus medication commercial. Plus, I’m probably more volatile than DiPro given the right circumstances. Not a good choice.
The Field: Here’s my best suggestion: Let the Fans Decide. Get the best four to eight candidates and then let the fans vote following the first home-stand. Think of the pressure on the fans to come out to all the games (despite the April weather) to hear all the choices! It would be grand. Think of the publicity! Think of the pressure on the candidates to perform! Anything could happen! Or, we could make it like Survivor and vote one off, and let the others continue until the next home-stand! We could conduct impromptu between-innings shenanigans to gauge the candidates’ ability to improvise! It’s a glorious idea!

….

All kidding aside, I would like to thank Tim for his years of service. Just as the radio voice–Matt in this case–is like your friend telling you about the game, Tim was like your host, guiding you through the evening’s activities. His voice never grew old, despite the silliness of some of the between innings entertainment. I always felt he was respectful of the game and the players as well–not an easy task given the sometimes carnival atmosphere. We understand the circumstances though–job responsibilities, family, life…we all live it. Best wishes, Tim. You’re welcome back any time.

Seen and not heard,

@Kram209

…

PS:

Rock on, Garth…

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

January 8, 2014 · 4:20 pm

Morandini to Join IronPig’s Coaching Staff!

As reported by the IL Website, former Phillie favorite Mickey Morandini will join the Pigs as a bench coach!

He is a great addition to Dave Brundage, Ray Burris and Sal Rende.

Welcome to the Valley!

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January 5, 2014 · 2:05 pm

When the Athletes are Fans, Too: Domonic Brown, Cameron Rupp, and a little team called the Dallas Cowboys

Fan

[fan]

noun

“an enthusiastic devotee, follower, or admirer of a sport, pastime, celebrity, etc”

[Dictionary.com]

Cameron Rupp, Lehigh Valley IronPigs 2013. Photo (c) Cheryl Pursell

For many of us, the NFL season is now over. Our teams have been eliminated and we continue through the NFL playoffs as observers. We’ll cheer for teams or players we like, but we won’t lose sleep regarding the outcomes. We’re no longer an “enthusiastic devotee.” And, we might even take time out to help take down the holiday decorations during the games! (Mrs. Kram, I said, “might.”) This group doesn’t include Dan, as of this writing: His Seahawks are still well-alive.

As we look back over the NFL season, you may recall the relative firestorm created on Twitter when IronPigs/Phillies players Cameron Rupp and Domonic Brown revealed themselves as Dallas Cowboys fans. Philadelphia fans were not pleased.

“How dare they?” they asked.

“How dare, professional athletes who are employed by a Philadelphia franchise not assimilate and cheer for the local team, the Eagles. How dare they express their opinions via social media? Who do they think they are? Are they trolling? Are they not committed to their jobs and their careers in Philadelphia? Don’t they not understand the nature of their business? Don’t they understand that thousands or millions of fans follow them on Twitter? Don’t they know where their paychecks come from? We should trade them, now!”

It was sometimes rude. It was classless. And it was embarrassing.

It was also silly.

Here’s the thing: Don’t you want the athletes you cheer for to know how you feel, as a fan? Don’t you want them to empathize from a fan’s point of view when the team loses–or wins? Don’t you want the athletes to know how helpless fans feel when something bad happens on the field–and the teams we live and die with come out on the losing end? It’s their career, and they’re immersed in it, but don’t you want them to know–at least a little bit–how we feel on the outside?

Do you really want to be a fan of a player who would change his allegiance that easily? Do you want to be a fan of a player who’s never ever been a fan of anything himself? By professing their fan-dom, Cam and Dom are actually expressing that they are a lot like all of us: enthusiastic observers and loyal followers–with a strong rooting interest based on regionalism or identity, but with no real ability to impact the outcome of the game on the field. They are our equals, in this case. And that’s a good thing. It should help them identify with us, when we’re cheering and rooting for their victories and mourning and lamenting their losses while they’re playing for our teams.

“But wouldn’t it be great if the Phillies’ players could all put on Eagles’ jerseys and go to the game and support the professional athletes who work across the street from them? Didn’t the Steelers’ players put on Pirates jerseys and support them during their playoff run this past fall? Why can’t it be like that?”

Well, it can be. But it wasn’t all the players. Like everything, there are degrees:

Let’s say I have to move to Dallas for a new job. Do I become a Cowboys fan? Nope.

Let’s say I move to Dallas for a job with the Mavericks, and it pays me 2-10x what I make now. Do I become a Cowboys fan then? Nope.

But what if I get a job in Dallas working for the Rangers, and I’m suddenly making 100x what I make now. I’ve got a gigantic house in Dallas and the Rangers expect me to be part of the community. They have a suite at the Cowboys’ stadium and they expect me to go to the games (for free) and not cheer against the Cowboys. Will I do it?

Yes. Yes I will. I won’t cheer against the team I’ve liked since I was five years old, but I’ll do my job.

So what am I trying to say here?

When (if?) Dom Brown gets Pujols money, moves to Philly, and builds a huge house–then we’ll pressure him to get to a few Eagles games. Until then….

I’m saying relish the fact that a couple of guys we’ve gotten to know little through their affiliation with our local team (the IronPigs) and the closest MLB team (the Phillies) are just guys who are fans themselves sometimes. Good-natured banter? Fine. Just like I might poke at my brother-in-law who’s a Cowboys fan. But lets try to keep it in perspective, huh? I’m not trying to speak for Eagles fans–I’m not one. But just as a fan in general. Hey, I’m a Steelers fan, and I put up with Kurt Landes and his Browns devotion, right? I mean, it’s cute. When was the last time the Browns won anything? When was the last time the Cowboys won anything? It’s been a while, right?

Shouldn’t we also be glad that Dom and Cam aren’t “that guy.” You know “that guy.” He’s a fan of a different team every year. Who’s doing well? You’ll know by looking at his jersey. He’ll never wear the jersey or cap of a losing team. He’ll never say who his team is early in the season because he doesn’t know who’s good yet. Unless, he just picks last-year’s Super Bowl team. He’s the first one to point out how poorly your team is doing because he knows his own team is winning. He usually does really well at fantasy football because he has no team allegiances or biases. He’ll always show up to the Super Bowl party wearing the jersey of one the teams. His team is in it every year, you know. That guy.

“That guy” has a brother, “The Other Guy.” “The Other Guy” is a fan. He’s got the jersey and the hat. He’s got a sweatshirt from the one time his team won the division. However, you’ve never see that gear. Why? He’ll only put them on when his team is doing well–otherwise you’ll never know. He’s also got a step-ladder handy. It’s to help him climb up on the bandwagon. If “The Other Guy” didn’t already have a favorite NBA team, he probably purchased a Miami Heat hat recently.

So take it easy on Dom and Cam. Enjoy the tweets. Maybe smile and say, “How ’bout them Cowboys” next time you see them. Have fun, and remember we’re all in this (life, sports) together.

See you at the Phillies Banquet,

@Kram209

Footnotes and disclaimers: You haven’t seen me wear my Angels hat recently, have you? Right. I also have a fondness for the Pirates and Phillies, but only when they’re winning. Ditto the Lakers. But at least I didn’t buy a Heat hat. I only have a Charlotte hat and a Durham hat because my son played for teams with those names/logos. My Penguins allegiance will be severely tested with the arrival of the Phantoms this fall. I maintain that it’s OK for fans to own and wear jerseys of their favorite teams and players. However, it is the ultimate expression of fan-dom and meant to be worn mostly at games or when watching on TV, as well as adjacent times thereof. I personally own jerseys of only two teams: IronPigs and Steelers. The SteelHawks are next on my list. One of my sons owns a Phillies jersey, and one a USMNT (soccer) jersey. That is all.

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January 2, 2014 · 10:38 pm

Looking Back at the 2013 IronPigs Season: Favorite Memories

“Memories,
Light the corners of my mind
Misty water-colored memories
Of the way we were”

–Barbra Streisand

Here are my favorite memories of the 2013 IronPigs and last season at Coca Cola Park. And, even though they’re my memories, no doubt I’ve forgotten some. Or, perhaps there was something I didn’t see or do. Please add your own in the comments. For more detail, go back and read the original posts. I didn’t link them, but they’re fun to re-read sometimes.

At the end I’ll add a couple “least favorite.” These are in roughly chronologic order:

Media Day: It was great fun meeting the players (and MiniMart’s “handlers”) and feeling the electricity in the locker room prior to the season. The team was ready to play, even if their initial record didn’t show it!
NoiseCast: We’ll get back to doing these, but the ones we did do early in the season were great fun.
May 2: The NoiseNation Award: Yeah, these early season memories are a bit self-indulgent. I don’t think DiPro and I expected to see Dan make it to the game following the blog awards–let alone have two in tow. The “award tour” was a lot of fun that evening. Thanks again to Dan and DiPro and Decal and Cheryl and all who voted for us.
Our second “media” day: It was hotter than normal. DiPro and I spent the day in Reading at an R-Phils game where they got shut down pretty good by Boston prospect Anthony Ranaudo. We came back to the Lehigh Valley to meet up with Cheryl and do some interviews with Tyson Gillies and Josh Fields. We said hello to Tyler Cloyd. Soon after, Cloyd was called up, Gillies was sent down and Fields had…
…The Stroganoff Strong Day: We got wind of Josh’s lunch menu for the day, and his prodigious day at the plate led to many more lunches. And, T-Shirts. And radio spots. Goodness! Eat at Black Forest Deli, folks!
Three Games in One Day: It was a Sunday in May, I believe, and we started the day at the IronPigs, left early to watch Kram3 play soccer, then made our way to the SteelHawks game in the evening. Certainly a lot of fun. If my memory is accurate, the IronPigs won, while the soccer team and SteelHawks lost.
Indy Starters: During a May series, Indy started Charlie Morton, Gerrit Cole, and Francisco Liriano in three straight games at Coca Cola Park versus the IronPigs. It was a treat to see three MLB-caliber players from the Pirates’ system who would go on to help them make the playoffs for the first time in over two decades. Plus, the IronPigs won all three games!
Martin Turns the Corner in Indy: It’s unusual to have a memory of a game I didn’t attend, but an afternoon in Indy Ethan Martin wasn’t pitching well at all. He couldn’t get out of an early inning. He convinced Brundage to leave him in the game, and rebounded to keep the IronPigs in a game they almost came back and won. From that point on, Martin was one of the best pitchers the IronPigs had. He gained a ton of confidence–it was cool to see a player develop like that.
Saturday Tiki Parties: They’ve become a tradition. I thought DiPro was going to cry that one Saturday when extra innings and a rain delay caused them to cancel the Tiki. That was also Stroganoff T-Shirt Day… Some good times were had at the Tikis this year: Jr with the young Fields and Mitchell, introduction to the “hooch,” plenty relaxation and some good tunes…
Dugout Suite and Hot Corner: One was early in the season, and the other later, but it was great to sit in locations where I hadn’t been before. DiPro had extra tickets in the Dugout Suites and invited Jr. and me down to watch a Sunday game against the Redwings. The IronPigs got crushed, but Jr. didn’t get ejected for heckling the ump and DiPro took the blame when Jr. yelled into the field mic. A fun and memorable day. Two early season games in the hot corner got nixed by the rain, but a “group night” with a bunch of friends in late July was a blast. Greg Smith pitched a gem and the IronPigs won. Cesar started to look a little better in CF. I love those Sunday 5:35 games.
The Big Z and Biddle Pitch a Doubleheader in Reading: Carlos Zambrano and Jesse Biddle both pitched well as the R-Fightins split a pair. It was the only pre-vacation IronPigs game I missed, but we watched on my phone as Aumont mowed down batter after batter to lock the game up for the good guys. It was by far Aumont’s best outing of the year, and I missed seeing it in person. (see below)
Softball! The return of Pro Fast-pitch to the Lehigh Valley was interesting and fun to watch. I was hoping for better attendance, but the weather was nice both nights and everyone seemed to have a good time. I hope they come back, at least for a game or two.
Double Safe: Dan had joined me in my seats high above home plate. We had the perfect view as Lerud and Martinez both scored as the catcher missed both tags. The Ump signaled safe twice! What a play!
DiPro At The Bat: This was our third “media” day, and the official debut of NoiseNationTV. Other than the part where DiPro almost died, it was a blast!
The Playoff Race: I didn’t purchase the playoff package this time, but I still had fun watching the standings and the box scores. We were right in it until the final weekend at home–as Brundage told us on NoiseNationTV, you can’t really ask for much more than that!
Shutting It Down: Last Game, Post Game Tailgate: It was something we did following the 2012 season, mostly because we didn’t get a game to watch due to the rain. We did it again for 2013 and it couldn’t have been a better post-game tailgate. Those who were there, until the end, will remember it for a long, long time.

The View from our Tailgate as We Said Goodbye to the 2013 IronPigs. Photo (c) Kram209

Now for a couple “least favorite:”

Early Season Losses: We knew it might be a little rough at first with such a young team this past season. And, it was. Tough to watch at times in April.
Rose No Go: I’m not a Pete Rose fan, but it’s too bad they couldn’t pull off the autograph day. it would have been a fun circus.
The Day the Mitchells Died: OK, nobody died. Sorry to see two of my favorite players leave on the same day, though: Jermaine and Derrick.
Pittsburgh Columnist Disparages IronPigs: “Rock Bottom” Dejan Kovacevic said of Jason Grilli’s time with the ‘Pigs. I think we set him straight.
Aumont: I’m cheering for him, but golly it’s tough to watch sometimes.
Cesar to CF: As above. I like Cesar but he struggled at times in CF, which didn’t help our playoff push. Tough to watch.
National Championship Game: Kind of a let-down, you know? Could have been so much better with the IronPigs involved. That was never likely, I know. But, it was the goal and the dream.

So that’s it. Feel free to share your own memories of the games and the park and the people, below. Now we look forward to 2014 and there will be new faces on the field, behind the counters, and in the stands. We’ll say good-bye to some friends and make some new ones. We’ll have fun doing it, though, and that’s the name of the game.

See you at the park, Go Hog Wild!

@Kram209

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

January 1, 2014 · 7:28 pm

2014 IronPigs Roster Preview

Hey IronPigs Fans! Here are some names to follow as we make our way towards April, and the 2014 IronPigs. I love this roster predicting stuff, but it’s early so I’ll give you “today” as well as a “watch list.” Of course, trades, injuries, roster moves and the like will impact this list. Invariably, I’ll forget or miss a few as well. Please use the comments section to correct me. Let’s go:

Catcher:

Today: Cameron Rupp, Lou Marson

Watch: Sebastian Valle, Tommy Joseph

Infield:

Today: Tyler Henson, Reid Brignac, Jonathan Roof, Maikel Franco

Watch: Freddy Galvis, Cody Asche, Darrin Ruf, Cesar Hernandez (they can’t all make the Phillies, without injury)

Outfield:

Today: Tyson Gillies, Leandro Castro, Dave Sappelt, Tony Gwynn, Jr., Clete Thomas

Watch: Darrin Ruf, Steve Susdorf, Zach Collier, Kelly Dugan

Starting Pitchers:

Today: Jesse Biddle, Adam Morgan, Sean O’Sullivan, Chris Bootcheck, Greg Smith

Watch: Ethan Martin, David Buchanan, Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez (MAG), Jon Pettibone

Relief Pitchers:

Pick from this group, some will be with Philadelphia, some with us, some with Reading and others long gone:

Shawn Camp, Phillipe Aumont, Justin DeFratus (no options), Jake Diekman, Jeremy Horst, Ethan Martin, BJ Rosenberg, Joe Savery, Mike Stutes, Luis Garcia, Brad Lincoln (doubtful, but he has options), Cesar Jiminez, Jay Johnson?, Michael Nesseth? Tyler Knigge? Kyle Simon? Hector Neris? Colby Shreve? Austin Wright?

Who am I excited to see? I’m looking forward to seeing Cam Rupp’s game evolve. I’m looking forward to seeing Jesse Biddle raise his game for AAA. I’m looking forward to seeing Maikel Franco–and where he plays–but nervous about how he might do initially. If MAG starts with us, that will be interesting to watch. The bullpen should be good to start, too, as a few guys who should be in the Bigs might start the season in Allentown.