Category Archives: CherylPursellsPhotos

March 6, 2014 · 6:00 pm

This Week in Noise Nation – A Bit Late, 3/6/14

I’m a bit late with last week’s This Week in Noise Nation.. so to catch up:

Kram takes a look at the impact Phillies’ injuries will have on the IronPig’s pitching staff.

Steelhawks resign an All League member of last year’s team.

We get a smile from some news about our resident Tennis pro here in the Lehigh Valley.

Steelhawk’s Season Ticket Pick up Party

PIFL Championship to be televised.

Kram looks into the the IronPig’s 5:05 start time for Opening Day.

Roller derby gets some new rules for 2014.

Steelhawk’s song release.

Alex Cohen called up to the Bigs!

Pig Day and IronPig Spring Training updates.

Review of the Lehigh Valley Rollergirl’s home opener.

Roller derby Pre-bout news!

New baseball home plate collisions rule.

Who took the Valley from the Lehigh Valley?

LVRG Rebrands

IronPig’s new Friday uniforms.

Steelhawk’s Open Scrimmage announcement.

Video review and interviews from Smell the Change press conference.

Tales from the Porkside – Uniform Changes

New uniforms-Reactions-Analysis

IronPig’s release Smell the Change announcement!

@IronPigs Smell the Change Announcement Video + Interviews!

Thanks to Kram, DiPro and Cheryl we have a video of the IronPig’s Smell the Change announcement from yesterday! Enjoy!

The Full Press Conference (It’s going to prompt you to view on Youtube and will play there)

Candid thoughts with IronPig’s General Manager, Kram and DiPro

Kram catches up with The Voice of the IronPigs Matt Provence!

Kram interviews Promotion master Morris!

The IronPig’s Official Press Release

IRONPIGS DEBUT NEW LOGOS; INCLUDE UNIQUE HAT AND UNIFORM DESIGNS

New Logo Themes Include Mouth-Watering Bacon, Molten Steel and the Iconic Liberty Bell

(Allentown, Pa.) – The Lehigh Valley IronPigs unveiled a series of bold new looks and designs today at www.SmellTheChange.com to add to their on-field hat and uniform repertoire for the 2014 season and beyond. The IronPigs primary logo and home uniform, which have been among the most popular and best-selling in Minor League Baseball since debuting, remain unchanged.

“Today marks a renewal of Minor League Baseball’s most revered and iconic brand,” remarked IronPigs President & G.M. Kurt Landes. “We worked tirelessly over the last year to develop new identities that not only embody the rich tradition of the Lehigh Valley but also the spirit of the IronPigs and our fans.”

The “Smell The Change” initiative is brought to life in the IronPigs brand-new bacon-themed Saturday ensemble, which includes a bacon strip logo transfixed to the cap, a fresh “Pigs” jersey design emblazoned across the chest as well as the first-of-its-kind bacon-style piping down both legs of the pants. Similar to years past, the Saturday top is Brick Red but now includes the endearing term, ‘’Pigs” across the chest with a wavy bacon underline. The bold new bacon strip logo sits atop a two-tone cap featuring the familiar colors of IronPigs Steel and Furnace Blue. The bacon-enriched pants, the first baseball pants to feature a logo design within the piping, are also IronPigs Steel. In addition to the cap and uniform offerings, innovative “scratch-and-sniff” t-shirts that smell like bacon (they’ll literally make your mouth water) are also now available for a limited time at the Majestic Clubhouse Store and www.IronPigs.Milbstore.com.

The IronPigs pay tribute to the Lehigh Valley’s rich steelmaking history with a brand-new, all-black Friday uniform emblazoned with a Molten Red IronPigs logo on the cap, a jet-black jersey with steel-plated chrome lettering and all black pants with IronPigs Steel piping. The molten IronPigs cap logo, which appears to be literally dripping with liquid metal due to the white-hot heat necessary to forge pig iron by smelting iron ore with coke and limestone in a blast furnace, embodies the Lehigh Valley region of Pennsylvania which is world-renowned for this process. The black jersey’s chrome lettering and numerals are meant to pay tribute to Pennsylvania’s iconic blast furnaces – including those of the Bethlehem Steel Corp. — along with the generations of men and women that poured their heart and soul into the steel manufacturing process. Steel from the Lehigh Valley is a part of this country’s most prominent landmarks, including the Golden Gate Bridge and the Empire State building. By introducing black pants to this look, the IronPigs are currently believed to be the only team to wear an all-black uniform combination in professional baseball.

The black uniform with electric highlights was purposely chosen as the new Friday home look so it serve as the ideal compliment to post-game Friday Night Fireworks at Coca-Cola Park. To coincide with this new look, the IronPigs will unveil an official “Black Out” shirt and encourage fans to wear black to all Friday home games at Coca-Cola Park.

The IronPigs will don a new powder blue and burgundy two-tone Sunday cap this season that connects the rich histories of the Lehigh Valley and Philadelphia regions with a fresh-take on the world-famous Liberty Bell. In this new design, the Bell is suspended by an I-beam, a symbol of the Lehigh Valley’s steelmaking prowess, and features metal rivets to indicate the Bell’s iconic crack. Lehigh Valley residents may also be familiar with the fact that in 1777, the Liberty Bell was hidden in Allentown so that the British army wouldn’t melt it down for munitions. The cap will be worn with the retro mesh IronPigs jersey which was introduced in 2013 to pay homage to the Phillies’ tradition-rich teams of the 1970s and 1980s in which the Phillies went to the postseason in six of eight seasons and won their first World Championship in 1980.

The new mesh batting practice cap features a rebrand of the IronPigs’ iconic primary logo by turning the traditional pig head from its typical profile position to a forward-angling design. This Furnace Blue cap provides a refreshed look to one of Minor League Baseball’s top-selling logos by adding even more facial features to the pig head badge. The official on-field batting practice cap by New Era has been completely redesigned for 2014 and features high-tech diamond texture fabric that is lightweight with breathability and wicking and even offers 50-plus UPF protection and a performance sweatband. The cap-style debuted in Major League Baseball last year and has been well-received by players and fans alike.

While the road uniform is unchanged, the interlocking ‘LV’ cap in the riveted IronPigs font has been replaced by the IronPigs primary logo on a Brick Red cap putting a fresh twist on the highly-successful logo.

Fans can check out all of the uniform designs for the 2014 season at www.SmellTheChange.com.

These brand-new on-field IronPigs jerseys and caps, as well other innovative merchandise such as “scratch-and-sniff” bacon logo t-shirts, are now available at www.IronPigs.Milbstore.com or by visiting the Majestic Clubhouse Store at Coca-Cola Park during normal business hours (Monday-Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Sunday’s, 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.). The Majestic Clubhouse Store is open daily and is the official retail store of the Lehigh Valley IronPigs.

Single-game tickets for the 2014 season go on sale during the club’s annual National Pig Day festivities at Coca-Cola Park on Saturday, March 1 at 9 a.m. Single-game tickets can also be purchased at ironpigsbaseball.com or by calling (610) 841-PIGS (7447) beginning at 1 p.m. on March 1.

Purchase a 2014 ticket plan and receive up to $144 of free Ballpark Credit on your ticket plan through June 16, 2014! That’s right, purchase any plan today and receive free Ballpark Credit as an added bonus in 2014. Ticket plans start at just $90 and provide the very best bang-for-your-buck. The more games in your plan, the more Ballpark Credit you’ll get this season. Call (610) 841-PIGS (7447) or visit Coca-Cola Park’s ticket office during normal business hours to purchase your mini plan or season ticket package today. The 2014 season is presented by Capital BlueCross.

— #smellthechange –

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

February 24, 2014 · 10:48 pm

Tales From the PorkSide – Those Behind the @IronPigs Uniform Change

The IronPig’s new uniforms have been a hot topic and we set off to find out more. Prompted by DiPro’s missing coat we can only speculate that answers to our questions, and possibly DiPro’s coat can be found… In the PorkSide!

IronPigs live in the sunlit world of what they believe to be Coca Cola Park.But…there is, unseen by most, an underworld, a place that is just as real,but not as brightly lit… a PorkSide.

This is the second time we have opened the porthole to the IronPig’s underworld and we still have to be very careful. Not sure what we’ll find here and shocking news can be just as harsh as being struck by a line drive up in the Lighted side of Coca Cola Park.

There seems to be a dim light shining in the back of this tunnel. Let’s check it out. OW! Just hit my head on something! What is that? It’s a coat rack.. an empty coat rack. Ok, the PorkSide is just taunting us now. Come on, that light is peaking my curiosity.

We stumble slowly along until we find this sign:

It looks like a… Tweet. A Twitter message! We have our first clue! We have a website link! This is starting to get heavy… should we proceed?

Of course we are! Let’s do this!

Yeah, this is a fancy website. All the Pig’s new gear showcased in a very… dark… manner. There’s got to be more. If you want to see for yourself, click that sign to see the website.

My eye is drawn to the lower right portion of the page. Site Credits. Perhaps we’ll find something there…

Ah Ha! More answers and two more links to follow… the first sign was so clear with only one path. Now we have to make a choice. Which do we choose? Which leads us to what we are looking for and which leads us to our doom? Which leads us to the resting place of DiPro’s missing coat?

I’m going with the first link.

Wow! This website looks great! We made a good choice. Bright colors and smiling faces!

Jason & Casey

The two of us grew up in San Diego, and have been best friends since kindergarten. As kids, we loved telling stories and bringing creative ideas to life.

Once in college, we started designing high school logos out of our dorm rooms. We then sent letters to 150 Minor League Baseball teams, and only one got back to us: the West Tenn Diamond Jaxx. They told us, “If we like it, we’ll buy it.” That summer we set out with the same goal we have today: Doing whatever it takes to make teams famous.

Since then, we’ve dreamed up all kinds of team names, mascots, and looks, including top selling logos for the Richmond Flying Squirrels and Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs. Because we love trying things never been done before, we invented the first glow-in-the-dark on-field baseball cap for the Casper Ghosts, and the first on-field Rally Cap design for the Altoona Curve.

Today we’re bringing the same ‘can-do’ attitude and whimsical approach to storytelling, not just to minor league clubs, but major league teams as well. We recently reimagined the look and feel for America’s oldest baseball club, the Cincinnati Reds, and you can expect major league experience too.

So these guys create baseball logos. Quite a few familiar faces here. Our beloved Pig’s logo, the Pig’s cousins the Flying Squirrels logos among many more. Is this exactly what we are looking for? Not sure yet but we’ll keep looking.

We trace our steps back and I’m thankful Kram Jr. left a trail of Peanut Chews for us to follow back to the original sign.

Now on to that second link…

Another sign!

Artists! Strategists! Code monkeys! Oh my!

401! creative

Consumers and businesses are connected more than ever before. We are in an age of transparency, and wherever you are, your customers will find you. But are you ready to be found? Will your website match your marketing materials? Do your social media accounts have appropriate content and graphics? Is your identity consistent across all digital outlets? It’s never been as important as it is today, and as consumers become more educated, they become more discerning.

That’s where 4O1! Creative comes in – with our multitude of services, we can help you with a consistent branding strategy, beef up your marketing collateral from business cards to brochures, and design and develop a best-in-class website to rival players at the top of your industry.

So we now know who was truly behind the IronPig Uniform changes. We know where the new uniforms for the Majestic Clubhouse store were hidden pre press conference and we know where the Smell The Change website had been hiding all week. All in.. The PorkSide!

Still have not located DiPro’s coat.

dipro_missing_coat

That’s all I’m willing to stay in the PorkSide today. Stay tuned for high quality Cheryl Pursell video from the IronPig’s Press conference today!

The Porkide is always there, waiting for us to enter – waiting to enter us. Until next time, try to enjoy the daylight.

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Filed under CherylPursellsPhotos, Coca Cola Park, DiPro's Dish, Lehigh Valley IronPigs, Tales From the Porkside

February 24, 2014 · 7:00 am

This Week In Noise Nation – 2/24/2014

It’s a little late but here’s last week’s week in review:

Wow, we were busy. Here’s to another great week in Lehigh Valley sports!

@IronPigs Reveal #SmellTheChange Tomorrow! NN Will have Live Coverage!

The kinda-long awaited release of what the IronPigs have planned for their #SmellTheChange promotion will be revealed at 1:00pm Eastern tomorrow 2/24/2014 and the Noise Nation Staff will be there!

We’ll begin coverage around 12:45pm and carry through the entire announcement followed up by a reaction piece from Noise Nation Podcast Radio and later in the day a thorough account of the day’s activities.

Kram will be there in his Piggy Patrol jacket, we’ll see tomorrow if DiPro can find his jacket and the great Cheryl Pursell will be there cameras in hand recording this event for posterity!

The live coverage will mainly be via our Twitter account, @NoiseNation but also make sure to follow and track @Kram209, @CherylPursell and @JasonDipro for timely updates and maybe even a surprise!

Remember – Coverage begins at 12:45pm tomorrow! Stay tuned!

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Filed under CherylPursellsPhotos, DiPro's Dish, Kram's Korner - From the Club Level, Lehigh Valley IronPigs, NN Podcast Radio, Noise Nation-Dan

February 19, 2014 · 9:15 am

@IronPigs Uniforms Over the Years #CanYouSmellIt ?

We’re still mulling over what the IronPig’s are planning with their Smell the Change deal. Brian G and Heather M brought up a good point that the hoopla could be in reference to redesigned IronPig uniforms. Perhaps with a Bacon inspired font… I like that idea!

Speaking of uniforms…

There is one thing you are guaranteed to hear during an IronPig’s radio broadcast and that is Matt Provence’s detailed description of each team’s uniform selection for that day.

Uniform rules have slackened a bit for minor league baseball, with many different variations, promotions and pitcher’s superstitions.. along with the ability to fill up the team store with a plethora of authentic uniform options.

For the first few years the IronPigs had a pretty standard uniform set.

The Home uniforms have been pretty much the same since 2008.

The Home uniforms, worn on weekday home games, have been a standard since 2008. The all white with red trim and blue lettering with the IronPig logo are easily the most often worn uniform at home.

The Saturday home uniforms worn since 2008. White pants with red jersey and Ironpigs across the chest. Red pig snout hat included.

The former Sunday Home jersey differed from the weekday version with the removal of sleeves.

Occasionally the team will play in the Dark Blue Batting practice jerseys. Normally seen as a part of a double header.

Occasionally the team will play in the Dark Blue Batting practice jerseys with a Swinging IronPig on the chest. Normally seen as a part of a double header.

In 2013 the Sunday vests were replaced by a powder blue jersey with an IronPig logo on the chest.

Some various “Auction” jerseys…

Photo by Decal

Photos by Cheryl Pursell, unless otherwise noted.

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Filed under CherylPursellsPhotos, Lehigh Valley IronPigs

January 31, 2014 · 9:36 pm

Ghosts of IronPigs Past – Part One

To think back to the summer of 2007 when it hit me that pro baseball in the Lehigh Valley was really going to happen makes me smile. I had no idea what was to come. Not becoming a “superfan.” Not creating a sports blog. I don’t think I even knew what a blog was in 2007.

I recently was granted access to an IronPig treasure when Cheryl Pursell opened up her photo archive for us. I’ve selected a handful that I feel best relives that 2008 season. Hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

Left field during construction.

The bullpen looks a lot different without any Tiki influence.

Centerfield during construction.

Notice the scoreboard with less accessories, the old clock that now resides on the concourse behind home plate and the absence of the time/temp sign and stair case in the grass area.

Right field during construction.

The stands during construction.

Where’s your seat?

The field during construction.

The dream was coming alive.

The Phillies’ exihibition game.

The Phillies came to open up the park and Geoff Jenkins hits the first home run there!

First home game against Richmond.

About to start the first home game in IronPig’s history. Notice current manager Dave Brundage in a Richmond Braves uniform. That’s right kids, he managed the Braves for a while even before they moved to Gwinnett.

Dice K

We got to see Dice K pitch. Really kids, it was a big deal in 2008. Personally I prefer The Gyro Company over his so called Gyro ball but with the entire stadium having turned Japanese that night it was a great time. The next time he showed up he brought a typhoon along with him so this was easily his best show. Who remembers the Jet Balloons?

Zooperstars

Zooperstars! Love these guys!

TJ Bohn

A classic 2008 TJ Bohn explosion. If you weren’t there for one, you won’t understand. It doesn’t come close to what Steve Kline did to end his IronPig career but at least Jason Jaramillo wasn’t lifted and thrown out of the way in this one.

Dancing Dirt Dudes Thriller.

One of my favorite DDD routines. It’s Thriller! Thriller!

Andy Tracy

Andy Tracy admiring a Home Run… I think.

Brandon Watson

We finish with Brandon Watson trying to squeeze out what’s left of that crappy first season. (Yeah, I know. I know)

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Filed under CherylPursellsPhotos, Lehigh Valley IronPigs

January 25, 2014 · 6:59 pm

2014 Phillies Winter Banquet: @CherylPursell photos starring @Druf15 + @Jon_Pettibone + @Cody_Smasche

I don’t have a lot to add to Dan’s previous post(s). I echo his sentiment: improvements were made, and the Sands Events Center did a great job. Sure, I heard a couple “I remember DeSales…” laments, but overall an excellent venue and and excellent evening. The bartenders and servers couldn’t have been better, or more professional. Kudos to them! As Dan said, the butler passed hors d’oeuvres were a highlight. Airborne rogue lens caps were a hoot. A good time was had by all. Special thanks to the folks at Philly Pretzel for the help filling our table. Also to Dan, Jason, and Cheryl for the support I needed to push ahead with the table reservation early.

A couple criticisms: I would have liked to have the bar open on the upper level–saving me the trip downstairs to the Visions Bar. The auction items were VERY expensive (but then, this helps IronPigs Charities, so not so bad..) And, …..golly, I can’t think of anything else.

If it’s 2015, or almost, and you found this post, thinking about going. Here’s what you need to know:

Beer, House Wine, and Coke soft drinks are complimentary. Mixed drinks are very expensive. ($12 for mine and it’s not like I ordered Pappy or Louis. Maybe I don’t go out enough. Also, get off my lawn.)
Go early. Make sure you can get in at 5PM or 6PM or whatever time your ticket allows. it’s a fun time and I’m sure you’ll find someone you know.
It’s not too late. I think we were done around 10PM. Last year I had to leave early because of an emergency, but actually didn’t miss that much. Take the kiddos. I know it’s a school night, but it’s worth it.
Reserve early. The earlier you commit, the closer your table will be. I think. Whatever. Just go.
You might not get that much contact with the players. But, keep vigilant. They did walk through the bar area before the banquet. And, they did mingle a bit during the live auction. Some years, they’ve been somewhat available afterwards. Remember, these guys are Phillies now, not IronPigs…
As Dan said, the food was MUCH better this year. But, you’re not going for the dinner; you’re going for the baseball part. Lower your expectations and take full advantage of the excellent appetizers. If it’s that big a deal, eat at Emeril’s and walk over after. Dinner for 1,100 is a difficult task.
If you’re really into it: stay over. Get a room in the hotel, do some gambling after the banquet, have a nightcap and relax. Who needs to go to work on Friday, anyway? 😉

And now, Cheryl’s photos. Enjoy:

Dan Kram and Jr on arrival

The Pre-Banquet Spread (extra credit if you can find the lens cap)

Cheryl, Dan, Jason, Julie, Kram, Jr

Our time with the VIPs. On our best behavior because of the Hall of Famer in the middle…

Stage pre-banquet

Players checking out the banners

FeFe and Matt Provence

Mr. Sandberg

Darin Ruf

Jon Pettibone

Cody Asche

Matt, Julie, and Jon

Sandberg Q/A

Asche talks about flowers….

See you at the hockey game,

@Kram209

PS: Big thanks to Cheryl for the pictures and video, huh?

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

Tagged as Phillies Winter Banquet

January 25, 2014 · 1:07 pm

Video: IronPigs Charity Banquet. Sandberg, Amaro & More!

If you missed the IronPig/Phillies’ Charity Banquet on Thursday, fear not.. the great Cheryl Pursell captured some great video of the event!

Enjoy!

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Filed under CherylPursellsPhotos, Lehigh Valley IronPigs

January 19, 2014 · 8:06 pm

2013 IronPigs: The Year in Pictures–A Photoblography by Cheryl Pursell

It’s a common theme in recent years. We get past the holidays and into the new year, and we cannot wait for baseball. We can’t wait for the nice weather, either methinks. Perhaps one of these years we should road trip to Venezuela or the Dominican. Too far? I’m thinking about Spring Training next season, but that comes with a wait as well. What else to do other than remember last season? Without further ado, please enjoy this excellent “Photoblography” by Cheryl Pursell. What great pictures! It was as great a year as we could ask for sans playoffs or IronRail… ~Kram209

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