Category Archives: Kram’s Korner – From the Club Level

July 5, 2013 · 5:19 pm

I Call Foul: Porcupine-Riders Stacking the Deck

Graphic Courtesy Lehigh Valley IronPigs

It seems the RailFrogs aren’t so happy with the 3-1 deficit in the IronRail Trophy race. They’ve convinced the Yankees to lend hot-shot pitcher Michael Pineda and veteran all-star Derek Jeter for Saturday’s game in Moosic versus the IronPigs. They’ll do ANYTHING to get that trophy!

A couple other things I noticed: Of the eight IronPigs games in Moosic, six are on weekend nights and all are during “primetime” for minor league baseball, July and August. No Tuesdays in April up there. All Saturdays and Sundays save two. I accept the challenge. I say we travel up there for a bunch of them!

Oh, and here’s another thing: The Trolley-Yankees will be visiting us again August 19-20 and August 30-31. I say we arrange for an EriK Kratz rehab and a Roy Halladay rehab along in there someplace. That’ll fix ’em!

…

OK, OK, coming back down now. I’m kidding. Mostly. The MLB teams couldn’t care less about our little rivalry. The Porcu-Rail-Yankee-Frogs would love to have us come up and purchase $4 sodas. It’s all in good fun. But as you may recall, I have a bunch of tickets for tomorrow’s game, and some of my guests are in the process of backing out. If you wanna go, please follow along on Twitter as I’ll be out of cell range (I know, right?) most of the early part of the day. I’ll post availability via internet when I have access. If they’re available they will be free. Also, if you’re already going, please get there early. If memory serves, there’s one access road, and it gets jammed. The lot will fill and they’ll park off-site. Doors open early at 5PM. Also, there MIGHT be some tailgating going on–depending on how the day goes. Look for the IronPigs and NoiseNation flags. Listen for the bells! Go Pigs!

See you at the PNC ~~Park~~ Field

@Kram209

PS: anybody know of a PigsRadio affiliate in Scranton? I need the hometown crew.

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July 5, 2013 · 4:38 pm

Guest Columnist: Kram Jr. on Trades and Ruf

Junior has stuff on his mind. I told him to write it down. This is what he came up with. My rebuttal follows in the comment section. Be gentle.

…

Trade Deadline: What to Expect

By: Kram Jr.

The date is 7/3; the MLB Trade Deadline is fast approaching. It is the Christmas of baseball season where your favorite player could end up on a team other than yours. I am going to talk about what the Phillies might do (though it’s hard to say with Amaro Jr.) and who they might trade. This is important to any loyal Ironpigs fan such as me, because we might get the opportunity to see young stars blossom on an All-Star like roster come the end of this year and the beginning of the 2014 season.

The Phillies are under .500 again and it might be time for the fans to begin to think about giving up on playoff hopes. They have many pieces that would be valuable to other teams who are making a run at the post-season. A few of the guys on the trading block could be guys like Jonathon Papelbon, Cliff Lee, and Chase Utley.

Jonathon Papelbon is a Closing Pitcher making roughly $10 million. He is under contract for at least another year making him a valuable piece. Teams like Detroit and Boston (where “Paps” came from) are teams without a Closing Pitcher looking to make a playoff run. Detroit’s #1 prospect, a Toledo MudHen – Nick Castellanos is a perfect fit for the Phillies, and the perfect piece should that deal go through, as he is a power-hitting corner outfielder with plus bat, medium speed, and average fielding. One of Boston’s high-end prospects is Jackie Bradley, a guy who was picked one spot after Larry Greene Jr. in the 1^st round of the 2011 draft. Bradley having already made the bigs, and has shown that he’s a 5-tool player. As a corner outfielder, he has shown reasonable power with plus speed and bat. His fielding is also good giving the Phillies a strong, young corner outfielder.

This brings me to Chase Utley, who still has at least one contract year left. Teams like the Royals and Colorado have voiced interest in Chase. The Royals have the number one prospect system in the bigs, so the Phillies could see more young prospects coming up through their system if they trade with KC. Guys like Kyle Zimmer, a 21 year old with a superior fastball that can touch upper-90s and Bubba Starling, and speedy corner outfield with good power and fielding are viable canidates for a trade with Kansas City. Colorado only has two relevant prospects, that being David Dahl and Kyle Parker. Dahl is a left handed hitting outfielder with average hitting and speed, but great fielding. Parker is also an outfielder with superb power, plus average, medium fielding, and mediocre, but not bad speed. He is a little old (23) for AA, but has shown a decent average with good power. He also has good plate discipline having a BB/K ratio of 1:2 and only striking out 40 times in 240 at-bats.

Cliff Lee has also been put onto the trading block, though it is unknown by me if any one team wants him to help in their run.

Also note that these players, while they may retain mid/long-term contracts, are not young guys by any means, as all of them are over 33 years old. Prospects that were traded to the Phillies have been a treat to watch. Guys such as Ethan Martin and Tommy Joseph were last year’s deals. Guys like Tyson Gillies and Philippe Aumont were guys that came over before this year (late 2009). I am excited to see what the Phillies do–also for new faces in Coca-Cola Park come 2014.

…

The Ruf Drive
Photo (c) Cheryl Pursell

…

Darin Ruf’s 4 Spot

By: Kram Jr.

Throughout the 2013 Ironpigs season, Darin Ruf has remained in control of the number 4 spot in the lineup every day that he’s played. At the beginning of this year it made sense; he hit 38 HR in Reading last year, but due to his upper-cut swing, longer distance in left field, and more difficult pitching, he hasn’t produced home runs. This isn’t to say that he can’t hit home runs, it’s just that we haven’t seen as many home runs as one might expect from someone who hit almost 40 a year ago in a season with no September. Out of the 7 home runs he has hit, it’s safe to say that at least 4 of them came on the road.

First, he has an upper-cut swing that he developed in Reading when he was going on a home run tear in late 2012. This doesn’t matter so much in Reading because the fence is at 315 feet. This leads into my second point about ballpark size

At Coca-Cola Park, the Left Field fence is at 335 feet. That is just to dead Left Field. The fence then moves to 375 feet where the Capital Blue Cross Lawn is, which extends to 400 feet in dead Center Field – average distances. In Reading though, the distances are shortened in Left and Left-Center Field by at least 15 feet; so when you see a high fly ball to the warning track at Coca-Cola Park, it’d be a home run in Reading.

Lastly, the pitching is more difficult in AAA than in AA. This is a natural transition period that we saw in most players like Cody Asche, Ethan Martin, Leandro Castro, Tommy Joseph/Cameron Rupp, and lastly, Darin Ruf. Guys like Asche, Martin, and Castro have already begun to adjust and shine here in AAA for the Ironpigs, but Darin Ruf has not. He has continued to bat in the mid-260s and have mediocre homerun numbers. His upper cut swing has resulted in ground balls and pop-flies: both in the infield. He has left more on base than anyone else on the team, and continues to stay at a mediocre level even though he gets playing time every day. This is only because he’s a prospect.

Guys like Josh Fields and Cody Overbeck who put in work and still don’t get to bat in a higher position is why Darin Ruf’s playing time has upset me. Josh Fields is currently batting .320 with 4 HR and over 30 RBI: Certainly enough to be batting higher than the 6 spot in the batting lineup. Cody Overbeck has an average of .250 but also has 15 HR and 45 RBI.

This is not to say that Darin Ruf shouldn’t play every day, he should. His fielding has been spectacular considering this is his first year playing Left Field. All I’m saying is that he should be moved down in the order to the 6 or 7 spot and let guys who are producing like Fields, Overbeck, and Castro to get more at-bats in a game.

Thank You for Reading My Article,

Kram Jr.

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July 1, 2013 · 4:25 pm

Sudden Lack of Mitchells (Roster Update)

Roster moves today:

For Reading:

Hanzawa Reports.

Kyle Simon (P) to DL (elbow)

Andy Gonzalez Released

Derrick Mitchell from Lehigh Valley

Tyson Gillies to Lehigh Valley

For IronPigs

Gillies from Reading

Castro activated from DL

Derrick Mitchell to Reading

Jermaine Mitchell Released

I’m sad to see J-Mitch go. He was one of my favorites, and I never got to do that interview. And I’ve always liked D-Mitch.

But that’s the way it goes sometimes in the Minor Leagues,

See you at the park,

@Kram209

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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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Tagged as galvis, roster move

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

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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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…

@Kram209

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

June 19, 2013 · 12:35 pm

Recent Roster Changes

Just a quick update on recent IronPigs roster changes:

Several days ago, INF Miguel Abreu was sent back to Reading from Lehigh Valley–prior to the road trip.
C Carlos Ruiz, on Major League Rehab over the weekend, as activated to the Phillies, and played last night.
To make room, C Steven Lerud was optioned to AAA Lehigh Valley.
Today, C John Suomi was reassigned to AA Reading
OF Derrick Mitchell was promoted to the IronPigs
3B Maikel Franco was promoted from A+ Clearwater to AA Reading

Discussion:

Abreu was an extra INF who was promoted to help out while Cesar Hernandez was with the Phillies. He wasn’t playing a ton in Reading with Cartwright and Duran getting much of the middle infield work. He didn’t play much with the IronPigs, either, but had a modicum of success and was observed working hard during batting practice and infield groups on Saturday.

Ruiz looked good over the weekend. And, while he didn’t hit the cover off the ball, did move around VERY well and reportedly felt very good. Additional games in Reading were not necessary, and the Phillies needed his bat and his glove right away. I think promoting him immediately was the correct decision. As you know, Chase Utley starts rehab in Reading tonight (it was to be last night, but was scrubbed because of the weather). He reportedly will need “several starts” but I wouldn’t count on him lasting until the IronPigs come home on Tuesday. Reading is home through Sunday, but if I had to guess, I’d say that Chase will be in the Phillies lineup by the Mets series starting Friday at Citizens Bank Park. I’d expect to get Michael Martinez back in the deal, unless they want to jettison another of the ineffective bullpen pieces.

And what of Carlos Zambrano? Well, by all accounts, it sounded like he raised his game a bit last night. He shut down a hot-hitting MudHens team, looked sharper doing it (less pitches) and was observed a few MPH faster on the gun (Toledo stadium gun). Pettibone is scheduled to pitch Friday versus the Mets, so Z won’t be ready to jump in there. It is assumed that if Zambrano is going to be of use to the Phillies, it would be in that spot. It will be interesting to see what happens. Lannan is the scheduled pitcher on Sunday when Z is due to pitch again. Zach Miner would be available for the ‘Pigs if need be should they want to push Lannan back to get Z in the rotation. All speculation on my part of course. At this point, they could keep Z to start versus Columbus on Sunday early evening, call him up (would need to be signed to the Major League roster–there are several 40-man moves that could be made to make room), or release him.

We welcome back Steven Lerud. He was not tremendously successful over the past few days in Philly, but he did have some experience up there from last season. He’s given the IronPigs some good defense and some really good at-bats this year. I’ve nothing against Suomi (the money), but happy to have Lerud back in the fold to go along with Rupp, who will probably get the majority of the time at C.

Our old friend Derrick Mitchell comes back to us from Reading. He was hitting .253 with 6 HR in 51 games before breaking his hand last season. He was really heating up when that happened, too–I remember he was kind of the hero of those Pawtucket games around the time of the day-night doubleheader last season. He didn’t hit well when he returned, though. Hand and wrist injuries always make me nervous for hitters. Derrick has hit .229 with 5HR in Reading this season, but has had to share time with Gillies, Collier, and Hewitt.

I added the Franco transaction, because he could be a reason to make the drive to Reading. He’s a top-5 kind of prospect rising up the system at 3B putting pressure on Cody Asche (who’s responded well, of course). He leads all Phillies minor league-ers with 16 HR in Clearwater. It will be interesting to see how he does in the usually HR-friendly Reading park.

See you at the park tonight for softball!

@Kram209

On a Swivel

I’m looking backward. I’m looking forward. My head’s on a swivel and here’s what I’ve got for this June Tuesday:

IronRail Update:

The IronPigs prevailed in the first series versus our upstate rivals taking 3 of 4 games this past weekend. We now lead the Rail Porcupines 3-1, with 12 games yet to play. First one to 9 gets the IronRail trophy for the year–and if it’s a tie it’ll all come down to the August 31 matchup at Coca Cola Park. I’m really into this trophy thing, and here’s why:

We’ve taken it pretty hard from them over the years. It’s time for a changing of the guard.
It gives a “College Football” -type feel to the rivalry.
Any kind of hardware is good. I’m assuming Kurt will let the season ticket holders barrow the trophy for 24hrs each. Right? (probably not…)
It adds a layer of competition beyond the league standings. Even a last-place team can win a trophy. That’s cool, right?
It’ll be nice for the Yankees’ fans to NOT get to win all the time. There were plenty of them at Coca Cola Park this past weekend, all decked out in their Yankees attire and not at all quiet about their support for the Shoulda-Been-Trolley-Frogs. Not one of them had RailRiders gear. It’s not the real Yankees. If I see a true RailRiders fan from the Wyoming Valley visiting in their RailRiders jersey, I will be sure to welcome them to Coca Cola Park as a good host should. God Bless. Cheer for your team as loudly as you like. But if you’re a local Yankees fan just showing up to be obnoxious? Forget it. We want the trophy. I hope they make T-Shirts for us to sport. (We usually get some of this from the local Red Sox faithful, as well.)

What I don’t care about:

Cross-dressing General Managers who may or may not be able to sing. Although, now that I think about it, if (Rail-Yankee GM) Rob Crain has to sing “Swing it Like an Iron Pig” that might be OK. Let him wear regular clothes, though. Or, maybe an IronPigs jersey and a pig nose. Let him hold an Aw-Shucks corn in one hand and a pork sandwich in the other. I could be OK with that.

Other stuff from the weekend:

We did film the first episode of “NoiseNationTV’s Wide World of Pigs.” The video is in the editing room right now. We’ll get it out as soon as we can. The players were great. The host, maybe not so much.

I visited the Tiki for the post-game party on Saturday night. I admit, I wasn’t in the best mood after the beating we took, but it was a nice time. Players and their guests were around. It is very casual. It’s too bad there aren’t any bathrooms in the vicinity.

A fellow fan (Ed) Saturday night said, “Once we get behind, it’s like the team gives up.” But, on Sunday the team did rally for a walk-off win to take the series. It was good to see. It was also a lot of fun to throw the ball on the field with the kiddos after the game; that’s got to be one of my favorite things about the past two seasons. It’s too bad there aren’t any bathrooms out on the field (kidding!).

I sampled a couple of the sandwiches this past home-stand at the Pig Stop. All good. Kudos to the new chef.

About Last Night:

The ‘Pigs took the lead in Toledo last night 4-1 on a monster home run by Leandro Castro. It didn’t hold up as Tyler Cloyd re-adjusts to AAA hitters following his outstanding turn with the Phillies. I think he’ll be back up there soon enough, as I’ll chalk the 8 runs up to adjustment. Jermaine Mitchell (the “J-Train”) added a homer late, but seven straight K’s by the good guys and we couldn’t complete the comeback. The final was 8-6. Greg Smith and JC Ramirez combined for 3 2/3 scoreless to give the ‘Pigs a chance. Overbeck and Mitchell had good games at the plate. Old buddy Mike Cervenak came up a triple short of the cycle to do his old club some damage.

Tonight:

Carlos Zambrano gets another AAA start as he tries to make his case for a return to the Majors–for the Phillies or elsewhere. He’ll face another old friend of ours, veteran lefty Pat Misch. He’s 2-3 on the year sporting a 5.36 ERA. We’ve hit leftys reasonably well this season I think, so I’m hopeful for a win this evening. (note: I looked it up, and we’ve a losing record against lefty starters. But, it’s been my observation that we’ve hit them reasonably well, and we can stack the lineup with big right-handed bats. We’ll see. Misch used to destroy us when he was with Buffalo, though. Hmmff.)

Looking further ahead:

As far as I can tell, Professional FastPitch Softball is still “on” for Wednesday and Thursday at Coca Cola Park. There hasn’t been a lot of coverage of it so far, so perhaps we can get you some more information. I know many from the ‘Nation are going to be there to support the teams and see the park transformation for softball. More news to come.

See you at the (softball) park,

@Kram209

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