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Missing the Ironpigs? Join us for a live chat tonight and get together with other fans while listening to the radio broadcast!

The 2011 Ironpigs are now 31 and 20, 3 games ahead of SWB for first place in the International League North division… 16-13 at home and 15-7 away.

This year certainly is different from the first 3 years. They are Winning! I know right? Winning baseball here in the Lehigh Valley!

Why is that though? Better players? Better coaching? The luck finally came around?

Well get ready for my opinion.

While I feel Ryne Sandberg is the reason for all these wins, I don’t feel he is completely to thank for this great season so far. Sure, a great coach will push players, get more out of them. A Force Multiplier. Make an average performer play better just by his presence. Nice idea but not all of it. I really feel that the Phillies organization wants this team to succeed for a few reasons.

The first and foremost reason is to groom Ryne Sandberg as Charlie Manuel’s replacement. I know, Charlie Charlie Charlie, we all love him.. but I am giving my thoughts of how the management is thinking. (How many times has this group said one thing and the next day does the opposite?) They are giving Sandberg a test drive to see if he can field a winning team. As a part of this, they gave him the tools he needed to accomplish this. Look at the guys they signed and keep signing. Larish, Moss, Posednik, Orr, Kratz… along with a young and talented bullpen. The starters have easily been the weakest link this season and even they have come around nicely.

What makes this team different from the past is there is no noticeable influence from above. How many times did we see Huppert make a move and shake our heads wondering what he was thinking, then the next day find out it was directed by a Phillie’s representative. We haven’t seen a pitcher (other than the Feierabend night) sit out there and get shelled, in respect to Feierabend the bullpen had been burnt out the day before. When a situtation called for a pinch hitter a pinch hitter went in. This team is being run to win baseball not develop players. Other teams go by this. (SWB Yankees for one, player development happens at AA)

Another part of it is that the Phillies as a whole are getting older. I’m not saying they should be retiring anytime soon (well Ibanez) but the Phillie’s roster in 5 years will have a lot of new faces and several could be those wearing Ironpig uniforms. Allowing these players to experience winning baseball gets them ready for the pressure and expectations that will multiply 10 fold once they get to Citizen’s Bank Park.

And lastly, and least important, this winning team is thanks to the dedicated fan base. I acknowledge this is a weak point, do the execs really care how us fans feel? Doubt it. But they care about our money so they want to at least think about us for a moment. We’ve suffered through 3 years of terrible play since the beginning and deserve to see quality baseball.

So really, is this winning all about Sandberg? You could say that. Is it his mere presence causing the winning…. nah. The Phillies put this plan together to get him ready and if the season so far is any indication, Amaro and his friends will bite off the end of a cigar and say, “I love it when a plan comes together.”

Your thoughts?

Brian Bass allowed 5 runs to cross the plate between the first and second innings and that’s all Gwinnett needed to take down the Pigs by a final score of 2 to 7.

Bass didn’t seem like himself and it looked as if he didn’t get what he wanted from Home plate umpire Bultron. Three calls were argued by Ironpigs over the night but still, they didn’t get the runners on nor the hits to bring in the runs.

Sometimes they win, sometimes they lose. I’m happier when they win.

It’s a hot day out there.. stay inside, enjoy some air conditioning (if you have it) and chat with Ironpig fans live tonight compliments of LehighValleyLive.com!

The chat starts at 7:00pm.

http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/ironpigs/index.ssf/2011/05/lehigh_valley_ironpigs_continu_3.html

See you there!

The Ironpigs took down a highly touted prospect tonight defeating Julio Teheran and the Gwinnett Braves 12 to 2 in tonight’s Memorial Day game in Gwinnett.

Surprisingly enough, Barfield’s 4 for 5 night didn’t make him the star of the game. Jeff Larish went 3 for 4 with 3 runs scored, a triple and 2 home runs amassing 7 RBI. He was also intentionally walked and had 11 total bases for towards the win!

Shoeless Eddie Bonine also had a decent showing. Tossing 68 pitches (43 for strikes) Bonine went 4 strong innings allowing only 4 hits and 1 run, striking out 6. Looks like Eddie is coming around. Drew Carpenter also had a strong night going 3 innings allowing 3 hits, 1 run and also struck out 6. Chapman closed out the final two innings of the game.

The big news is the Phillies announcing that Vance Worley will be coming back to the Pigs, for now. I haven’t seen any decision on who goes up to the Phillies but heard rumors of a pitcher heading up for the time being. Best guess would be Mathieson or Zagurski but don’t be surprised if it’s Carpenter.

Keeping it short for now. I’m sunburnt and tired after a long weekend and do need to be at work by 5:30am tomorrow.

Tomorrow we will get back to our Live Chats to get us fans together to follow the game via radio and talk amongst ourselves. Stay tuned for a link.

It’s been a busy week for me so to catch up with a few things…

First off, hail and farewell to Cory Sullivan who was released to add Scott Posednik to the Ironpig’s roster. Posednik actually broke up today’s potential perfect game by Rochester’s highly touted prospect Kyle Gibson. Gibson tossed the first 6 innings like a finely tuned guitar and came out with the win as Ironpig’s starter Bump allowed his ERA to rise to 6.18 on the season allowing 6 runs in 5 innings.

It was a beautiful day at the Coke today. Saw a bunch of friends and was surprised at the low attendance for a Sunday 84 degree partly cloudy day game. 9,080 fans purchased tickets today and I would say it was close to that many in attendance. Also noticed a familiar face in the stands that I normally see behind a ticket window. It seems the office is giving employees a day at the game to enjoy. Awful nice of them. Get a perspective of the experience from our view point.

Seems the Ironpigs can’t quite pull out the brooms this year. Another 3 win 1 loss series. Not that I’m complaining as they have been playing far beyond the Pig teams of the past but it would be nice to pull out the broom and wave it proudly following a third out.

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Last night the Noise Nation also got to see the LV Steelhawks 3rd consecutive win! The Hawks took down the Richmond Revolution in their final home game of the 2011 season. Really great people in that organization and look forward to 2012! Ran into a reporter from the NY Times who was looking to learn more about arena football and smaller market sports fans. Nice guy and all had a great time!

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Saw a tweet earlier from our good friend Tommy V out in Reading.. Mike Spidale became the leader in all time hits for the Reading Phillies this afternoon. Good to see such an accomplishment by a good guy.

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That’s about I have today. I’ve been getting a lot of sun this week and finally installed my AC.

It’s time for a nap.

The Pigs took down the Rochester Redwings tonight by a final score of 10 to 2.

The bigger news is the possible return of 2008 Ironpigs Les Walrond! It’s been flying all over Twitter that the Phillies have signed the man who struck out a team record of 17 opposing batters in 2008 and have assigned him to Reading. Seeing the transaction train moving along it might not be long before we see Walrond back at CCP.

Walrond spent two seasons in Japan in 2009 and 2010, with Yokohama and Doosan. With a combined 12-19 record for those season, I hope Les can get back to the standard he set for the dismal Ironpigs so long ago.

I will be attending the Steelhawks final home game of their first season tomorrow at Stabler Arena. The Hawks are hoping to win their 3rd straight game and although playoffs don’t appear in the near future it will be a great way to end the season with a few wins.

See you tomorrow!

From the Steelhawks:

Bethlehem, PA: The Lehigh Valley Steelhawks welcome the Richmond Revolution to the Stabler Arena for their final home game of their inaugural season this Saturday at 7 p.m. The game marks the fourth time in 2011 the two teams will meet up. The Steelhawks hold the edge on the season, 2-1 but lost to the Rev’s in their Home Opener back on March 19th in an Overtime thriller. The team is fresh off a 37-28 victory over the 8-4 Fairbanks Grizzlies last weekend.

The Revolution head to Pennsylvania coming off a win themselves last weekend, as they defeated the La Crosse Spartans 40-37. With a 2-9 record, Richmond sits a game behind the Steelhawks in the Atlantic Division. Look for Revolution Quarterback Monte Purvis to target Wide Receiver Scorpio Brown early and often in this contest as the pair have been hot of late. The Steelhawks will also have to account for the Richmond running game which is among the best in the IFL.

The Steelhawks got wins back to back for the first time in their short existence with an exhilarating finish last Sunday against the Fairbanks Grizzlies who were riding an eight game winning streak. New comers Andre Higgins (4 catches for 34 yards, 1 TD) and Roshawn Marshall (2 INT return for TD’s) added the spark needed to raise some eyebrows league wide. In this contest, look for a heavy dose of Running backs Isaiah Grier and Ryan Leafey who have had plenty of success running against the Rev’s this season.

“We need to keep the pedal to the metal and finish this season off the right way,” stated Steelhawks Head Coach Rich Britt. “The pieces, and the plan are beginning to come together but we can not let up. Richmond has been extremely well of late and are looking for redemption against us so we will need to play another complete game from start to finish. ”

Kickoff for the game is slated for 7 p.m., Saturday, May 28th with doors opening at 6 p.m. The game is the first annual Heroes Night, as any military personnel, police officers, and first responders will receive 50% off the regular ticket pricing for the game. Fans coming to cheer on the Steelhawks are urged to wear their black and Vegas gold in support! Tickets for the game can be purchased by calling the Steelhawks front office at 610-282-3100, via the Steelhawks Website (www.lvsteelhawks.com), thru ticketmaster, or by visiting the Stabler Arena Box Office at 124 Goodman in Bethlehem. For further information on the Lehigh Valley Steelhawks please contact Executive Vice President Mike Clark at 610-282-3100.Season ticket flex packages, starting as low as $8 per game, are still available but great seats are limited so reserve your seats close to the action and call the team’s front office at 610-282-3100. Don’t miss out on the fun and exciting atmosphere that is Steelhawks Professional Indoor Football!

Great news in today! Our Cook book fundraiser for the National Brain Tumor Society is happy to announce that cook book will arrive on Wednesday, June 2nd and will be available for sale soon after!

The books are spiral bound and will cost $20 each. As our sponsors helped us to cover the print costs, 100% of sales will go directly to our chosen charity, the National Brain Tumor Society! I will announce here when the books are in hand and ready to be sold (It might take a day or two to make the finishing touches)

The finishing touches I am speaking of is inserting 5 coupons from local restaraunts! Don’t feel like cooking? Stop out and enjoy a meal at our sponsors!

Each of the first 200 books will include coupons for:
1 free appetizer at Applebees
1 free appetizer at Outback Steakhouse
$5 off any food or beverage purchase at Buca di Beppo (Over $20)
1 free appetizer or 1 free brunch entree or 1 complimentary kids meal at Bravo! Cucina Italiana!
1 Coupon from Carrabas!

So how do you get a cookbook? Easy, just let me know. I can be reached by email editor@LVnoisenation.com or find me out on the town. We are able to mail the books to you, there will be a shipping charge (about $5 flat rate USPS). We will also be setting up dates and times where you can buy cookbooks. Stay tuned to the blog for more details.

To sum up the book, there will be:
20 Appetizer & Drink Recipes!
11 Salads & Sauces!
12 Side Dishes!
23 Soups, Snacks & Sandwiches!
38 Main Dishes!
41 Desserts!

A whopping total of 145 favorite recipes of the Noise Nation’s family, friends and athletes!

I know you are wondering who these athletes are so…

Allison & Brandon Moss
Amber & Brian Mazone
Andy & Tiffany Tracy
April Slayden McKinney (Jeremy Slayden’s sister)
Bubba Bell
Carrie & Drew Carpenter
Cheryl & Nate Bump
Erik & Sarah Kratz
Jeff Larish
Jessica Williams (Of the National Pro Fastpitch Softball League)
Lauren & Mike Zagurski
Matt Rizzotti
Michael Schwimer
Natalie & Brian Bocock
Sarah & Ryan Feierabend
Scott Mathieson

Also an old family recipe from our favorite radio broadcaster Matt Provence!

Several recipes from these great businesses in the area!
Looper’s Bar & Grille
Black Forrest Deli

A special mention to the wonderful sponsors whose generosity made this project possible:
Applebees
Aw Shucks
BVD’ Rangs
Bravo!
Buca di Beppo
Cast group
Easton Women’s Softball League
Condoms galore
Diamondwear Apparel
Westgate Optical
Enternet
Fink Ink
Fossils Last Stand Pub & Grill
Frank Mitman Digital Imagine
Heather Mastropieri – My Thirty One
Hidden Mountain Coffee Traders
JC Sons Excavating
Kathy Frederici – Arbonne International
Martin’s chips
Nacci Printing
PA Commercial Action Network
Michael Schlossberg
Mike Welsh
Modern Design Salon
Outback
Philly Pretzel
Whitehall Turf Equipment
Scentsible by nature
Scott & Annemarie
Trexler Auto Sales
Tommy Burke Provisions

Thanks to all who helped bring this project together!

As Jose Contreras was recalled to the Phillies, they sent Herndon back to the Ironpigs.

Also, Niuman Romero was sent from LV to Reading.