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The Pigs took the opening game of the 4 game series against the SWB Yankees tonight behind Andy Tracy’s 2 run home run deep into the Bud Light Trough at Coca Cola Park!

John Mayberry went 3 for 4 with a run scored.

The story tonight is Brian Mazone! Mazone went 6 innings allowing 2 hits, no runs striking out 6. He had a perfect game going until a fly ball dropped between Mayberry and Tavares in right field. Honestly, it was right in front of me and it seemed (by my point of view) that Mayberry saw that ball leaving the park. Sore knee and all, he didn’t seem to be making much of an effort to get there. Maybe a “we’re down by 6 runs in the 9th inning hustle” but not during a potential no-hitter/perfect game scenario. Where is DeWayne Wise when you need him? Oh yeah, he is on Toronto’s roster. Wise was initially called up for an injury replacement but stayed around after the player returned. Looks like his gamble payed off.

Also looks like Zagurski will be the Pig’s new closer. He came in for the 9th earning his 1st save of 2010 striking out 2 of the 3 batters he faced.

Scott Mathieson was called up today but didn’t get in to the game yet. Phillies looked good the past two days and hearing a lot of buzz from sportswriters about the “Mathieson effect” of him turning the Phillies play around.. we’ll see.

It was nice to run into my 6th grade math teacher tonight. No idea how I recognized him after all these years but still great to see him at the game.

Another Friday night fireworks game tomorrow. Hopefully the Pigs can continue to play well through the weekend.

OINK!

Thanks to Bacon and Biscuits we now know that Scott Mathieson has been called up to the Phillies to replace Bastardo.

Can you hear the collective, “It’s about time!”?

There is only one more week of voting before the polls close! Get those votes out for the Ironpigs!

Current Ironpig Standings:
Catcher – Paul Hoover (1st)
1st Base – Andy Tracy (1st)
2nd Base – Luis Maza (2nd) Tug Hullet 1st
3rd Base – Cody Ransom (1st)
Shortstop – Brian Bocock (3rd) Elliot Johnson 1st
Outfield – John Mayberry (1st) Rich Thompson (3rd) Chris Duffy (5th)
DH – No Ironpigs in top 5
Starting Pitcher – Drew Carpenter (1st) Brian Mazone (2nd) Nate Bump (4th)
Relief Pitcher – Scott Mathieson (1st) Mike Zagurski (2nd)

There were some significant changes to this voting aspect as some key stars have already been called up to the Majors.
Catcher Carlos Santana
3rd Baseman Pedro Alvarez
Starting Pitcher Jake Arietta
Outfielder Daniel Nava

Also announced was that Dave Huppert will be an International League bench coach and Jason Kirkman the team’s trainer.

Just taking a moment to mention the new link at the top of the page.

Diamond Wear Apparel has agreed to sell Noise Nation T-shirts via their website and all orders should be directed to them. The Link is located at the top of the blog and I’ve also added below.
http://noisenation.wordpress.com/nn-tshirts/

Also added a link to the Ironpig’s Fan Cruise information. If you’re planning on going along make sure to mention you are part of the Noise Nation!

Below are some existing links to our Facebook and Twitter accounts:
Follow the Noise Nation and The Horn & Bell on Twitter!

@NOISENATION

http://twitter.com/NoiseNation

Join the Noise Nation’s Facebook group!

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=79394292806

Look for the Noise Nation App on iTunes for your iPod or iPhone!

Well they lost again. Will try to find out about the post game scuffle mentioned during the post game show.

So tomorrow the Ironpig’s have a day off and I decided I will be taking a day off too.

Taking in some golf tomorrow at “The Official Golf Course of the Lehigh Valley Ironpigs!”

Wish me luck and enjoy your Tuesday.

If you are looking for something to do tomorrow evening, Noise Nation member Matt Metal’s wife Krysta will be inducted into the Lehigh Valley Softball Hall of Fame at around 7:00pm at Pates Park in Allentown. Go out and support the Nation!

OINK!

Well the last person you thought would give up a heart breaking grand slam in the bottom of the ninth holding a 3 run lead would be Scott Mathieson. When you see Scott head into the game, Pig fans would generally breath a sigh of relief. I wonder if that “oh no” cringe that our dear friend Gary Majewski gave us last year will soon return when our closer toes the mound. I doubt it but I am getting a feeling and this feeling isn’t good.

It’s getting closer and closer to the time where the Phillies have got to be saying, “What were we thinking when we traded Cliff Lee?!” Finger pointing will begin and fans across Phillies Nation will be calling it a terrible time. Those die hards will say it’s a slump and the Phils will surely resolve their issues and come out on top. Whatever the end of this season’s book will be… one thing is for sure.

The Phillies are going to do anything and everything they can to catalyst themselves to another post season berth. Looking at the Phillies starting rotation:

Roy Halladay – This guy is truck at the top of the flagpole. No problems here. Long term deal and long term arm.

Cole Hamels – Hamels is 6 and 5 with a 3.74 ERA. He’s not doing bad but when he decides to leave his motivation in the locker room it can get ugly. I heard a lot about Kyle Kendrick stepping to the side of Halladay to be mentored. I wonder if this is the case with Hamels. Two years ago he was the Wunderkind and he got ALL the attention. Could this be a sibling rivalry?

Jamie Moyer – This guy is predictably unpredictable. He’s either really on or really off. Either way the Phillies need to use him as a change of pace role. Him starting or ending a series is a bad idea.. even if a spot start by someone else is needed to maintain that role. If another team faces Stephen Strasburg the day before and Moyer the next, he will be effective. If that same team faces another wily veteran with a low velocity pitch.. well he’s going to get Red Socked again. Don’t underestimate his intelligence and preparation but if the other team is properly prepared they will hit Moyer well.

Kyle Kendrick – Kendrick is Kendrick. I still say he is more so a long reliever or spot starter. Nothing lights out but he seems to pitch better when there is little pressure. He’s still young so this could change.

Joe Blanton – Blanton is 1 and 5 with a 7.38 ERA. With the way the Phillies hit last year (and before this year’s collective slump) Blanton did well. If they are scraping for runs, he is getting shelled. I honestly don’t see Blanton finishing this season with the Phillies unless he/they make an incredible run into August.

So where does that leave us?

There are a few pitchers on the Lehigh Valley staff who could perform at the MLB level. Drew Carpenter wouldn’t be allowed to start. Nelson Figueroa would be a good choice. Nate Bump is doing well, but not well enough to impress the brass in Philly. Then there is Mathieson.

Are you thinking what I’m thinking Pinky?

I think the trade rumors will start soon and Mathieson will be at the top of the list. So will be Jayson Werth and Raul Ibanez. Figueroa cleared waivers a few weeks back and it doesn’t seem interest is high in him.

Look out minor league Phillies affiliates. It’s coming and if the Phillies don’t start turning heads soon they will start dealing them.

Andy Tracy is ON FIRE!

Tracy went 3 for 3 with a walk and hit his 9th HR of the season!

Cody Ransom hit his 15th HR of the season! Could the Ironpigs see their first 30 HR season out of Ransom?

Scott Mathieson, who was unsually wild tonight, gave up a walk off grand slam to blow his 2nd save and earn his 2nd loss.

Pigs lose 6 to 7. 😦

I went and picked up my All Star game tickets this afternoon and I have to say they look good. Larger than life with bright colors and a catchy design. I was kinda hoping for a hologram but hey, you don’t always get what you want…

After picking up the tickets I strolled over to the Majestic store and ended up leaving with even more good stuff. I picked up a 2010 Card set and a 2009 set.. I forgot to buy one last year. Also got an auto magnet of the Pig head logo for my car. I saw there is a decal set (no relation to frequent reader Decal) but I passed on it for now. Nice decals but I don’t think I have enough window room on my car.

They also had an incredible discount on the First Pitch panorama photos. For both the First pitch Phillies exhibition game and the actual first league game photo the cost is now $10 by itself and $50 framed. I will frame it myself so I added it to my pile of “I need to frame them” photos when I got home.

All in all a good day.

OINK!

By now most Ironpig fan faithfuls have heard of the Ironpig’s Fan Cruise in November. What you don’t know, or what hasn’t been publicized yet is what I’m going to tell you about.

Basic info can be found at the Boscov Travel’s website:
http://boscovstravel.com/groups/ironpigs/cruise.asp

7-Night Bahamas & Florida Cruise
Aboard Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Jewel
Departs New York City
November 14-21, 2010

Package Inclusions

•Seven nights cruise accommodations
•All included meals and entertainment while aboard the ship
•Services of a professional Boscov’s Travel Escort
•Souvenir IronPigs Gift
•Exclusive events with the IronPigs Organization: All Star 1st Baseman Andy Tracy, Kurt Landes (General Manager), Matt Provence (Announcer) and mascots FeRROUS & FeFe
•Cruise taxes and government fees, which are subject to change at the discretion of the cruise line

Itinerary

Day Port Arrive Depart
Sun New York City 4:00 pm
Mon Day at Sea
Tue Port Canaveral (Orlando), Florida 12:00 pm 10:00 pm
Wed Great Stirrup Cay, Bahamas 11:00 am 6:00 pm
Thu Nassau, Bahamas 8:00 am 6:00 pm
Fri Day at Sea
Sat Day at Sea
Sun New York City 8:00 am

Prices are usually subject to change so check the link above to confirm and make reservations. Also, make sure to mention that you heard about this from the NOISE NATION!

***
So now the good stuff…

What you haven’t heard about this cruise is that it is very family friendly. After speaking to Boscov’s travel I was informed that this cruise is also being sponsored by Nickelodeon and will feature games and characters from Nickelodeon shows

From the Norwegian Cruise Lines web site:
•Meet your favorite Nickelodeon characters like SpongeBob SquarePants, Dora the Explorer and more.
•Participate in Nickelodeon’s signature messy game show, Slime Time Live!
•Parents and kids can reconnect with the whole family during scavenger hunts, Family Improv, Storytime and more.
•Enjoy exciting trips ashore designed specifically for families.

Also will be exclusive events for the Ironpig fans including:
– Question and Answer sessions with General Manager Kurt Landes, Voice of the Ironpigs Broadcaster Matt Provence and All Star First Baseman and Fan Favorite Andy Tracy!
– Hitting instruction session with Andy Tracy! (How cool is that?!)
– Ferrous and FeFe! (No word on new or old..)
– An exclusive dinner for Ironpig fans!

Now I know I am scraping my extra change together to get myself on this cruise. It is a perfect date span for me as I always take vacation from work on the week of my birthday and it will be an awesome break from the oncoming winter. Something else I really look forward to, other than the Bahamas, is a day at Port Canaveral. A day to tour the Kennedy Space Center and surrounding areas will make this trip worthwhile on just that day for me.

I am looking into more details and will be getting more information as the summer goes on so stay tuned.

Now a question for you all…

What do you want to know about the Ironpig’s Fan Cruise?

OINK!

It only took Ironpig’s pitcher Nelson Figueroa 2 starts to re-establish himself as a force in the International League!

Figueroa was named as the current IL Pitcher of the week this morning! It is his 4th time being selected for this honor and one of only 9 pitchers in history to be awarded 4 pitcher of the week titles.

In 2 games allowed 7 hits, no runs, 10 K’s and allowed only 3 walks.