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All over Twitter with this news…

Mike Zagurski was traded to Arizona for a player to be named later.

That makes two.

Posted on his Facebook status, Jeff Larish announced (possibly as informal as it can get) that he is now a free agent.

Before his disastrous slide into home plate resulting in a season ending broken leg Larish hit .240 with 13 HR and 37 RBI in 75 games for the IronPigs.

He is the first 2011 IronPig to go.. who’ll be next?

More to ponder on…

Baseball burnout

I’ve attended almost 300 IronPigs games in 4 years. In 2008 I missed 3 games, none in 09 or 10 and only 4 this past season. I can tell you first hand that at the end of the season I am burnt out. Baseball ended almost a week ago and I can barely watch the Phillies run to the post season. It has become a habit.

Per Dictionary.com a habit is defined as:

“an acquired behavior pattern regularly followed until it has become almost involuntary”

My car could drive itself to Coca Cola Park. At 5:00pm each day I find myself throwing on the old Pete Rose powder blue jersey thinking I’ll soon be late to the gates opening.

It’s almost a lifestyle at this point.

Looking at the possibility of baseball on every day in 2012 (If the SWB Yankees make a deal to play here in Allentown) I could imagine what would happen to me.

1. My lawn would be a jungle.

2. Housework? What’s that?

3. My dog would only see me on scheduled Bring Your Dog to the Park days.

4. I’d probably consider moving into an RV in the CCP porking lot. (I just read that aloud.. lol)

5. I would have to continuously walk laps around the park as all I would eat is ball park food.

Really, my attempt at humor above isn’t how it would really happen but I would have to cut back on baseball. I wouldn’t be alone here.

The Lehigh Valley Fans have led the Minor leagues in attendance two years running now. Sure, ticket prices have gone up by $1 across the board but that’s not a backbreaker. 72 openings, sometimes fewer if rainouts turn into doubleheaders or are outright cancelled. It’s a lot.

For me, I take those costs to one. A friend always reminds me that his costs are multiplied by 4. Add in a spouse and 2 kids and it becomes a lot for season ticket costs and actual attendance. 4 hot dogs, 8 drinks, 4 foam fingers, 4 cotton candies, etc.

What I’m getting at is, “Will the Lehigh Valley support both teams, one team over the other or support each team equally?”

I think it would be highly unlikely that both teams fill the park every game. SWB and LV leading the average attendance leader board all season probably won’t be something we would see.

Equal support isn’t likely either. People here are Pig fans and that loyalty has been cemented in with the 2011 season.

What I would see as a likely scenario is the Pigs will draw and SWB will take the leftovers. They will pull in those who are “Real” Yankees fans. They will also get folks who could care less about who is playing. The fans who are more concerned with the baseball themed pinball machine that minor league baseball has become. Those people will attend games at their conveniance whether it be an IronPigs game or a Yankees game.

With that said, the IronPigs will lose a portion of their attendance in that demographic.

Could you imagine the IronPigs averaging 5-6,000 fans a game?

If SWB plays in the Lehigh Valley, I would think it’s a possibility.

Going back to the Pig’s drawing factors in previous years…

2008 – First season, New park
2009 – Second season, Sorta new park
2010 – All Star Game
2011 – Ryne Sandberg

What will 2012 bring the Pigs? We were all hoping that a Governor’s cup championship would be that “draw factor” but have been left with a deep playoff run to the finals. I honestly don’t think Sandberg will be back for another season with the IronPigs. If another MLB team doesn’t pick him up as a manager, he would fit nicely in as a coach for the Phillies and eventual replacement if Charlie decides to retire. While I’d love to see his aggressive style of play and leadership stay, I’m not holding my breath until April.

What will be the 2012 bring? What is that gimmick, that niche that will pull in the crowds?

I don’t think it will be the SWB Yankees. If I were a Yankees fan {spit} I would be incredibly happy.

What frightens me the most, (Yes, I know this is unlikely), is that the Yankees spend the year in Allentown and like it. The Yankees have a lot of money. A LOT of money. They have poor attendance numbers in Moosic. Most fans I’ve met at SWB games are Phillies fans. I know a lot of Yankee fans here in the Lehigh Valley. A lot of NYC and NJ transplants who love their Yankees. (Good for them, root for the home team no matter where you move) I’m afraid the Yankees will get a taste of high attendance (read revenue) and will attempt to make a move to Allentown.

Not happening you say? Never consider it? You’re off your rocker again Dan….

Think about it this way. Moosic started as a Phillies affiliate. When the Phillies pulled out of SWB in 2007 they were leaving an antiquated park designed to resemble Veteran’s stadium. In 2013, the Moosic park will be brand new. Brand spankin new and closely resembling Coca Cola Park in Allentown. At this point, CCP will be 6 years old. The fan base will be set, maybe even decreasing slightly.

More Phillies fans in SWB area than Yankee fans

Many Yankee fans in Lehigh Valley

If memory serves me, the Phillies signed a 4 year association deal with the IronPigs following the 2008 season. That contract expires after the 2012 season.

Minor league teams move and re-affiliate all the time. Sure you can say that Allentown is a lot closer to Philly than SWB is, but it’s just an hours difference. Not like relocating to Ottawa.

While chances are slim that this scenario happens, if the 1% chance of the “Perfect opportunity” comes around, it could happen. The Yankees could throw a lot of money at the IronPigs ownership around affiliation renewal time and whammo.. the LV Yankees come alive.

Earlier this season someone suggested I give up on the Noise Nation fan club idea and join the LV Yankees fan club. As the LV Yankee fan club is a great organization.. they do charity work, hold fundraisers, etc. and they have a lot of fun together, I could never see myself associated with a team I’m not a fan of. Looking at what theoretically “could” happen might lead me down that road.

Food for thought. My apologies for the length of this post. Putting this out there for conversation.

OinK

Leave your funny caption suggestion in the comments of this post. Next week I will post a voting poll and the best will win a “Mystery Prize”

Can you find anything funny about this photo? (Note - This is Cody Ransom)

*This contest is for fun. I reserve the right to all decision making, rules, etc.

With the winning caption…

“Sandberg said we had to light a fire under our asses if we want to win the Governor’s Cup. Who wants to go first?”

From The Corner Seat!

Vote for the funniest caption!

The end of the IronPig season brings many things to wonder about.. and a whole lot of waiting.

The SWB Yankees deadline of making a decision where they would play has passed. No decision yet.

I have more questions in regards to this but first, congratulations to the Columbus Clippers who won the AAA Championship last night. For a team who destroyed the International League all season and just about swept their way to the Governor’s Cup, well deserved win.

More questions / thoughts about SWB’s 2012 home:

1. What’s in it for Lehigh County?

Sure, the IronPigs pay rent.. it is supposed to pay towards the cost for the $50 million park. Most hotel or apartments charge extra for additional tennants. What would Lehigh County get out of this deal? I’m looking at rent and fees here, not impact to the Lehigh Valley.

2. What’s in it for the IronPigs?

Would you want to share your home without compensation? Have the IronPigs ever done anything that didn’t have their best interests at the forefront of the decision?

3. What will ticket plans/prices look like?

Will the prices mirror the current IronPig prices? Keep in mind that the ticket price went up $1 per ticket for next season. I would find it hard to believe if SWB forfeits ticket money and equally hard to believe if the IronPigs don’t ask for a cut on sales.

4. Will Champ share Ferrous and FeFe’s barn?

Ok, threw this one in the lighten the post up a bit. I realize we’ve been beating this story into the ground but it’s the only interesting thing I’ve seen since the season ended.

Still makes for a good conversation/debate within the Noise Nation.

Also, some good news. Whitehall has approved a woman’s request to keep her pet pig Porkus.

OinK

From SEC TV2

Continuing on with the discussion on where the 2012 SWB Yankees will play…

Many feel, have heard, are leaning towards the decision that they will be tenants of Coca Cola Park in 2012.

One thing that came to mind this afternoon was, “Why not Yankee Stadium?”

Why not?

New York City is the heart of the Yankee fan base. Combine the hard economic times and the incredibly high prices to attend NY Yankee games I’m sure the locals would relish the opportunity to see baseball in Yankee stadium at minor league prices. (Maybe not minor league prices, but a significant discount)

Any other thoughts on this?

Confirmed this morning with the International League office that….

There has not been a decision made in regards to where the 2012 SWB Yankees will play their home games.

While many think it would be a great idea to have the Yankees in the Lehigh Valley… there are a few questions and concerns I have with the idea.

1. 72 additional games played at the park.

Wear and tear on the park. Imagine field conditions if there would be a game played there every single day. Imagine the food stands, the seating area the fatigue on game day employees. A potential for new jobs? A potential for more hours for exisiting workers?

2. Front offices.
We’ve got one, they’ve got one. From promotions to giveways to ticketing to rain outs to parking to fireworks. (Get ready Allentown hotels) Imagine the marketing nightmare if there are conflicting team sponsors. Will there be an office sharing plan, a trailer park set up in the parking lot or will they move into an empty office building in the area?

3. Ticketing / Scheduling

Scheduling would be difficult, even as the schedule is most likely in place at this point. Scheduling SWB games on IronPig away dates isn’t a problem but figure travel into that. These schedules are made to minimize travel costs and fatigue. Think about the July 4th weekend rule that says every team must have a home game over that weekend. We end up with one home game on Friday, an away game on Saturday and a home game on Sunday.. all against the same team.

4. SWB Fans

I’ve met many great SWB fans in our trips to Moosic. How many of them would be willing to drive the hour south for every home game? I would not be happy as a season ticket holder.

5. Revenue from Coca Cola Park

Who gets the cash? Ticket sales, concessions, parking.. team store. Who gets the money? Will there be a section of our team store filled with SWB Yankees gear? Could there even be, gasp, Yankee signage in our beloved CCP?

With any scenario I can run through my head, I can’t see the SWB Yankees making a dime in 2012 if they play their home games at CCP. I think it’s more likely that the Yankees will split time between several fields. Even if it turns out to be a local college field or a few games in their other minor league parks, (Trenton/Staten Island) they could create a barnstorming-like tour of their system to prove more profitable than just squatting in the IronPig’s backyard.

My apologies for looking at this from the business perspective rather than a fan’s outlook, but I felt it more appropriate to address this as business reasons will be the factors for the final decision.

How soon should we expect a decision? Well, the league is gathering in New Mexico this week for league meetings. The AAA Championship game is happening on Tuesday. I would think we should know soon after all the details are worked out.

OinK

It’s taken me a while to think back over this 2011 IronPig season. Watching them walk off the field defeated Friday night left me with mixed feelings.

I was happy to have had the 2011 IronPigs, each and every one of them.

I was happy to see Ryne Sandberg leading the team all summer.

I was happy to see how a team of players came together, unlike the previous years.

I was happy for a break. Really, this blogging every day stuff wears you out. Rushing home after the home games to write up game notes, listening intently to every pitch announced by Matt Provence and Jon Schaffer, getting to the games early to check out that day’s promotions or special events. It’s a lot of effort.

I was sad we didn’t win the championship.

I am mostly sad that this season and this team is over. Get ready for 2012 and the reset switch will be pressed.

There’s a movie released a few years back, Adam Sandler was in it, where his girlfriend would go to sleep and forget whatever happened the day before and started that new day fresh. The same seems to go that way in minor league baseball. We may see some familiar faces back next year.. mostly the younger players. We were lucky in the past to keep Andy Tracy for 3 years and Rich Thompson for 4 years. How many faces have we seen come and go over the past 4 years or even this season. We said goodbye to guys like Brian Gordon, Jason Grilli, Drew Carpenter, Brian Bocock… to name a few. Imagine what the team will look like next year.

Will the 2012 team have the same sense of humor, the same chemistry and/or the same relationship with the fans? It’s hard to tell. Some guys have chosen retirement. I’ve heard that Jason Anderson has retired. Andy Tracy, while not officially announced to my knowledge, is likely to retire soon. Some of these guys have been playing pro ball for 10 + years in the minor leagues. I hope we get a good friendly team back in.

On that same note, I am sad to see this group of professionals depart. It was a great season not only because of finishing with a winning record or that the Pigs made the playoffs or that they made it to the finals. It was great because this year the players actually joined in all the fun at CCP that we haven’t seen much before.

Tagg Bozied and his Dos Piggies “Most Interesting Man in Baseball” skits.

Brandon Moss putting the playball kids up to something before each game.

The bullpen changing the lottery numbers posted.

Delwyn Young and Doug Heater holding an interview while riding tricycles.

Scott Mathieson bringing his dog to the bullpen on dog day.

Kids being invited to join the players in the bullpen for an inning.

There are so many more… these come to my mind first. Feel free to add your own memories in the comments.

While the relief of the season’s end is among us, we have a whole off-season to refresh and get ready for next year.

My only hope for the off season…. that we have a team next year that comes close to the team we had this year. (And the Seahawks winning the SuperBowl, but I think I have a better chance at the former happening)

Over the next few weeks Decal, Kram, DiPro & I will keep the blog going through the Championship Series and World Series. Then begins the fun stuff of transactions, trades, moves and planning begins for 2012. It was a memorable season and I’m seeing this offseason as being a crazy time as well.

One last thing I’d like to say.

The first month I logged into the Noise Nation Horn & Bells blog was January 2010. That month the blog had 70 hits for the entire month. We finished the year out with over 37,000 views. In 2011, as of this writing, we have had 56,799 views this year. That number is thanks to you the reader.

I never in my wildest dreams thought anyone would want to read what I wrote (I’d imagine my 7th grade English teacher would agree with me) but I want to again take a moment and thank you for reading, for commenting, for participating in our blog.

I would also like to take a second to thank those who supported the Noise Nation this season. Look at all the icons on the right side and you will see those generous folks who made our cook book fundraiser a success. Please do your best to support these local businesses.

Many, many thanks go out to Bert and his Philly Pretzel crew! They have always gone above and beyond on their support of the Noise Nation and we thank you!

What the Noise Nation did in 2011:

Charity Cookbook – Raised almost $3,500 for the National Brain Tumor Society

IronPig Camp – Sponsored a deserving child to attend the IronPigs baseball camp.

Group trip to Scranton to see the Pigs face the SWB Yankees

Group trip to Pawtucket. (More on this trip here.)

While we will be taking a short break to relax this week, stay tuned to the blog for more info on upcoming events and activities.

We will be checking out the LV Roller Girls Roller Derby team, an authentic Russian Dinner “Kiev Night” at the Black Forrest Deli in Bethlehem and also look to get ready for the LV Steelhawks season in the spring. Anyone else interested in taking a road trip to see the Phantoms before they move to Allentown?

I’ll leave it at that for tonight.

OinK.