Announced today, Ryne Sandberg will return to the Lehigh Valley for the upcoming IronPig’s Charity Banquet. Not a big surprise as the team out in Reading announced he would be at their banquet just about a week ago.
In transactions we noticed fan favorite former IronPig Mike Zagurski has signed with Cleveland and also Derrick Mitchell has signed with the Braves.
That’s all I have today…
Is it April yet?
Filed under Lehigh Valley IronPigs
Steve Lerud signed with the Braves.
The Phillies signed Cesar Jimenez, Andres Blanco and Reid Brignac.
Rob Rasmussen, Tommy Joseph, Aaron Altherr, Kelly Dugan were added to 40-man roster.
Filed under Lehigh Valley IronPigs
The Phillies have signed Right hand pitcher Shawn Camp and outfielder Clete Thomas.
Also, the IronPigs announced the 2014 Banquet information. See below:
2014 PHILLIES WINTER BANQUET SLATED FOR JANUARY 23 AT SANDS EVENTS CENTER
Tickets are Available by Calling (610) 841-PIGS (7447)
(Allentown, Pa.) – The 2014 Phillies Winter Banquet presented by The Air Products Foundation will be held on Thursday, January 23, 2014, at the Sands Events Center in Bethlehem. Guests of Honor will be announced in the near future as last year’s banquet included a number of notable attendees including Phillies General Manager Ruben Amaro, Jr., as well as C Erik Kratz and INF Kevin Frandsen. Seat or table reservations are now on sale and available by calling (610) 841-PIGS (7447). Interested parties are reminded that seating is limited and the Phillies Winter Banquet has sold out in years past.
The annual Phillies Winter Banquet is IronPigs Charities’ flagship event with donations topping $124,000 in 2013. All of the money raised benefits IronPigs Charities, a non-profit organization striving to provide educational and recreational opportunities for children in the Greater Lehigh Valley area.
The main program for Phillies Winter Banquet features players and personnel from the Philadelphia Phillies and includes a dinner and open bar, a sports memorabilia silent auction, raffles and an entertainment portion with the special Phillies guests. Tickets are $85 per person or $775 for a table of ten. Championship tables, allowing patrons entrance to a private pre-event reception are also available. The event will begin at 6 p.m. with a cocktail hour and commencement of the auctions and raffles.
The state-of-the-art Sands Bethlehem Events Center, a spacious 50,000 square foot venue, opened in 2012 on the Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem campus and has already hosted a wide array of premier musical acts, comedians and sporting events. The events center is directly located adjacent to the Sands Hotel. Winter Banquet attendees may enter at any of the Sands Boulevard entrances off 3rd Street and follow the signs directing you to the rear of the hotel.
The Phillies Winter Banquet beneficiary, IronPigs Charities, is a recognized 501(c) (3) non-profit organization on the state and federal level. One of the annual highlights of the Winter Tour event is the distribution of grants to local non-profit organizations. In fact, over $375,000 has been distributed at this event since debuting in 2008. Since its inception in 2007, IronPigs Charities has made more than $560,000 in monetary contributions.
Filed under Lehigh Valley IronPigs
Hey there NoiseNation! Now is the time when Minor League teams start to make plans for the next season. They’re lining up sponsors, renewing season tickets, and starting on the promo schedules and the like. If you’ve got ideas for them, now might be the time to make them known. Maybe not the larger capital construction projects: Larger Scoreboard, full LED ribbon board for the club overhang, upper deck seats above the press box….these are things that will probably need to wait. I’ll share a couple of the ideas that are on my mind this morning, please add yours in the comments section below:
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OK, that’s what I’ve got at the moment. I’ll think of more and add them below. Won’t you, too! Try to think of stuff they can actually do prior to next season in order to be the most constructive.
See you at the SteelHawks…
@kram209
Looks like a few familiar faces coming back.
RHP Luis Paulino
3B Tyler Henson
SS Jonathan Roof
OF Leandro Castro
On another note, J.C. Ramirez will be joining our friend Tyler Cloyd in the Indians organization.
Tis the season for transactions!
Filed under Lehigh Valley IronPigs
At some point today, I’m not exactly sure of the time (I’d bet you could google it) a group of 2013 IronPigs became free agents.
RHP: Justin Friend, Mike MacDougal
LHP: Bobby Bramhall, Tom Cochran, Mauricio Robles, Greg Smith
C: John Suomi
2B: Matt Tolbert
3B: Josh Fields
SS: Miguel Abreu, Andres Blanco
OF: Derrick Mitchell
While Blanco spent just about the entire season on the Disabled list, I’m sure Coca Cola Park would love to revive the “Let’s go, Blan-co!” cheer and some favorites in there that we would like to return.
I read recently that Phillies catcher Ruiz was not offered a guaranteed contract and will enter Free agency this off-season. This might be an indication that the Phillies are either unwilling to pay Ruiz a lot or that they have confidence in Kratz and/or the other catching prospects. Never know who they would try to pick up in case Ruiz leaves.
Out of all of these Pigs I hope to see Friend, Fields, Mitchell and Smith return for the 2014 season.
With that said, I leave you with the most current episode of the Vast Valley of Sports Roller Derby Action…
Filed under Lehigh Valley IronPigs, NoiseNation TV
Bethlehem, PA: The Lehigh Valley Steelhawks, along with Velocity Sports Performance at Game Time Fieldhouse and Domino’s Pizza, are proud to announce the unveiling of a new program for the 2014 season, the Steelhawks Jr. Football League or the SJFL. This league aims to give local youth football teams the opportunity to learn more about the indoor arena football game by providing a league that follows that same style of play. All games will take place during the Steelhawks spring PIFL season and will be played inside Stabler Arena.
The league’s Founding Partner is Velocity Sports Performance at Game Time Fieldhouse, who is also the Official Strength and Conditioning Coaches for the Steelhawks. The two organizations will be bringing the indoor arena football experience to the Valley’s youth by offering a full contact, tackle football league using an arena format. Two divisions, 3rd-4th and 5th-6th grades, of tackle football teams will now be able to enjoy the excitement of indoor arena football during this inaugural season.
Domino’s Pizza is the first Sponsoring Partner of the SJFL. The participating Lehigh Valley Domino’s locations are devoted to the growth, and development of our area’s youth programs, and will be offering many additional discounts to participating families. In addition, they will also be offering the 50 point challenge for all Steelhawk home and away games for the 2014 season once again. Any time the Steelhawks score 50 points during the season, participating Domino’s locations in the Lehigh Valley will be offering a special discount on regularly priced pizzas.
Games will take place morning and early afternoons of selected Steelhawk home games. Players must register as part of a team with a designated coach (individuals may contact the league to register as an individual). There is a $125 fee per player that includes a customized team jersey, a Steelhawk General Admission season ticket, a scheduled team session with Velocity Sports Performance, and a reserved spot at the SJFL skills camp at Game Time Fieldhouse. Each team will play a minimum of 4 regular season games in Stabler Arena. There will be a regular season champion based on best record, as decided by pre-determined tie breakers if needed.
For all registered team coaches, there will be a pre-season information seminar that will go through all relevant league information and schedules. Steelhawk coaches and staff will also be conducting a short SJFL 101 crash course on the rules and procedures of the league.
Each player will be receiving one Steelhawk General Admission Season Ticket. There is a Special Offer for SJFL families to purchase additional season tickets at a discounted price (price to be announced at a later date).
Co-League Director and Head Coach Chris Thompson has big plans for the SJFL, “We have achieved so much in three short seasons as a Professional Indoor football team and the Steelhawks Jr. Football League allows us to grow our style of football, to an even wider array of families and kids in the Lehigh Valley area. We are extremely excited to get this program up and running and can’t wait to watch the experiences families share by being a part of this new Jr. Football League. I have had many experiences over the years with youth programs and there is nothing like this experience out there that will be as fun and exciting for the kids as well as the parents watching.”
Similarly, Co-League Director and Game Day Coordinator Lauren Petri is just as excited to get the SJFL up and running, “We have been working hard to get the Jr. League ready to unveil as the latest Lehigh Valley Steelhawks program. I think it will be a great way for kids and families throughout the Lehigh Valley to learn more about arena football and experience firsthand how exciting it is to be a part of.”
To learn more about the SJFL visit http://www.lvsteelhawks.com/sjfl. If you have any questions please contact league directors Lauren Petri, lpetri@lvsteelhawks.com, or Chris Thompson, cthompson@lvsteelhawks.com.
The Steelhawks are already beginning the recruiting process for the 2014 season. The first open tryout for the 2014 season will be Sunday, November 24rd at Iron Lakes Sports Complex. Stay tuned for the Steelhawks to announce their 2014 PIFL game schedule, coming soon! Keep checking for the latest news and events from the Steelhawks! For further information please call Lehigh Valley Steelhawks Executive Vice President and General Manager Mike Clark at (610) 282-3100, or visit our website at http://www.LVSteelhawks.com for the latest Steelhawks news!
Fans are reminded that 2014 season ticket deposits are being accepted now to reserve your seats for the 2014 PIFL season. You can reserve your seats by calling the Steelhawks front office at 610-282-3100. Ticket packages start as low as $48!
The Steelhawks are a PROFESSIONAL Arena Football team that plays in The Professional Indoor Football League. The PIFL (www.proifl.com) is a seven team league with franchises in six states. The league holds a 12-game regular season schedule that runs March through June. The PIFL’s playoffs culminate in late June with the PIFL Championship Cup. Season ticket packages start as low as $8 per game (or $48 for the full season) and games are an exciting event for people of the Lehigh Valley to attend on weekend nights.
Filed under Steel Hawks
The future’s in the air
I can feel it everywhere
Blowing with the wind of change
–The Scorpions
I noticed something the other day, and perhaps you did, too. I know DiPro did, because we talked about it. Surely, you’re on the IronPigs email list, right? I think I’m on it several times.
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The Majestic Clubhouse Store, at Coca Cola Park, is having a sale. We got the email. This is nothing unique in the Minor Leagues. I imagine they’d like to further clean out the Summer ’13 inventory while getting ready for the Holiday Shopping Season and then the ’14 regular season. I got a similar email from the Rail-Porcupines. However, we took notice of some of the items on sale from the IronPigs:
New Era 59FIFTY official AWAY cap $15
New Era 59FIFTY official SATURDAY cap $15
New Era 59FIFTY official SUNDAY cap $15
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Here in Kram’s Korner, we’re thinking that means some new gear for 2014. I’d predict the powder blue ‘pig head’ cap, already on sale, as the replacement for Sunday–to match the powder blue jersey. The new away jersey debuted last season. I’d predict a new away cap with just an ‘L’ for “Lehigh” echoing the design of the jersey (big LEHIGH little valley.) (note: I do not like this. Lehigh is a school. The Lehigh Valley is a region.) And, just guessing, but I’d predict some kind of new vest for Saturday. Or, perhaps some kind of red pullover similar to the Sunday jersey–with a completely different red cap design. Perhaps a darker red, like the Phils used to have…. What do I want? Something with pinstripes. It’s unlikely because I know they like to use these alternate outfits on the road to help with laundry management.
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Yes, this is all conjecture. I was not able to get confirmation or hints from anyone connected with the IronPigs. But if you need more proof: The replica Saturday, Sunday, and Away caps are on sale as well. As are the youth designs…
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I’ll see you at the store, where I’ll be stocking up on the soon-to-be vintage merchandise, while regretting not getting some good Reading gear last year in advance of the Ostrich era,
@Kram209
Outrighted by the Phillies to Triple-A Lehigh Valley: LHP Cesar Jimenez, RHP J.C. Ramirez, and outfielders Roger Bernadina and Casper Wells.
Bernadina hit just .187 in 75 at bats for the Phillies after being acquired as a free agent on August 21st from the Nationals. He had hit just .178 for Washington in 2013 after hitting .291 in 2012. Casper Wells was acquired off the waiver wire from the White Sox on August 8th. He had just 1 hit in 24 at bats with the Phillies.
Jimenez was 4-2 3.12 in 66.1 innings with the Ironpigs in 2013. He threw just 17 innings for the Phillies and was 1-1 with a 3.71 ERA. J.C. Ramirez is still only 25 years old and was 4-2 4.71 with the Ironpigs last season. In his time with the Phillies he was 0-1 7.50 in 24 innings. He was one of the players acquired when the Phillies sent Cliff Lee to Seattle in December, 2009.
The Phillies currently have 30 players on their 40 man roster with another 6 on the 60 Day Disabled List (Adams, Horst, Kendrick, Lannan, Pettibone, Howard).
Filed under From the Desk of Decal, Lehigh Valley IronPigs
The UCLA Bruins baseball team had a dominant pitching staff in the 2010 season. Their pitching took them all the way to the final game of the College World Series where they dropped an 11 inning heart-breaker to the South Carolina Gamecocks by a 2-1 score. In 2011, two of the pitchers from that UCLA staff were selected first and third in the MLB draft. The first to go was Gerrit Cole, now in the starting rotation for the Pittsburgh Pirates and the winner of Game 2 in the 2013 NLDS against the St. Louis Cardinals. With the third pick, the Arizona Diamondbacks selected Trevor Bauer from UCLA. In December, 2012 Bauer was traded to the Cleveland Indians in a blockbuster 3 team deal. Surprisingly, neither of those aces was the pitcher to start the 2010 College World Series Championship game for UCLA. That honor went to a 5’9″ left-hander by the name of Rob Rasmussen.
As a high school pitcher in Pasadena, California, Rasmussen compiled a 4 year record of 38-2 with a 1.04 ERA. In 248.2 career innings in his high school career, he allowed just 37 earned runs while racking up 492 strikeouts. His 12-0 record in his senior year earned him first team All-State and third team All-American honors. But, because he had already made a firm commitment to go to college, he wasn’t drafted until the Dodgers took a chance on him in the 27th round of the 2007 draft. As expected, he passed on the Dodgers offer and went to UCLA.
After an injury plagued 2008 season at UCLA he appeared in 18 games for the Bruins in 2009, 6 of those games as a starter. He was 4-2 with a high ERA of 6.75 but recorded 51 strikeouts in just 44.2 innings. He became the number 3 starter for UCLA in 2010 and started 19 games. He finished the season with an 11-3 record and a 2.72 ERA which was the fourth best ERA in the Pac-10. In 109.1 innings he recorded 128 strikeouts while walking just 35 batters. In game 3 of the NCAA Super Regionals, he threw a complete game 2-hit shutout while striking out 9 and walking just 1. That win over Cal State Fullerton sent UCLA to the College World Series for the first time since 1997. The Bruins advanced all the way to the College World Series championship game on June 29, 2010 where they dropped that heartbreaking 11 inning 2-1 pitcher’s duel to the University of South Carolina. Rob Rasmussen threw 6 scoreless innings while allowing 6 hits and striking out 5 in that game.
Rob Rasmussen was selected by the Florida Marlins in the 2nd round (73rd overall) of the 2010 draft. He signed with the Marlins in 2010 and played in the Marlins farm system until July of 2012 when he was traded to the Houston Astros in the deal that sent Carlos Lee from Houston to Miami. Then, in December of 2012 the Astros traded him to his hometown Dodgers in exchange for minor league right-handed pitcher John Ely. In 2013, at age 24, Rasmussen struggled at the AAA level in the Dodgers organization going 0-7 at Albuquerque. He pitched well at AA, finishing 3-4 2.55 with Chattanooga in the Southern League and, in 81.1 innings, he allowed just 60 hits and walked 28 while striking out 76 batters.
Finally, the journey to the major leagues for Rob Rasmussen took another surprising turn when on August 31st of this year, his hometown Dodgers shipped him to the Philadelphia Phillies in exchange for veteran Michael Young. With the 2013 minor league season coming to a close, Rasmussen has yet to pitch his first game in the Phillies organization. He will likely begin the 2014 season as a member of the Reading Fightin’ Phils but it would not be a surprise if his journey takes him to the Lehigh Valley Ironpigs sometime during the upcoming season. But the fact that such a young and talented left-handed pitcher has changed teams 4 times in 4 seasons can certainly raise some questions regarding the reason for all the changes. Was he really in such high demand that 4 teams insisted he be included in trades? Or did all those teams get a good look at him and decide he wasn’t what they expected? I prefer to take a positive approach and assume that the reason he has been traded so often is because there is a high demand for a pitcher with his abilities. Hopefully the Philadelphia Phillies will turn out to be the final destination for Rob Rasmussen.
Filed under From the Desk of Decal, Lehigh Valley IronPigs
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