This might be a shameless plug request but doing this for a cause…

In order to print the charity cookbook this summer we need to raise capital to pay for the initial printing. We are offering ad space in the cookbook for as low as $25. Each ad in the cookbook will receive a comparable ad on this blog. If you, or anyone you know, would be interested in helping us raise funds for the National Brain Tumor Society, please let me know.. editor@LVnoisenation.com. All donations will be considered tax deductible by the National Brain Tumor Society.

Also, to make our blog more attractive for potential sponsors, I also ask you to take a moment to spread the word about the Horn & Bell blog. We all know fellow Ironpig fans and I would really appreciate it you passed on the link to our blog via email, Facebook, Twitter.. which ever medium you prefer. More blog hits helps our sponsors out too.

Thank you all for your continued support and Go Pigs!

OinK!

The Ironpigs have announced a fan vote to select the newest feature food item to be served at Coca Cola Park in the 2011 season!

Among the contenders:
The “Three Little Pigs” Sandwich – Feast on this: Three different types of meat featuring four strips of mouth-watering bacon, over two inches of thick ham and four ounces of succulent pulled pork. A rich barbeque sauce compliments the meat that is served on a fresh Kaiser bun.

2 Inches of ham? Is that in length, width or thickness? Succulent pulled pork or what is served on the “Big Porker” and Pork Nachos? So many questions on this one that I can’t bring myself to vote for it.

Diggity Dog – The hot dog has been reinvented with Black Angus beef, two slices of hot-off-the-grill bacon and melted American cheese on a hearty steak roll. Savor the taste with ultimate array of toppings including fried onion straws and barbeque sauce.

Beef hot dog – Good. Bacon on the grill – Ok. Hearty steak roll – Might be too much bread.. but in my radar.

Double Blast Burger – Imagine the double cheese-burger flipped on its head! Two, half-pound beef patties, two slices of American cheese, French fries and coleslaw on a fresh Kaiser bun.

I like the coleslaw. I really like coleslaw on pork. Never really tried it on a cheeseburger but I like where they are headed with this.

Loaded Fries – French fries crammed with cheese, pulled pork barbeque, chopped bacon, sour cream, chopped tomato and heart-pounding spicy jalapeno peppers. Don’t forget to grab some napkins!

In a unique twist to the popular Philly Fries (Basically a cheesesteak on fries rather than a roll), they add pulled pork. Noteably not “succulent” pulled pork. Again I wonder if it’s the same stuff that I’ve come to align with a sprint to the restroom. Sour cream and bacon though… I like sour cream and bacon.

Of all the options to vote for.. if I have to vote I would take the beef hot dog sans the cheese as I have a feeling it might end up with the whiz fountain that adorns the nachos.

My Coca Cola Park favorite remains the Pretzel Burger. It’s quality remained constant, even if the beef patty was reduced in size towards the end of the season. The All Star sandwich seemed to meet a similiar fate in August. I guess $7 only buys so much food.

Anyways, feel free to comment and voting can be done here.

Full article from Ironpig’s website:

Barring a trade or injury, the Phillies will have Raul Ibanez, Shane Victorino and Ben Francisco on their opening day roster.  Ross Gload can also play a corner outfield position (as well as first base) and he is likely to be with the Phillies as a lefty on the bench.  It appears that there should be room for one or two additional outfielders with the Phillies depending on how many pitchers Charlie keeps on the team.  Domonic Brown and John Mayberry Jr. would be the two most likely candidates for the extra spot, with newly acquired Delwyn Young also a strong candidate since he can play either corner outfield position, second base and also fill in at third in a pinch.  The Phillies biggest need in the outfield appears to be another right handed bat.  Brown is a lefty but he is one of the top prospects in all of baseball.  Mayberry bats right handed and Delwyn Young is a switch hitter.  I don’t think the Phillies can afford to keep Brown unless they put him in right field fulltime.   I may be wrong but I don’t see that happening.   Mayberry was told by the Phillies to bring a first baseman’s mitt to spring training so he can learn how to play first base.  That would add to his versatility and would give the Phillies an opportunity to give Ryan Howard an occasional day off against tough left handed pitchers.  While Mayberry has struggled with strikeouts throughout his career, he has proven to be a respectable hitter when facing lefties.   And then there is also Rich Thompson  who will be in  the mix for a position in the Ironpigs outfield for the 4th straight year.    There are also a few free agent signees who have proven over the years to be pretty good hitters at the AAA level.    

In the first 3 years of Ironpigs baseball, Dave Huppert rarely carried more than 4 outfielders on his roster.  It’s a pretty safe bet that if Brown and/or Mayberry don’t make the Phillies they will be with the Ironpigs.  That would leave room for two or three additional outfielders.  Rich Thompson has been a good soldier in his 3 years with the Ironpigs, but could he be asked to start the season in Reading if there is a numbers problem in the outfield at Coca-Cola Park?   Because of his speed and defense I don’t think that will happen.  Nevertheless, there is going to be some tough roster decisions to make this spring.   We all know Thompson, Mayberry and Brown so let’s take a look at the new guys:
 
Matt Miller:  DOB 12/26/82 New Braunfels, TX.  6’2″ 210.  B/T: R/R
Matt attended Texas St. University and was drafted in the 13th round of the 2004 player draft by the Colorado Rockies.  Despite hitting well at every minor league level, he has never played a game in the major leagues.   In 2005 Matt hit .331 in class A and was  league MVP.   In 2006 he hit .307 & was a California League allstar.  In 2007 at AA he slipped to .262 but was still named a Texas League mid-season allstar.  He returned to AA again in 2008 and hit .344 and was a Texas League allstar.   Matt finished the 2008 season in AAA where he hit .331.   He spent 2009 and 2010 with Colorado Springs in AAA and hit .319 in 2009 and .325 in 2010.  He also walked 66 times to go with his .325 average, bringing his OBP in 2010 to .404.  He was a Pacific Coast League allstar in both 2009 and 2010.  Despite one good power year early in his minor league career he is more of a line drive hitter who can hit the ball to all fields.  He has 560 RBIs in his 7 minor league seasons.  Matt was granted free agency after the 2010 season and was signed to a minor league contract by the Phillies with an invitation to spring training.   His ability to hit to the opposite field could serve him well with the short right field porch at Coca-Cola Park.  I’m sure he took notice last year when he was the starting left fielder for the Pacific Coast League in the July 14th All-Star Game.  He went 1-3 with a walk in the allstar game and scored the only run for the PCL.  Hopefully he’ll like playing in the Phillies organization. 

Matt Miller, AAA All Star Game with Erik Kratz catching

Brandon Moss: 9/16/83 Monroe, GA  6’0″  210  B/T: L/R
After his senior year at Loganville High School in Georgia, Brandon was drafted by the Boston Red Sox in the 8th round of the 2002 player draft.   He was assigned to the Red Sox team in the Gulf Coast League where he played second base.   In 2003 he was moved to the outfield and that’s where he has remained.   He got his first taste of the major leagues on August 6, 2007 but was sent back to AAA when Eric Hinske returned from bereavement leave.  He returned to the Red Sox on September 1st when major league rosters expanded to 40.   In 2008 the Red Sox opened their season by playing the Oakland A’s in Japan.   Brandon started the first game and hit a homerun.  He later split time between Pawtucket and Boston until July 31st when he was part of a major trade involving 3 teams.   As part of the deal, Brandon was sent to Pittsburgh with the Pirates sending Jason Bay to Boston.  The Red Sox also sent Manny Ramirez to the Dodgers in the 3-team trade.  Brandon started 41 games for the Pirates in August and September but he lost his starting job in 2009 after a poor start to the season.  After another poor spring in 2010 he was designated for assignment by the Pirates and later outrighted to Indianapolis.   He hit .282 with 22 homeruns and 96 RBIs for Indianapolis in 2010 which earned him a September callup with the Pirates.   He became a free agent after the season and was signed to a minor league contract by the Phillies. 
For the country music fans among us, Brandon Moss is a cousin to country music superstar Alan Jackson.

Delwyn Young:  6/30/82 Los Angeles, CA.  5’10” 190.  B/T: B/R
Delwyn was drafted out of Santa Barbara City College in the 4th round of the 2002 amateur baseball draft by the Los Angeles Dodgers and was signed on June 12, 2002.  In the Pioneer (Rookie) League  he hit .300 with 10 homeruns in 240 at bats.  The following year in class A he  hit .323 with 15 homers.  He moved up to A+ ball in 2004 and hit .281 with 22 homers.   He split the 2005 season between AA and AAA  and combined to hit .305 with 20 homeruns.  Up to this point of his professional career he played almost exclusively at second base.  He began the 2006 season at AAA Las Vegas where he was converted to an outfielder.   He hit .273 with 18 homeruns for Las Vegas that season and  earned a late season callup to the Dodgers.   In 2007 he again played primarily in AAA Las Vegas and hit .337 with 17 homeruns.  He spent the final 2 months of the season with the Dodgers and hit .382 (13-34) with 2 homeruns.   He spent most of 2008 as a Dodgers reserve and hit .246.  In 2009 he found himself back in AAA to start the season but on April 15, 2009 Delwyn was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates.  He played 53 games at second base and 30 games in the outfield for the Pirates that year while hitting .266 with 7 homeruns.  In 2010 he hit .236 with 7 homers.   One of the highlights of his major league career came on June 8th, 2010 when he hit a 2-run homerun to deep right-center field off Nationals rookie phenom Stephen Strasburg in Strasburg’s first big league start.  They were the only 2 runs scored by the Pirates in the game.  Delwyn was granted free agency on November 29, 2010 and was signed by the Phillies on January 6, 2011.

Chris Frey:  8/11/83 Highland, IL  6’1″ 180.  B/T: L/L
Chris played college baseball at Arizona and was drafted by the Colorado Rockies in the 11th round of the 2005 draft.  After spending 6 years in the Rockies organization he was selected by the Phillies in the AAA portion of the Rule 5 Draft in December.  He is considered an excellent centerfielder and a decent singles-type left-handed hitter without much power.  He has played for Colorado Springs in the Pacific Coast League the past 3 years and has a lifetime batting average of .276 in AAA.  In 1,029 career AAA at bats he has 54 doubles, 18 triples and 8 homeruns.

Looking at the Ironpig’s schedule we decided our first road trip will be to see the Ironpigs take on the Scranton Yankees in Moosic!

Date: May 20th, 2011
Time: 6:35pm game time
Cost: Tickets are $11 a person. We usually get tickets near the Ironpig’s dugout
Transportation: On your own. About an hours drive.

We always have a great time with the Scranton Wilkes Barre folks. Great people and a fun time.

For more details and to sign on to the trip, see our Facebook Page:
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=79394292806&ref=ts#!/event.php?eid=182149835156878

or send an email to editor@LVnoisenation.com
Hope you can make it!

OinK!

Thanks to our friends at the Blueclaw’s Blog – http://blog.blueclaws.com/2011/ruben-amaro-at-the-winter-tour/

There was a quote made by Phillies GM Ruben Amaro, Jr.

“We like to try to create winning atmospheres in the system because we need that at the Major League level.”

A lesson from Jedi Master Yoda for Ruben Amaro on trying..

So that’s going to be my motto for the 2011 Ironpigs.

“Do or do not, there is no try”

65 days! OinK!

In the past few days we have seen some transactions of former Ironpigs…

Paul Hoover has signed with the Red Sox

Ryan Vogelsong has signed with the Giants

Rodrigo Lopez has signed with the Braves

Ty Taubenheim signed with the Rangers

Greg Dobbs has signed with the Marlins.

Those pesky Marlins have snatched another former Phillie farmhand.

OinK!

You all heard the story of Beauty and the Beast and Jack and the Beanstalk, but did you ever hear the one about Matt and the Octopus?  No?  Well now you will. 

Once upon a time there was a baseball player named Matt Anderson.  Matt became known far and wide for his ability to consistently throw a baseball over 100 miles per hour.   His ability was so great that after college he was the first amateur baseball player in all the land to be selected by a major league team, even ahead of the mighty J.D. Drew.  In his first season as a professional relief pitcher he went 2-0 with a 0.66 ERA and 13 Saves in the minor leagues.  It was good enough for the Tigers of Detroit to summon him to the Motor City to see how he would do against the best baseball players money could buy.  In 42 relief appearances the young phenom won 5 games while losing only one time and he had an ERA of just 3.27.  Though it was a daunting task for someone with so little major league experience, over the next 3 years Matt managed to win 8 more games while losing just 4 times and also registered 23 Saves for the Tigers.  

Then came the 2002 season and that terrible day in the month of May when Matt and fellow pitcher Jeff Weaver participated in a unique pre-game promotion.  You see, there is also a hockey team in Tigerland known as the Red Wings.  For many years it has been a tradition in Detroit to throw an octopus (or multiple octopi) onto the ice during the Stanley Cup Playoffs.  The tradition began at a time when a hockey team only had to win 2 best of seven series’, a total of 8 wins, to earn the Stanley Cup.  Since the Red Wings needed 8 wins and an octopus had 8 arms it made perfect sense to the people of Detroit to throw an octopus onto the ice for luck.  But, on this fateful day in May an octopus throwing contest was held not at the hockey arena, but at a baseball game in Detroit.  Contestants, including Matt Anderson and Jeff Weaver, had to toss a boiled octopus underhand into a bucket placed 20 feet away.  The winner of the contest would win tickets (complete with limo ride) to a Stanley Cup playoff game between the Red Wings of Detroit and the Colorado Avalanche.  All went well in the contest until the Tigers played their baseball game that night.  While Matt was warming up in the bullpen he felt something tear in the armpit of his pitching arm.  It was the beginning of the end for Matt and the 100 mph fastball.   Just 11 innings pitched for the Tigers in 2002,  23 innings in 2003 and his ERA was more than double what it had been his first few years.  The 2004 season saw Matt go 0-5 in the minor leagues and things didn’t get any better the next few seasons.  He pitched his final game in the major leagues on July 1, 2005 and by 2008 he was out of professional baseball entirely. While there is nothing to indicate that throwing the octopus had anything to do with Matt’s arm injury, one has to wonder since the octopus throwing contest happened on the same day he injured his arm and what good is the fairytale without the octopus casting his evil spell?  

Then, after being out of professional baseball for 2 years Matt decided to give it one more try.  He went to Arizona to see if he could regain his old form.   The fastball which had been a thing of the past was slowly starting to return.   First he was throwing 90 mph, then 92-94 mph and finally he was reaching as high as 97 on the radar.  Phillies scout Del Unser saw his workouts in Arizona and convinced Ruben Amaro Jr. to take a chance.   So, on January 14th the now 34 year old Matt Anderson signed a 1 year minor league contract with an invitation to spring training with the Philadelphia Phillies.  Spring training begins in just over 2 weeks and Matt and his new fastball will be there in Clearwater.  If everything goes well,  Matt could be a member of the 2011 Ironpigs bullpen on opening day.    Then maybe we’ll find out  if a kiss from the pig can be the magic potion that finally breaks the spell of the evil octopus and resurrects the baseball career of Matthew Jason Anderson.   It’s been a long hard journey for Matt and he really needs a happily ever after ending to his baseball fairytale.    Best of luck Matt!

Rumors have been circulating for the past few days that the Phillies were interested in signing free agent pitcher Jason Grilli.  Grilli was the 4th overall pick in the 1997 draft (SF Giants), the same draft that saw Matt Anderson taken #1.  In case anyone forgot, the Phillies signed Anderson to a minor league contract earlier this month.  Grilli’s twitter account had the following tweet on Sunday:  Great Sunday to everyone. This Italian Stallion is FIRED UP about the City of Brotherly Love! Balboa workouts paid off and READY TO GO!!!

The Winter banquet (formerly Phillies Caravan) was nice last night. Just like last year, lots of good people, Charlie Manuel proved to tell some great stories and I even won a poster sized copy of Pork Illustrated featuring 2008 Ironpig Cedric Bowers. There was a lot of friendly faces we haven’t seen since September and notably missing was Ironpig’s General Manager Kurt Landes. Heard a rumor he is under the weather and best wishes and prayers that he recovers quickly. Also was able to meet Jeff Schuler who writes the Hog Blog on the Morning Call website. Charlie Manuel and Reuben Amaro hinted heavily that the Phillies right field spot was Domonic Brown’s to lose.

After the banquet, I was really impressed with Matt Rizzotti. He seemed to be lingering around and within minutes a group of small kids came running over and he enthusiastically greeted them with high fives, autographs and photos. Rizzotti looked comfortable in his place tonight with such a prominant staff of honored guests tonight. He should fill the shoes of our former first basement with no problem… even making jokes about random hecklers who made their preference of Andy Tracy known last season. I almost guarantee in May people will be saying, Andy who?
Good time and good cause.

***

What struck me harder last night was realizing that this season will be a first for the Ironpigs. Although PA Announcer Tim Chorones announced mascot FeFe as the first lady of the Ironpigs, we have a true first lady now with the arrival of Margaret Sandberg. As stated many times last night by Ryne Sandberg and others, Mrs. Sandberg has proven herself to be very community and charity oriented. This is an element the Ironpigs have lacked in the previous 3 years. I truly look forward to her efforts here in the Lehigh Valley.

OinK!

As announced by the Ironpig’s today:

(Allentown, Pa.) – Phillies manager Charlie Manuel — one of most accomplished skippers in the history of the club – has been added to the lineup for the 2011 Phillies Winter Banquet, presented by The Air Products Foundation and Coca-Cola. Manuel joins IronPigs manager and Baseball Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg, Phillies General Manager Ruben Amaro Jr., Phillies prospect and former IronPig Matt Rizzotti and Phillies Director of Public Affairs, Scott Palmer serves as banquet host. The annual event will take place on Thursday at Billera Hall on the campus of DeSales University. Manuel replaces Greg Gross, who will no longer be able to attend the event due to a scheduling conflict.

The Phillies Winter Banquet serves as the primary fundraiser for IronPigs Charities, a non-profit organization striving to provide educational and recreational opportunities for children in the Greater Lehigh Valley area. Since its inception in 2008, IronPigs Charities has donated over $250,000 to the Lehigh Valley community.

The main program for the Phillies Winter Banquet, featuring players and personnel from the N.L. East Champion Philadelphia Phillies, consists of dinner and an open bar, a sports memorabilia silent auction, raffles and an entertainment portion with the special Phillies guests. Tickets remain identical to 2010 and are $80 per person or $725 for a table of ten. Championship tables, allowing patrons entrance to a private pre-event reception that begins at 5 p.m. and the opportunity to mingle with event VIP’s are also available.

The event will begin at 6 p.m. with a cocktail hour and commencement of the auctions and raffles. Seat or table reservations are now on sale and available by calling (610) 841-PIGS. Interested parties must purchase their tickets by 5 p.m. on Wednesday, January 26.

Manuel, 67, was named as the 51st manager of the Philadelphia Phillies on Nov. 4, 2004, and guided the Phillies to just their second World Championship in franchise history during their memorable 2008 campaign. He has piloted the Phillies to the postseason for three consecutive seasons and in 2009 led them to the World Series for a second consecutive year for the first time in their 127-year history. A native of North Fork, WV, Manuel was the Cleveland Indians manager from 2000-2002 and led the Tribe to the American League Central Division title in 2001. During parts of nine Major League seasons, Manuel’s teams have gone an impressive 672-548 (.556) and posted winning records on eight occasions.

Sandberg, 51, spent the last four seasons as a manager in the Chicago Cubs’ minor league system with Single-A Peoria (2007-08), Double-A Tennessee (2009) and Triple-A Iowa (2010). He led his clubs to two first-place finishes and, overall, has a managerial record of 284-277-1 (.505). This past season, his first as a Triple-A manager, Sandberg was named Manager of the Year in the Pacific Coast League after leading the Iowa Cubs to a tie for the best record in the Northern Division (82-62).

A 2005 inductee to the National Baseball Hall of Fame, Sandberg was a 10-time National League All-Star and won nine Gold Gloves and seven Silver Slugger awards during his 16-year career (1981-94, 1996-97). He was originally drafted by the Phillies in 1978 and made his Major League debut with the club in 1981, appearing in 13 games. Sandberg finished his career with a .285 batting average, 282 home runs, 1,061 RBI and 344 stolen bases in 2,164 games. At the time of his retirement, his 277 home runs as a second baseman was a Major League record.

Amaro Jr., 45, was named Senior Vice President and General Manager on November 3, 2008 after 10 years as an assistant GM under Pat Gillick (2006-2008) and Ed Wade (1999-2005). In his first year as GM, the Phillies won the National League pennant for a second straight year and following the season Amaro was honored as Executive of the Year by the Philadelphia Sports Writers Association (PSWA). Under his direction in 2010, the Phillies captured their fourth straight NL East Division crown and advanced to the National League Championship Series for a third consecutive campaign.

Rizzotti, 26, skyrocketed through the Phillies Minor League system last year, appearing at three different levels while leading the organization with a collective .343 batting average. The Floral Park, NY native spent a bulk of the year in Double-A Reading and for his outstanding play was named both a mid- and post-season Eastern League All-Star. Originally drafted by the Phillies in the sixth round of the 2007 draft, Rizzotti was hitting .362 with 16 homers and 61 RBI and led the EL in on-base percentage (.452) and slugging percentage (.635) at the time of his August 5 promotion.

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 highlights of the 2011 Winter Tour event is the distribution of grants to local non-profit organizations. Nearly $150,000 has been distributed at this event.

To renew or order season tickets and mini plans for the 2011 IronPigs season presented by Capital BlueCross, call (610) 841-PIGS or visit Coca-Cola Park’s ticket office during normal business hours. The Lehigh Valley IronPigs are dedicated to providing family-friendly entertainment and are the only Minor League team to offer bubbles to fans entering the AT&T Plaza and balloons for all children exiting Coca-Cola Park.