A Look Back at the 2010 Season at CCP

FROM THE IRONPIGS

2010 YEAR IN REVIEW AT COCA-COLA PARK
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The IronPigs wrapped up the 2010 season at Coca-Cola Park with another heartbreaking, extra-inning, one-run loss on Labor Day to the rival Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees.

While the ‘Pigs lost far too many games in that fashion – going 16-35 in one-run affairs and 3-11 in extra-inning games – to contend for a playoff berth, nonetheless the All-Star season at Coca-Cola Park was a truly memorable season.

It is hard to believe that Kutztown product, Ryan Vogelsong, threw the first pitch of the 2010 season at Coca-Cola Park some 150 days ago! In between that called strike to Rochester lead-off man Matt Tolbert and Rich Thompson’s cut at strike three in the bottom of the 12th inning on Labor Day, the best fans in all of Minor League Baseball were treated to some exciting and special moments here at Coca-Cola Park during the 2010 campaign.

Perhaps the highlight for most was when Coca-Cola Park took the spotlight for one week in July as host of the 2010 Triple-A All-Star Game presented by Lehigh Valley Health Network and adjoining festivities. Although Mother Nature did the best she could to dampen a week that had been in the works for over two years, the devotion of the fans and performance by the All-Stars would not let that happen.

In a game that has produced Major League All-Stars such as Derek Jeter, Justin Morneau and Mike Piazza, IronPigs fans had the opportunity to catch the future stars of the game right here in Allentown.

The International League eeked out a 2-1 come-from-behind win over the Pacific Coast League in an entertaining 23rd edition of the Triple-A mid-summer classic. Fan-favorite Andy Tracy brought the crowd to its feet for the second time that week with a line drive single in the fifth inning to break up the PCL’s no-hit bid. Syracuse’s Chase Lambin earned the Top Star Award as the IL’s MVP with a game-tying RBI double in the sixth.

The first time the Mighty Tracy had the Coca-Cola Pak fans in a frenzy came during an epic battle between he and IL MVP, Dan Johnson, in the Triple-A Home Run Derby. As those fans who stuck out the nearly two-hour rain delay remember, the IronPigs all-time home run king hit moon-shot after moon-shot, peppering the two-tiered billboards in right with 10 home runs in the final round to all-but lock up the title. However, Johnson, a left-handed slugger as well, responded with 10 homers of his own. He lined his 10th blast just a few feet over the right field wall with no more outs to spare sending the derby to a five-out tiebreaker where the Durham Bulls slugger would prevail.

Just as ‘Pigs fans were afforded the rare opportunity to see future Major League Stars here at Coca-Cola Park during the All-Star week, they were also treated to a host of current Major Leaguers making rehab assignments. In all, eight Philadelphia Phillies donned an IronPigs uniform this season.

Northampton native, Brian Schneider returned to the Valley May 21-23 as he rehabbed an Achilles strain. The Konkrete Kid returned to the area to play baseball for the first time since being honored for the second consecutive season as Lehigh Valley Player of the Year in 1995. Although he struggled, going 0-for-8 over the weekend series, Lehigh Valley fans were thrilled to have ‘Hoops’ back home for a few days.

Four members of the Phillies bullpen made rehab appearances at Coca-Cola Park this season, most notably closer Brad Lidge who tossed a scoreless sixth inning on April 22 as he battled back from off-season elbow and knee surgeries. J.C. Romero (4/16-4/20), Ryan Madson (7/5-7/6) and Danys Baez (9/6) also toed the rubber here for the ‘Pigs this summer.

By far the most exciting rehab of the season came via the Flyin’ Hawaiian as Shane Victorino dazzled the fans with an amazing two games (8/10-8/11) with the ‘Pigs. Victorino showed no ill-effects of his oblique injury as he went a combined 4-for-6 with a triple and home run before being activated a day earlier than scheduled by Philadelphia.

Boston’s Daisuke Matsuzaka made his second appearance at Coca-Cola Park on April 21. The Red Sox right-hander allowed four runs (three earned) on six hits in 5.2 innings to earn his second career victory at Coca-Cola Park. Dice-K struck out eight IronPigs and walked none in front of a throng of Japanese media who came out to cover his start. He also appeared at Coca-Cola Park back on June 16, 2008 (5 ip, 3 h, 2r, 2er, bb, 5 k).

Pawtucket brought another notable name to town in August. Potential future Hall-of-Famer Carlos Delgado batted cleanup as the PawSox designated hitter on August 11. Delgado, who owns 473 career Major League home runs, went 2-for-4 with a pair of singles in Lehigh Valley’s 5-1 victory.

However, the player who created the most buzz around the ballpark this season had to be Domonic Brown, the Phillies top prospect. After joining the club in Durham, the highly-touted prospect made quite a first impression on the home crowd in his Coca-Cola Park debut on June 29. In his first at-bat Brown roped a single up the middle, stole second base, took third on a throwing error and scored on a shallow sacrifice fly. A few innings later Brown would show off his arm, gunning down Rochester’s Trevor Plouffe attempting to take third on a fly ball to right.

The lanky, 6-6, 205-pound, 22-year-old didn’t stop there. In the night cap of the doubleheader that same night, Brown took the first offering from Matt Fox in the second inning and hammered it out to right for his first career Triple-A home run. Brown feasted at Coca-Cola Park in his short stint with the IronPigs hitting .423 (22-for-52) with five home runs and 15 RBI in just 14 games. Overall, the five-tool prospect hit .346 with five home runs and 21 RBI in 28 games with Lehigh Valley before his promotion to Philly on July 28. Brown even prevented history from being made against the IronPigs when he broke up Jason Jones’ perfect-game bid with a two-out single in the bottom of the eighth inning on July 2.

Speaking of history, it was a record setting season at the gate for the IronPigs. ‘Pigs fans validated what was already known, that the Lehigh Valley has the best fans in all of Minor League Baseball, by leading all of MiLB in attendance by virtue of the capacity crowd on the seasons final day. A total of 645,905 fans came out to the ballpark this season to support the IronPigs for an average of 9,227 fans/game.

On the field a few records were set as well. Tracy cracked the 1,000 RBI mark for his professional career on June 6 with his two-run triple in the fifth inning against the Charlotte Knights. The three-year IronPig had another ultra-productive season at the dish extending his franchise records for home runs (69) to 41 long balls over John Mayberry Jr. and RBI (261) to 118 over Mike Cervenak.

On the base paths, Rich Thompson swiped a franchise record 28 bases, topping his 2009 total of 26. Much like Tracy, Thompson has opened up a wide gap in career stolen bases with the IronPigs. The 31-year-old speedster has swiped 79 career bases with the ‘Pigs being caught just 10 times – second in career steals is Mayberry with 26.

Finally, Scott Mathieson established a new franchise mark for saves when he closed out his 21st game of the season on August 15 in Rochester. Mathieson finished the season 26-for-30 in save opportunities before earning a September call-up. The All-Star fireballer broke Matt Childers record of 20 saves set during their inaugural season.

In all, it was yet another exhilarating season at Coca-Cola Park that went by all to fast. One can only hope the winter months go by even faster. The 2011 season begins Thursday, April 7 at 7:05 p.m. against the Yankees at Coca-Cola Park. Let the countdown to Opening Day begin…

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