Howard could be here for a week; boost IronPigs ticket sales

http://blogs.mcall.com/groller/ FROM KEITH GROLLER Chase Utley created quite a stir with his one night in the Lehigh Valley last Tuesday. He drew a capacity crowd of 10,100 and kept people in their seats as long as he had the potential to come to bat. Phillies slugger Ryan Howard, the 2006 National League MVP, could be spending virtually the entire week here and should create a similar frenzy. Howard will be at Coca-Cola Park Sunday for the first game of the IronPigs' rare day-night doubleheader. The first game is set for a 12:05 p.m. start, the nightcap is slated for a 6:35 start against Pawtucket. IronPigs GM Kurt Landes said Saturday night that a couple thousand tickets are available for Sunday's games, but tickets will be sure to move quickly. If fans want to be sure to see Howard play, the first game is the better option. He may take the night off and may not even be in the ballpark. If fans can't get to Sunday's games they should have plenty of opportunities to see Howard with the IronPigs since the team's 11-game homestand continues through Friday, although Landes said tickets had already sold well for many of the games involving special fireworks shows.. Howard, still recovering from a torn left Achilles suffered while making the final out of last year’s NLDS against the Cardinals, has played three rehab games for Class A Lakewood (N.J.) and has gone 5-for-8 (.625) with four RBIs and a double in three games. If all goes well, he is expected to rejoin the Phillies the week after the All-Star break, somewhere between July 13-20.