Batter, Batter, Oh NO

 July 3, 2025 - the Iron Pigs game for 7:05 has a rain delay.  That's ok with me.  I go for the food.  Every year we have a great time with a group that rents the Iron Pigs Suite.  I love going and I eat my weight in hot dogs and fried chicken wings and end with a cookie.  It is a tradition for Parke and I. 

I love being with my friends, I love watching Baseball and I love the food.

So, the game has a late start, 8:25. That's ok, I watched the first pitches, the dancers and talked with friends.  

Finally, the games starts and then it happened.  I think it was the 3rd inning.  I heard the crack of the bat, I saw the pop-up fly.  Then I saw John in front of me move, his hand going up and then the next thing I know Bing, bang, boom.  Bing, it hit my calf, my legs were cross, Bang, it hit my stomach, Boom my hand. and then it was gone.  In all that, I never saw the ball.

The usher came and the group said no one was hit, mainly because I could not say a word - the only pain was where it hit me stomach - but my leg was numb, and I couldn't move it.  

When I finally got feeling back,

I went into the suite and asked for ice and then all the commotion starts, seconds later ushers are there.  Then a few minutes later, an EMT. 

Everyone was so nice, and a lot of questions asked.

No, I didn't want an ambulance, nor did I want to go to the hospital to get checked out.  No, I didn't need a wheelchair.  

I kept asking is there anything on my belly, I kept pulling my shirt up, nope nothing there and amazingly that was the only thing that hurt without touching it.  My leg only hurt when the EMT touched it.

The bummer part was we went home - it was only the 4th inning.  I didn't get to sing the 7th inning stretch song or watch the pork race, and cheer on my fav - Ham Bone.

Maybe we can go back for a game one night this year and I can try to make it through the whole came without injury.  

Kudos to everyone that works at the iron pigs.  From the hostess in our suite, to the ushers and the EMT.  Everyone was so nice and caring.  

To the ball that hit me.  YOU SUCK

and that's another day in Catasauqua.

Oh Say Can You See

You know, all this controversy with the Star-Spangled Banner and the Philadelphia Eagles and the President got me thinking.  Where did it all start.

We all know that Francis Scott Keys wrote the lyrics come from "Defence of Fort M'Henry", a poem written on September 14, 1814, by the then 35-year-old lawyer and amateur poet Francis Scott Key after witnessing the bombardment of Fort McHenry
and observed that the fort's smaller "storm flag" continued to fly, but once the shell and  rocket barrage had stopped, he would not know how the battle had turned out until dawn. On the morning of September 14, the storm flag had been lowered and the larger flag had been raised.

During the bombardment, HMS Terror and the HMS Meteor provided some of the "bombs bursting in air".

The 15-star, 15-stripe "Star-Spangled Banner" that inspired the poem

Key was inspired by the U.S. victory and the sight of the large U.S. Flag   flying triumphantly above the fort. This flag, with fifteen stars and fifteen stripes, had been made by Mary  Young Pickersgill  together with other workers in her home on Baltimore's Pratt Street. The flag later came to be known as the Star-Spangled Banner  and is today on display in the National Museum of American History,  a treasure of the Smithsonian Institution.   

The song gained popularity throughout the 19th century and bands played it during public events, such as July 4th celebrations.

A plaque displayed at Fort Meade, South Dakota, claims that the idea of making "The Star Spangled Banner" the national anthem began on their parade ground in 1892. Colonel Caleb Carlton, Post Commander, established the tradition that the song be played "at retreat and at the close of parades and concerts." Carlton explained the custom to Governor Sheldon of South Dakota who "promised me that he would try to have the custom established among the state militia." Carlton wrote that after a similar discussion, Secretary of War, Daniel E. Lamont issued an order that it "be played at every Army post every evening at retreat."

In 1899, the U.S. Navy officially adopted "The Star-Spangled Banner".  In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson ordered that "The Star-Spangled Banner" be played at military and other appropriate occasions. The playing of the song two years later during the 7th inning stretch of Game One of the 1918 World Series  and thereafter during each game of the series is often cited as the first instance that the anthem was played at a baseball game.  There is a great story here - (From the History Channel )  "Yet even though the event featured two teams at the top of their games, the crowd was somber that day, writes ESPN The Magazine. Since entering the Great War a year and a half ago, more than 100,000 U.S. soldiers had died. And just a day before the game, a bomb had exploded in Chicago, (the city in which the game was held), killing four people and injuring dozens more. In addition, the U.S. government had recently announced that it would begin drafting major league baseball players.
All this sat heavy on the shoulders of both the players and the smaller-than-usual crowd of fans that day. But during the seventh-inning stretch, the U.S. Navy band began to play the Star-Spangled Banner; and something changed.

As the song began, Red Sox infielder Fred Thomas—who was in the Navy and had been granted furlough to play in the World Series—immediately turned toward the American flag and gave it a military salute, according to the Chicago Tribune. Other players turned to the flag with hands over hearts, and the already-standing crowd began to sing. At the song’s conclusion, the previously quiet fans erupted in thunderous applause. At the time, the New York Times reported that it “marked the highest point of the day’s enthusiasm.” The song would be played at each of the Series’ remaining games, to increasingly rapturous response. And patriotism played a part right from the start, as the Red Sox gave free tickets to wounded veterans and honored them during the playing of the Star-Spangled Banner before the start of the decisive Game 6."

President Hoover signed the bill on March 4, 1931, officially adopting "The Star-Spangled Banner" as the national anthem of the United States of America.

Now here is an interesting FACT - When the U.S. national anthem was first recognized by law in 1931, there was no prescription as to behavior during its playing.   It wasn't until 1942 saluting and taking ones hat off came into play.

Since 1998, federal law (viz., the United States Code 36 U.S.C states that during a rendition of the national anthem, when the flag is displayed, all present including those in uniform should stand at attention; Non-military service individuals should face the flag with the right hand over the heart; Members of the Armed Forces and veterans who are present and not in uniform may render the military salute; military service persons not in uniform should remove their headdress with their right hand and hold the headdress at the left shoulder, the hand being over the heart; and Members of the Armed Forces and veterans who are in uniform should give the military salute at the first note of the anthem and maintain that position until the last note. The law further provides that when the flag is not displayed, all present should face toward the music and act in the same manner they would if the flag were displayed. Military law requires all vehicles on the installation to stop when the song is played and all individuals outside to stand at attention and face the direction of the music and either salute, in uniform, or place the right hand over the heart, if out of uniform. The law was amended in 2008, and since allows military veterans to salute out of uniform, as well.

The text of 36 U.S.C.  is suggestive and not regulatory in nature. Failure to follow the suggestions is not a violation of the law. This behavioral requirement for the national anthem is subject to the same First Amendment controversies that surround the Pledge of Allegiance.    For example, Jehovah's Witnesses do not sing the national anthem, though they are taught that standing is an "ethical decision" that individual believers must make based on their "conscience."

All this hooting and hollering lately about the Star Spangled Banner and the NFL seems to me to be up to the individual and shouldn't even be dictated by the NFL  it is suggested and not regulatory to stand.  It says you should stand and not you have to stand.  

Yes, we do it out of respect for what the flag stands for in the song.  But even the song has been debated.  It is hard to sing.  The music for the our National Anthem was written by John Stafford Smith, who was from England.  The tune was from "The Anacreontic Song" was the official song of the Anacreontic Society in England.  The Anacreontic Society was a gentlemen's club of the kind that was popular in London in the late eighteenth century.  The Society was dedicated to the ancient Greek poet Anacreon, who was renowned for his drinking songs and odes to love. Its members, who consisted mainly of wealthy men of high social rank, would meet on Wednesday evenings to combine musical appreciation with eating and drinking.  LOL - I don't know why this makes me laugh, it just does.  Because the tune of the Star Spangled Banner is from a drinking song! 

But it all boils down to this - It is a National Anthem, no matter how it got there.  It stands freedom.  The flag flies for a country "which is the land of the free and the home of the brave" .  It stands for liberty and justice for all.  You know, I think our Country has forgotten this.   The flag isn't to be worship, it's not an idol, it is a symbol.  I don't think we are the people we use to be.  We are slowly loosing our freedoms.  We are being told more and more how to act, who to like and what to be.  We are loosing our voice in government.  We are a people divided and that's not good.  That is not what America is.  

For me, I stand and put my hand over my heart at baseballs games.  I even stand at home.  And patriotic songs make shed a tear.  I love America, but I am worried as to where we are headed.

For me...this is another day in Catasauqua.

Play Ball!

Well it's that time of year again - Baseball Season! - I don't recall every going  to a game so cold as it was Saturday night.  We got to the game around

5:30 PM.  I wanted to walk around once to see what was new at the park before sitting down.

My favorites- the Philly Pretzel Company and "Aw Shucks" Roasted Corn return in two locations.  Most of the times we eat at home before going to the game because it is so expensive to eat there, but occasionally we splurge and have dinner.

Two new places, both of which I look forward to trying are the "Sooeey'te Spot" Frozen Yogurt Bar and the "Boar-rito" Mexican stand.  Other brand-new offerings include the Dietz & Watson "Brew & Brats Platz" Grill featuring regular and jalapeno bratwurst served on a pretzel bun, a one-of-a-kind bacon-wrapped hot dog along with a smoothie stand providing healthy fresh fruit drinks in a variety of unique flavors.

But, I can tell you that on Saturday night I was not eating at the frozen yogurt bar, nor having my favorite, dipping dots, it was just too darn cold.  I wore - cuddle duds, jeans, socks, boots with fur inside, a thermal top under my Iron Pigs sweatshirt, a scarf, hat with ear flaps, jacket, and a pair of gloves, with a pair of mittens on top.    Parke and I covered with a blanket and were the last people left in our section at the top of the 10th inning.  This is when we left.  Parke wasn't dressed in as many layers as I and was getting cold. 

The Pigs won in the 11th inning;  bummer, that we didn't get to see it, but I got 17 more games to go.  Maybe more.  My next game is Wednesday, temps are suppose to be in the 80's in the afternoon and down to 59 at night, a little better than the 49 degrees we experienced Saturday night. 

I can't tell you anything about the new urinal game for men, but the ladies room had - what I thought was a media board that showed upcoming events, until I walked over to it and it turned into a mirror, thanks to the motion sensor, which I of course,  had to keep moving back and forth watching.

Also new is PorkCenter - Minor League Baseball's first and only fan-interactive social media command center, affording fans the unique opportunity to supplement their game day experience at Coca-Cola Park and beyond. Download the IronPigs brand-new app, available for iPhone and Android on Monday, April 1, for a chance to enter PorkCenter during each IronPigs home game.

I can't tell you anything about this yet, since currently I own a dumbphone.

Anyway - so it begins - spring, baseball and soon time to start planting the garden, another year......another day in Catasauqua.

Batter Batter Swing in the Snow

Parke, with snow on his hood at Coca-cola Park

Woo Hoo it was time to pick up our 18 game plan tickets for the Iron Pigs with only 19 Days until the first game and IT'S SNOWING!!!!!!!

Yup, snowing, now my grandfather would call this onion snow, because it is time to plant the onions which he always did around St. Patrick's Day, which is tomorrow.

However, did you know the term is basically only used in Pennsylvania.   I didn't know that; and it is defined as a light snow in late spring, after onions have been planted.  So I guess this isn't onion snow after all.

Well, there's only 3 days to spring so I guess - let it snow - for it shall melt quickly.  Spring is just a hop around the corner in Catty and so is baseball at the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs.  I can't wait!

So batter, batter swing and this is .....another day in Catasauqua

Take me out to the Ball Game

I have been wanting to write about the Iron Pigs for a while, but between work and this darn bronchitis it kept getting put off, so let me finally get started.

I feel that Coca Cola Park is in Catasauqua's backyard, mainly because it is.

Coca Cola Park is 3.5 miles from my house with an estimated driving time of 10 minutes according to google maps. I think I can do it in less time. I have a method as to what time we leave for the games, where to park and how to get home in about 6 minutes. Even though it is so close, when I am there I feel far from home.

If you haven't attended at least one game yet, I suggest you do. We use it as mini-vacations since we get the 18 game pack, we use to always eat there, but since money is a little tight we will be doing that less this year. (I bought our tickets last year before getting laid off, which was a good thing) But that doesn't mean that they don't have some good food. Two games ago I tried the Gyros, I highly recommend them. Their fries are pretty good and I see that they have added my favorite-- fries with bacon and cheese. I wonder what Ferrous thinks about all the bacon, ham and pork products being used. I hope they don't use anybody that Ferrous knows.

They have everything from sandwiches to a slawdog, which I think I might have to try next, grilled chicken, steak sandwiches, funnel cake, ice cream, dipping dots, and my favorites, twisty pretzels from the Pretzel Company (for a real treat try the pretzels with cinnamon and sugar, yum). Oh, I can't forget Aw Schucks Corn and Jaindl's. If you want a great hamburger skip the ones at the stands and go out to the carts, there is an order whatever you want on your hamburger stand that grills the hamburgers and serves them up with a lot of different choices on a pretzel roll, a little pricey but worth it in my opinion. I walked around at the last game and checked everything out, each stand has added more options so you really have a lot of choices.

Since we had an 18 game pack, we had the option to renew for the same seats, we decided we liked our section, even though they never throw any of the free stuff to us. The people around us are so much fun, and it was good to see everyone after a long winter. There are these 4 older ladies behind us, and boy, they know there baseball, they yell at the umpire, the catcher, the pitcher and the batter. They have a couple beers and a lot of laughs. I think my favorite comment was one evening it what getting a little cold so they put a sweater around the one ladies neck and shoulders and then said, "Oh Joyce, you look like your ready for the bus from the home to pick you up." I hope I I am like that when I get to be their age, carefree and just enjoying every minute of life. I love them.

Well, I told you about the food, the stadium and the people, now let me tell you about the team. Hmmm, maybe not, they haven't won a game that I attended yet. Most of the players I don't know yet, a lot of new names, some familiar ones, but I miss Andy Tracy. He was the guy you cheered for when he came out, he was the "star". I don't feel that there are any really stars yet this year, but I am sure someone will become the fan favorite, in the meantime we will cheer on Ferrous and FeFe.

Well, there you go, batter, batter swing and ....another day in Catasauqua.

Batter Batter Swing

It's that time of year again when I start yelling batter batter swing for no apparent reason when I see the Phillies play baseball on TV and tomorrow is the big day! Yes, tomorrow is Opening Day for the Phillies, at 1:05 PM vs. the Astros. But, will opening day be played during a snowstorm? Probably not, Philly may see a mix of rain and snow at the end but odds for accumulating snow in the city are pretty low. So why I am writing about Philadelphia when my blog is about Catty -because there are some big Phillies fans in Catty - a shout out to the Boyers and to the Reiters two Phillie Phan Phamilies (ha, did you like the way I did that). Since my good friend Rami wanted a mention in my blog, here it is - Rami are you a fan? I hope so, because if not, you're surrounded by them.

So how are the Phillies going to do this year? There's been alot of hype about the pitchers, will there be a lot of no hitters, but on the other hand there are a lot of injuries, including Brian Bocock and Dominic Brown. I saw both of them play last year with the Iron Pigs, so maybe we will be seeing them again at Coca Cola Park.

I must say I am starting to learn more about baseball since the opening of Coca Cola Park, which is practically in Catty's back yard, plus watching Daily News Live Comcast SportsNet with "P" everynight helps. Of course, most of the time I am looking at the guy's ties, they really wear some nice ties.

I will blog about the Iron Pigs next week, I have tickets for Friday and Saturday nights. But for now, Go Phillies, batter batter swing.... and that's another day in Catasauqua.