Big Day for Phillies Affiliates, Part 1

For those who follow the goings-on of the Philadelphia Phillies’ Minor League affiliates, November 14th, 2007 will go down in history as quite the memorable day.

First, the Lehigh Valley IronPigs unveiled their new mascot, an affable hog who will now serve as the club’s ambassador. The IronPigs will be playing their inaugural season in 2008, competing in the International League as the Phils’ Triple-A farm club.

Yesterday I wrote a "proper" article on the new mascot, which can be found here. So, rather than rehash the article, I will simply add a few observations:

– Any team that so willingly embraces puns will, in turn, be embraced by this fine blog. IronPigs
Media Relations Director Matt Provence, in fact, gets my nomination for Minor League Team Employee Quote of the Month. When I asked Matt what qualities the IronPigs were looking for in their new mascot, he replied "We wanted someone who could go hogwild and wouldn’t be ‘boar’-ing." That is sheer brilliance.

– If one visits Google and types in "Swine-tertainer", the only result is yesterday’s article. This means, of course, that the IronPigs have invented a new word. Add it to your lexicon! Use it wisely and use it well.

– The mascot needs a name! Fans can visit the IronPigs website to submit their suggestions (and, of course, feel free to post them in the comments section as well). No one asked, but I have come up with a great name for the mascot: Tony Swine-omi.

You see, the IronPigs’ name quickly brings to mind thoughts of Black Sabbath, as two of the Sabs’ best known songs are "Iron Man" and "War Pigs".  The lead guitarist and driving force behind Sabbath is Tony Iommi. So, it follows, then, that the mascot should be Tony Swine-omi! There cannot possibly be a better option than this.

– Another reason to visit the IronPigs’ website is to see video from yesterday’s unveiling, which took place at Seiple Farms in Bath, Pa. There is something inherently entertaining in watching a flannel shirt-wearing general manager scatter peanuts on the ground in an attempt to lure a baseball-loving hog into his employ.

And yes, as always, there will be more. Check out this fine blog later in the day for Part 2 of "Big Day for Phillies Affiliates." And, do not fret — I have not forgotten about yesterday’s momentous episode of Life. I’ll have more on that tomorrow…