April 2011
Altoona City Name Change
As many of you living in Altoona, PA know, and for those of you who don’t, beginning today at 1 p.m., the city will officially change its name to “POM Wonderful Presents: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold, PA” for 60 days. Due to that change, the Curve have released the following statement:
“We are supportive of the ceremonial name change of the city and have a great partnership with Sheetz – which does so many great things to give back to the people of our region. However, we won’t be changing our name at this point because of the obvious logistical issues involved. I don’t even know if we could fit that many letters on to a jersey. We will be participating in today’s City Council proclamation with our main mascot, Steamer, and are pleased that this effort by Sheetz and Mr. Spurlock will benefit the Altoona City Police Department.”
The Altoona Curve will return to Blair County Ballpark for their second homestand of 2011 on Friday, April 29 with seven games featuring three against the Erie SeaWolves (AA – Detroit Tigers) and four against the Akron Aeros (AA – Cleveland Indians). The homestand will run through Thursday, May 5and feature a Tenacious C Hanky Giveaway, postgame fireworks and the first What We’re Watching Wednesday, LOST – Locke & Locke.
ALSM Toddler Play Area
A new feature of Blair County Ballpark this season is the addition of the Allegheny Lutheran Social Ministries (ALSM) Toddler Play Area. Located on the upper concourse behind home plate, the ALSM Toddler Play Area is a great place for parents to take their youngest Curve fan. Check out the picture below and the next time you’re at BCB come on up!
Now Batting…
Every time a Curve player steps to the plate, we play a song. The players choose their own songs as a way to pump themselves up, give the fans a laugh or just to hear a tune they like. Here’s the Opening Day song list for the Altoona Curve, your summer playlist, so to speak.
1. “Awake and Alive” by Skillet – Curve intro song for 2011
2. “My Hometown” by Charlie Robinson – Brock Holt
3. “Me Tienen Para” by Secreto – Starling Marte
4. “No Hards” by Waka Flocka Flame – Jordy Mercer
5. “Chunk Up the Deuce” by Lil’Keke – Tony Sanchez
6. “Midnight Voyage” by Ghostland Observatory – Miles Durham
7. “For the Love of Money” by the O’Jays – Quincy Latimore
8. “Shake Me” by Taddy Porter – Jeremy Farrell
9. “Pledge Allegiance To The Hag” by Eric Church – Eric Fryer
10. “Pet” by A Perfect Circle – Brad Chalk
11. “Start It Up” by Lloyd Banks – Jose Hernandez
12. “Memories” by David Guetta – Kris Watts
13. “Crazy Town” by Jason Aldean – Shelby Ford
14. “8 Second Ride” by Jake Owen – Bryan Morris
15. “All Along the Watchtower” by Dave Matthews Band – Jeff Locke
16. “Safety Dance” by Men Without Hats – Aaron Thompson
17. “The Comedown (Robotsonics Remix)” by Bring Me The Horizon – Jared Hughes
18. “Where the Green Grass Grows” by Tim McGraw – Aaron Pribanic
19. “Breakdown” by Breaking Benjamin – Mike Colla
20. “My Kinda Party” by Jason Aldean – Tom Boleska
21. “Slow Ride” by Foghat – Anthony Claggett
22. “Hear Me Coming” by Young Joc – Brian Leach
22. “Southern Girls” by Saliva – Michael Dubee
23. “Man of Constant Sorrow” by Soggy Bottom Boys – Noah Krol
24. Everybody Loves Curve Baseball – Winning Song
Opening Day: What to Expect
The off-season is finally over and summer is almost here. It’s baseball time once again in Curve, Pa. and you’re all invited. On Thursday, April 14th at 6:30, Curve pitcher Aaron Thompson will throw the first home pitch of the season, but the festivities will begin long before that.
The gates will open at 5:30 p.m., just enough time to find your seat and re-familiarize yourself with what is one of the most beautiful ballparks in Minor League Baseball.
At 5:50, the Curve will begin their live entertainment with a welcome from Curve GM Rob Egan. At 6 pm, the first pitches will occur, leading into our “Champions of Curve, Pa.” ceremony on field shortly thereafter.
At 6:10, the Curve will unveil the championship banner to their home fans as well as hand out rings to the returning members of the 2010 team. After that, each player on each team will be introduced, World Series style.
The Altoona Area Jr. High Band will perform the National Anthem, and then the game will begin.
The Curve have a host of new things for 2011, most notably the new logo and uniforms the team will wear, but there’s everything from new in-game promotions to the new mascot and much more.
We’d like to welcome you back to baseball season, and we’ll see you tomorrow for the home opener!
Tomorrow’s Weather:
Overnight Celebrity
No, not the song by Kanye West and Twista, when Charl Schwartzel birdied the 18th hole at the Masters on Sunday he became an overnight celebrity as well as a very rich man. So that got us thinking here at CurveBall Blog, who, in the realm of baseball has turned themselves into overnight celebrities?
Armando Galaraga – A relative unknown, Galaraga joined the many pitchers in 2010 to throw a no-hitter or perfect game, or so we thought. With any no-hit bid, they begin to gain publicity through social media and through “live look-ins” from ESPN, by the 7th inning I know I was paying attention. Galaraga worked a clean 8th, and got the final two outs in the ninth inning before Jason Donald “beat out” an infield single and broke up the no-no, or did he…It was a shocking moment, my jaw had dropped as I sat in my Kannapolis, North Carolina apartment. The call had been blown and the perfect game, ruined. The story was a huge one, Galaraga was a celebrity. Despite the poor call at first base, everyone involved was awesome about the whole ordeal, player and umpire alike.
Steve Bartman – Perhaps one of the most famous names in baseball, a die-hard Cubs fan, Bartman is blamed by millions for ruining the Cubs World Series dreams. You know the story, in game six of the 2003 NLCS, Bartman interfered with a fly ball, setting off a chain reaction of bad events for the Cubs as they ultimately lost the series. Bartman was a household name and the incident was huge. So huge infact, that the ball from the play in question sold for more than $113,000 and was subsequently destroyed. The seat Bartman sat in has become a huge tourist attraction at Wrigley Field. Even in my trip to Wrigley, I wanted to get my picture taken in the infamous Bartman pose.
Aaron Boone - Overall a mediocre baseball player, Boone broke into the big time the same year of the Bartman incident. In the 2003 ALCS, Boone hit an 11th inning home run against the Boston Red Sox and Tim Wakefield to send the Yanks into the World Series and prolong the ‘Curse of the Bambino’. Baseball tonight rated this the ninth-best home run of all time.
Not baseball related, but there’s also this:
A New Way to Follow the Curve
A new way to follow the Curve.
This season the Curve will institute, for the first time, MiLB Datacaster for all home games. Much like the Datacaster you’ve probably seen in Major League games, the Datacaster will update with every batter and could serve as a great supplement to listening to the broadcast online or on the radio. If you can’t listen to the game, but still have access to a computer, the Datacaster will be a great way to follow the game.
The link to open the Datacaster will appear on the front page of http://www.AltoonaCurve.com and it will be on the right side where the game information is.
Here’s what the Datacaster will look like, using information from last year’s title clinching game:
The Altoona Curve begin their title defense tonight in Erie at 6:35 p.m. Here are all the links you’ll need to keep up with the Curve!
Twitter - Updates from the game including starting lineup
Game Notes- Click here to learn everything you’ll need to know about tonight’s match-up
Live Audio Feed- Listen to Mike Passanisi Call the action, live from Jerry Uht Park in Erie, Pa. Pre-game show begins at 6:05 p.m.
Where are they Now and Where are they Going?
The Major League Baseball season is underway (Pirates are 2-1) and the Minor League Baseball season begins this Thursday as almost all of the full-season teams will have their season openers (including the Altoona Curve who play in Erie at 6:35 pm on Thursday). With everyone getting going, CurveBall Blog thought it would be fun to take a look at the notable players from the 2010 MLB Draft and see where they will be starting. I’ll take a look at the notable players from the Pirates 2010 draft and give you their destinations to start the season in tomorrow’s blog.
2010 MLB Draft
#1 Bryce Harper: As reported on his official Twitter page the heavy-hitting youngster will take his talents to Hagerstown, Maryland to begin his professional debut. Harper, who hit 7-for-18 (.389) in Major League Spring Training, looks to have his star shine bright with the Suns and I expect him to truly dominate the level. Many teams in the South Atlantic League are already hyping their home meetings with the Suns so their fans can see Harper and he will absolutely create a boost in the Hagerstown attendance. The prediction here is that Harper will receive a mid-season promotion to Potomac and play against the Curve in 2012.
#2 Jameson Taillon: Also, as reported on his official Twitter page the young arm for the Pirates is headed to play for the West Virginia Power, once it warms up. Taillon will remain in Bradenton and continue to work and should join the Power in about a month. He may spend the entire season with West Virginia and his Altoona ETA will be at some point in 2012.
#3 Manny Machado: After a nine-game debut last season where he hit .306, the 18-year-old shortstop is expected to join the Delmarva Shorebirds, and be their starter on Opening Day. Machado has a projectable 6-3 185-pound frame and is expected to flourish. However, Machado should be warned with the seasons Jio Myer had last season with Lexington as the top SS in the ’09 draft (he hit .235) and the season Tim Beckham had in 2009 after being the top SS in the ’08 draft, also in the SAL (43 errors). Machado should be in Bowie to face the Curve in 2012.
#4 Christian Colon: The former Cal State Fullerton star hit .278 last season in 60 games at High-A Wilmington and will open his first full season as the shortstop for the Northwest Arkansas Naturals in Double-A. Colon was the #4 overall pick in 2010 and is number 6 in Baseball America’s prospect handbook. The the players drafted ahead of Colon are all #1 in their respective team’s rankings. This speaks to how loaded the Royals are with young talent. Colon is in the Texas league and will not play at BCB.
#5 Drew Pomeranz: The fifth pick overall and Ole Miss standout will open his first season in High-A with the Kinston Indians. Pomeranz is pretty polished and could turn out to be one of the best lefties in the minors this season. Pomeranz, depending on how he does, may get a mid-season promotion this year and pitch against the Curve in Altoona during their series with Akron which begins on July 4th. Keep an eye out for this one.
#6 Barret Loux: Loux was drafted by Arizona, was offered $2 million to sign, failed his physical and was then declared a free agent. The Texas Rangers then picked Loux up at almost 7-times less the price he was to sign with Arizona. Loux has significant wear in his shoulder and elbow, which is why Arizona did not sign him, but he has been throwing in the Spring with no problems. Loux will open with High-A Myrtle Beach and we’ll see how it goes. The Rangers, who are already stacked with pitching, took a gamble on Loux, but it could really pay off. The Rangers do not have an EL affiliate and Loux will not pitch at BCB.
#7 Matt Harvey: He pitched in college at UNC and has thrown with the B-Mets in the Spring. Harvey will likely open in High-A and he could be in Altoona with the B-Mets in the first week of August.
#11 Deck McGuire: McGuire signed late for $2 million and did not pitch last season. He was not listed on the Opening Day roster for the New Hampshire Fisher Cats so he will likely open in Dunedin. Curve fans saw Kyle Drabek last season, who made the majors last year, and they should see McGuire at least in the August series at BCB.
#20 Kolbrin Vitek: Ball State has had a number of high draft choices lately, two by the Boston Red Sox, and Vitek is the latest. Vitek will join his fellow Ball State teammate and 2009 4th round pick Jeremy Hazelbaker to begin the season in High-A Salem. Both will need to improve upon last year, however, both of them could make it the Double-A in 2011. The Sea Dogs come to Altoona for the final time in June, and that is probably too early. We’ll see them at BCB in 2012.
Of note:
The 9th overall selection in 2009, Jacob Turner, who signed a $7 million guaranteed contract will open in Erie and will likely be the first starting pitcher the Curve will face this season.
Tony Sanchez, the No. 4 overall pick from 2009 will be in Altoona to start the year playing for the Curve. The young catcher and Miami, Fla. native is a must-see this season at BCB.
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