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58-722: Following the 2007 season, the Ottawa Lynx relocated to Allentown as the Lehigh Valley IronPigs. In conjunction with Major League Baseball 's reorganization of Minor League Baseball in 2021, the IronPigs were shifted to the Triple-A East, whose name was restored to the International League in 2022. Since their 2008 inaugural season, the Lehigh Valley IronPigs have made four appearances in

116-567: A new ballpark near Easton called the Lehigh Valley Multi-Purpose Sport Complex , but the project never came to completion and ultimately was terminated. While the Black Diamonds waited for their new stadium, they played as a traveling team from 1999 to 2001. In 2003, Joseph Finley and Craig Stein began actively pursuing their interest in bringing affiliated baseball back to Allentown. Initially,

174-475: A pair of furry anthropomorphic pigs , similar to Mangalicas , called FeRROUS and FeFe. Their names are derived from the Latin term for iron ( ferrum ) and the element's chemical symbol (Fe). FeRROUS, who has gray fur and a lighter gray face, wears an IronPigs jersey with the number 26 (the atomic number for iron), a team cap, and shoes. FeFe, who is also gray but with a tan face and brunette pigtails, wears

232-887: A red jersey that extends into a skirt with the number 08, which commemorates the team's first season (2008), a team cap, and shoes. The name "PorkChop" was originally chosen for FeRROUS, but it was changed the day after its selection because of complaints from local Puerto Rican residents alleging that Pork Chop was a derogatory term. Pitchers Catchers Infielders Outfielders Manager Coaches [REDACTED] 7-day injured list * On Philadelphia Phillies 40-man roster ~ Development list # Rehab assignment ∞ Reserve list ‡ Restricted list § Suspended list † Temporarily inactive list Roster updated November 19, 2024 Transactions → More rosters: MiLB  •  International League → Philadelphia Phillies minor league players The franchise has been awarded

290-540: A regular season in MLB history, and the first time since 1968 that all major league teams were scheduled to start the season on the same day, although two games were subsequently rained out and postponed to Friday, March 30). In 2019, MLB scheduled an even earlier opening day for most teams on Thursday, March 28; this excludes a two-game series on March 20 and 21 between the Seattle Mariners and Oakland Athletics at

348-471: A regular-season game the night before "Opening Day" and recent years have seen the staging of season-opening series in Mexico , Puerto Rico , Japan, and Australia. While these are technically "opening games", Major League Baseball still reserves the title "Opening Day" for the first day in which multiple games are played. (For the first time ever, three televised games were played on Sunday, April 3, 2016, before

406-449: A symbol of rebirth; writer Thomas Boswell once penned a book titled, Why Time Begins on Opening Day . Many feel that the occasion is a moment to forget last season, in that all teams begin anew with 0–0 records. Pre-season exhibition games are usually played in the month before Opening Day, during spring training . A home opener is a team's first game of the season on their home field. Equivalents to Opening Day occur throughout

464-768: A total capacity of 10,000, was being constructed in Allentown. The Ottawa Lynx were relocated to Allentown in 2008 and continued as the Triple-A affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies in the International League (IL). Known as the Lehigh Valley IronPigs, their moniker, selected in a name-the-team contest, refers to the region's steelmaking history, in particular the refining of pig iron into steel. The other finalists were "Gobblers", "Crushers", "Phillies", "Phantastics", "Vulcans", "Keystones", and "Woodchucks". The IronPigs played their first Opening Day game on

522-628: Is about the only sport left—now that football players report to training camp before the Fourth of July, and hockey players start skating in Indian summer—that still has a time and is true to it. There is no sports event like Opening Day of baseball, the sense of beating back the forces of darkness and the National Football League. You always get a special kick on Opening Day, no matter how many you go through. You look forward to it like

580-575: Is not like any other game. There's that little extra excitement, a faster beating of the heart. You have that anxiety to get off to a good start, for yourself and for the team. You know that when you win the first one, you can't lose 'em all." In 2014, Ozzie Smith , with the support of Anheuser-Busch , began a campaign using the We the People site on WhiteHouse.gov to petition the U.S. government to make Opening Day an official national holiday . In 1907,

638-483: Is the day on which professional baseball leagues begin their regular season . For Major League Baseball (MLB) and most of the American minor leagues , this day typically falls during the first week of April, although in recent years it has occasionally fallen in the last week of March. In Nippon Professional Baseball , this day typically falls during the last week of March. For baseball fans, Opening Day serves as

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696-600: The COVID-19 pandemic before being cancelled on June 30. Through 13 seasons in the International League, the IronPigs had a 855–861 record. They experienced more success at the turnstiles as their season attendance topped 500,000 people each season. From 2008 to 2016, the team led Minor League Baseball with a per-game average attendance of 8,978. In 2019, franchise was recognized with the Larry MacPhail Award for outstanding minor league promotions. Following

754-662: The Edmonton Trappers of the Pacific Coast League . The Lynx's working agreement with the Orioles ended when the latter signed a Player Development Contract with the Norfolk Tides on September 25, 2006. In 2006, the ball club was sold to Joe Finley and Craig Stein, while Pecor maintained a minority stake. Finley and Stein declared their intention to move the team to Allentown, Pennsylvania , for

812-720: The Gwinnett Stripers at Coca-Cola Park quickly sold out to the stadium's 10,100 capacity. In his August 23 appearance with the IronPigs, Harper homered twice against the Stripers. The IronPigs franchise broadcasts all of its home games on television, a rarity for a minor league team. Local cable network SEN (The Service Electric Network) carries the IronPigs' games, covering most of the Lehigh Valley region of Pennsylvania plus parts of Warren and Hunterdon Counties in northwestern New Jersey. In addition, SEN feeds

870-838: The New York Giants forfeited their game at the Polo Grounds to the Philadelphia Phillies , 9–0, after rowdy fans made and threw snowballs. Without police available to restore order, umpire Bill Klem awarded the game to the Phillies. In 1940, Cleveland Indians pitcher Bob Feller threw a no-hitter to open the season against the Chicago White Sox . It remains the only no-hitter in Opening Day history. Twelve U.S. Presidents have thrown

928-665: The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre region. For the 2007 season, the Phillies shifted their Triple-A affiliate to Ottawa, leaving the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons after 18 seasons, while the Orioles affiliated with the Norfolk Tides . The Phillies signed a one-year Player Development Contract with the Lynx while the US$ 50.25-million Coca-Cola Park capable of seating up to 8,100 people with

986-585: The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders . Jake Thompson was the circuit's Most Valuable Pitcher. The 2017 team won another wild card berth but was eliminated again by Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, 3–1. Phillies prospect Rhys Hoskins was selected as the IL's 2017 Most Valuable Player (MVP) and Rookie of the Year . In 2018, the IronPigs won their first Northern Division title with an 84–56 record,

1044-570: The Tokyo Dome in Japan. The opening of the 2020 season was originally scheduled for Thursday, March 26, but was rescheduled to Thursday, July 23 and Friday, July 24 due to the COVID-19 pandemic . The 2021 season opened on Thursday, April 1. The opening of the 2022 season, originally scheduled for Thursday, March 31, was delayed to Thursday, April 7 due to the 2021–22 lockout . The 2023 Major League Baseball season opened on Thursday, March 30. It

1102-647: The Washington Senators , Walter Johnson pitched a record nine shutouts. Two of his more famous starts include a 3–0 victory over the Philadelphia Athletics in 1910 and a 1–0 marathon victory while battling the A's Eddie Rommel for 15 innings. On March 29, 2018, Matt Davidson of the Chicago White Sox hit three home runs in his team's opener against the Kansas City Royals at Kansas City's Kauffman Stadium . He became

1160-538: The ceremonial first pitch of the season. On April 14, 1910, baseball enthusiast William Howard Taft attended the Washington Senators ' home opener at National Park , becoming the first U.S. President to open the season in this manner. Harry S. Truman threw first pitches with both his right and left arm in 1950. On April 4, 1994, Bill Clinton inaugurated the Cleveland Indians ' new ballpark, then known as Jacobs Field and now as Progressive Field , with

1218-714: The 1953 spring training, the Braves swapped schedules with the Pirates and the Opening Day opponent for the Reds began to be rotated amongst the rest of the National League . Fittingly, the Reds were also the first team to host an Interleague game on Opening Day when the team hosted the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in the first year of year-round Interleague play in 2013. Since 1994 ESPN has often televised

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1276-496: The 2008 season, where a new stadium was set to begin construction that September (now built as Coca-Cola Park ). The owners, facing a lawsuit from the City of Ottawa if they moved the Lynx, filed a lawsuit of their own against the City of Ottawa on October 17, 2006, seeking $ 10.75 million in damages claiming that the city failed to provide enough parking spaces, which, the team alleged, was a violation of its lease. The location far from

1334-531: The 2008 season, where it became known as the Lehigh Valley IronPigs . In 1991, Ottawa businessman and then Ottawa 67's owner Howard Darwin was successful in applying to the IL for an expansion franchise to begin play in 1993, at a cost of $ 5 million. The Lynx became the second IL franchise to play in Ottawa, after the former Ottawa Giants and Ottawa Athletics of the 1950s. The application

1392-520: The 2011 season on a Thursday (March 31) or Friday (April 1) rather than the traditional Monday, in order to prevent the World Series from extending into November. Similarly, most teams opened the 2012 season on Thursday (April 5) or Friday (April 6). However, subsequent seasons through 2017 returned to Monday openers for most teams. For the 2018 season, all 30 teams were scheduled to open the season on Thursday, March 29 (the earliest domestic start for

1450-472: The 2020 season, Major League Baseball assumed control of Minor League Baseball in a move to increase player salaries, modernize facility standards, and reduce travel. The Philadelphia Phillies retained Lehigh Valley as their Triple-A affiliate, but the International League disbanded, and the IronPigs followed the other IL teams into the Triple-A East . Lehigh Valley ended the season in fourth place in

1508-500: The 2025 season occurred on Thursday, March 27th; 28 of the 30 teams played their first game of the season, with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs having played their opening game March 18 at the Tokyo Dome in Japan. In the beginning, there was no baseball. But ever since, there have been few beginnings as good as the start of a new baseball season. It is the most splendid time in sport, in part because baseball

1566-539: The 20th century, being in 1966, when they started the season at Philadelphia after rain washed out the opening series in Cincinnati; 1990, when due to a lockout affecting the schedule they opened the season at Houston; and 2022, when another lockout led to their opening the season at Atlanta). The Chicago Cubs have been the Reds' most frequent Opening Day opponent, visiting Cincinnati for 36 season openers, most recently in 2007. The Pittsburgh Pirates , against whom

1624-609: The Allentown Dukes of the original Eastern League . Though the city went through several stretches without a team, various other Minor League Baseball teams hailed from Allentown through 1960. The last of these were the Allentown Cardinals (1944–1956) and Allentown Red Sox (1958–1960). The Red Sox played at Breadon Field (later called Max Hess Stadium) at the site where the Lehigh Valley Mall

1682-621: The Blue Jays beating the Indians, 7–4, in 16 innings. The previous record for longest Opening Day game was on April 19, 1960, at Cleveland Stadium . That game, lasting 15 innings, also saw the Indians in a losing effort, 4–2, versus the Detroit Tigers . The Philadelphia Athletics and Washington Senators also played a 15-inning season opener on April 13, 1926, with Washington winning, 1–0, at home. On rare occasions, predominantly in

1740-587: The International League Governors' Cup playoffs (2011, 2016, 2017, and 2018). In 2018, the IronPigs won their first Northern Division title with an 84–56 record, the highest winning percentage (.600) in franchise history, but the team has not yet won an International League championship . Allentown, Pennsylvania , in the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania , has a professional baseball history dating back to 1884 with

1798-701: The IronPigs in 2011. On April 7, they won their season opener against the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees at Coca-Cola Park, registering the first win–loss percentage above .500 in the team's history. Sandberg led the club to an 80–64 record which, though not good enough to win the Northern Division title, gave them a wild card berth into the Governors' Cup playoffs for the International League championship . They won

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1856-596: The Northeastern Division with a 52–66 record. No playoffs were held to determine a league champion; instead, the team with the best regular-season record was declared the winner. However, 10 games that had been postponed from the start of the season were reinserted into the schedule as a postseason tournament called the Triple-A Final Stretch in which all 30 Triple-A clubs competed for the highest winning percentage. The IronPigs finished

1914-574: The city centre might have contributed to the attendance problem. The team played its last game in Ottawa on September 3, 2007, in front of a crowd of 7,461 people, losing to the Syracuse Chiefs , 8–5. The Ottawa Lynx ultimately won exactly 1,000 games before leaving Ottawa. The Lynx won the Governors' Cup , the championship of the International League, once by defeating the Norfolk Tides in 1995. Opening Day Opening Day

1972-582: The current Reds organization played their first opener in 1882, are a close second with 32, most recently in 2023; no other team has more than 19 (by the St. Louis Cardinals , most recently in 2014), largely due to the Cubs and Pirates rotating as the Opening Day opponents from 1899 to 1916, then the two teams and the Cardinals rotated from 1917 to 1952. Following the then- Boston Braves relocation to Milwaukee during

2030-640: The duo pursued a Class A franchise when the Ottawa Lynx , the Triple-A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles at the time, were rumored to be moving to Harrisburg . When the city of Harrisburg was unwilling to upgrade Commerce Bank Park to Triple-A standards, the Orioles shifted their interest to Allentown because of its proximity to the Mid-Atlantic . The Philadelphia Phillies also looked into moving their Triple-A operations to Allentown from

2088-480: The early 20th century, a team would open its home season with a doubleheader . The first of these came when the Boston Americans hosted the Philadelphia Athletics for two games on April 20, 1903, with Boston winning the first game, 9–4, and Philadelphia taking the second game, 10–7. The most recent Opening Day doubleheader in the major leagues came on April 7, 1971, with the Chicago White Sox defeating

2146-704: The first pitch. George W. Bush did the honors to inaugurate Nationals Park for the Washington Nationals on March 30, 2008. Ted Williams was a .449 hitter in openers, with three home runs and fourteen runs batted in during fourteen such games and at least one hit in each game. On April 4, 1974, Hank Aaron of the Atlanta Braves hit his 714th career home run on Opening Day at Cincinnati's Riverfront Stadium , tying Babe Ruth on Major League Baseball's all-time list. Aaron finished his career with 755 home runs. In 14 season openers for

2204-499: The following honors by Minor League Baseball : Six players, one manager, and one executive have won league awards in recognition for their performance with Lehigh Valley. Nine IronPigs have been named to postseason all-star teams. Ottawa Lynx The Ottawa Lynx were a Minor League Baseball team that competed in the Triple-A International League (IL) from 1993 to 2007. The team's home field

2262-573: The fourth major leaguer with three home runs on Opening Day, following the Toronto Blue Jays ' George Bell in 1988, Chicago Cubs ' Tuffy Rhodes in 1994 and the Detroit Tigers ' Dmitri Young in 2005. The St. Louis Cardinals were the first major league team to open their home season with a night game , beating the Pittsburgh Pirates 4–2 at Sportsman's Park on April 18, 1950. The first interleague Opening Day game

2320-518: The highest winning percentage (.600) in franchise history, but were knocked out of the semifinals for the third year in a row by the RailRiders, 3–1. Nevertheless, the IronPigs swept the International League awards with Joey Meneses as MVP and Rookie of the Year, Cole Irvin as the top pitcher, and Gary Jones as the Manager of the Year winner. The start of the 2020 season was postponed due to

2378-735: The host Oakland Athletics in both games (6–5 and 12–4, respectively). In 1968, Greg Washburn , a pitcher in the California Angels organization, pitched two Opening Day games in the same year—first for the San Jose Bees of the California League , and then for the Quad City Angels of the Midwest League . Washburn won both openers 2–0. This is the only record of a pitcher pitching two openers in

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2436-631: The only regular season games during the year in which the entire rosters of both teams as well as coaches and clubhouse staff are introduced to the crowd prior to the games; for the rest of the year, ballparks only introduce the starting lineups and the teams' managers . Some teams, among them the New York Mets , have had their broadcasters as the master of pre-game ceremonies for their home openers, which also typically feature appearances by retired players, local celebrities or media personalities, politicians, and other dignitaries. Prior to Opening Day,

2494-603: The road, losing to the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees , 4–0, on April 3, 2008. The team went on to lose their next 10 games. On April 14, Lehigh Valley broke the 11-game losing streak, defeating the Richmond Braves , 3–1, at their new home stadium, Coca-Cola Park. They ended their inaugural season last of 14 teams in the IL at 55–89. The next season, Justin Lehr became the first member of

2552-613: The same year in professional baseball. Hall of Famer Tom Seaver holds the record among major league pitchers for the most Opening Day starts, doing the honors 16 times in his career with the New York Mets , Cincinnati Reds , and Chicago White Sox . The record for most consecutive victories on Opening Day by a team in history is ten, shared by the Boston Beaneaters (1887–1896) and the Houston Astros (2013–2022). Major League Baseball had most of its teams open

2610-399: The semifinals over the Pawtucket Red Sox , 3–0, but lost the championship finals to the Columbus Clippers , 3–1. Tyler Cloyd was selected as the Most Valuable Pitcher in 2012. From 2016 to 2018, Lehigh Valley made three consecutive appearances in the Governors' Cup playoffs. The 2016 wild-card winners set a season record for wins, with 85 against 58 losses, but were swept in three games by

2668-415: The sport's first openly all-professional team , the annual Findlay Market Parade marks an official "city holiday" with young and old alike taking the day off to cheer on the Reds . For decades, the first pitch of every major league season officially took place in Cincinnati, and the Reds remain the only major league team to always open the season with a home game (the sole exceptions, since the beginning of

2726-600: The sport, including minor leagues, college baseball , high school, and youth leagues. Because MLB generally begins its season earlier than the other professional baseball leagues, its Opening Day is the one most commonly recognized by the general public. Most minor leagues start a few days later, but within the same week; the short season Class A and Rookie leagues are exceptions, as they begin in June. College, high school and youth baseball seasons vary widely depending on location and weather conditions. For generations, Opening Day has arrived amid pageantry. In Cincinnati , home of

2784-410: The team to Ray Pecor for $ 7 million. According to news reports, Pecor lost $ 1 million annually on the team due to low attendance. In 2003, the Lynx were not given any assurances from either the Montreal Expos or Major League Baseball on the long-term future of the Expos. They became the Triple-A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles on September 24, 2002. As a result, Montreal shifted its affiliation to

2842-417: The team to win a league year-end award when he was selected as the International League's 2009 Most Valuable Pitcher . On July 14, 2010, Coca-Cola Park hosted the Triple-A All-Star Game . In the event, which was broadcast nationally on MLB Network , a team of the IL's All-Stars defeated a team of the Pacific Coast League 's All-Stars, 3–1. Baseball Hall of Fame inductee Ryne Sandberg became manager of

2900-406: The teams' managers have to decide the starting pitchers for the game, an assignment typically given to the ace of each team's staff. For a pitcher to start on Opening Day is considered an honor, regardless of whether they are on the home or visiting team. Hall of Fame pitcher Early Wynn , who played for the Washington Senators , Cleveland Indians and Chicago White Sox , once said: "An opener

2958-422: The telecasts to Blue Ridge Cable TV-13 for broadcast to other areas in the eastern part of the state. In addition, select Saturday night home games are telecast on WFMZ-TV 69, which serves the Lehigh Valley as well as the northern Philadelphia market and western New Jersey . All IronPigs games, home and away, are also broadcast on WEEX , an Easton -based FOX Sports Radio affiliate. The IronPigs' mascots are

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3016-417: The tournament in 30th place with a 1–9 record. In 2022, the Triple-A East became known as the International League, the name historically used by the regional circuit prior to the 2021 reorganization. In August 2022, as Phillies' star right fielder Bryce Harper was designated to the IronPigs in a final step in his rehabilitation stint as part of his comeback from a fractured thumb, the IronPigs' games against

3074-421: The traditional "Opening Day" slate of games on Monday, April 4.) Opening Day is a state of mind as well, with countless baseball fans known to recognize this unofficial holiday as a good reason to call in sick at work or be truant from school (as most teams typically play their home opener on a weekday afternoon) and go out to the ballpark for the first of 162 regular season games. Teams' home openers serve as

3132-414: Was Lynx Stadium in Ottawa , Ontario . Over 15 seasons, the team was an affiliate of the Montreal Expos (1993–2002), Baltimore Orioles (2003–2006), and Philadelphia Phillies (2007). At the time, it was the only IL franchise in Canada . In late August 2006, the league approved the conditions to negotiate the sale of the team. The new owners moved the team to Allentown, Pennsylvania , beginning with

3190-606: Was contingent on the City of Ottawa building a baseball stadium for the team. Lynx Stadium was completed in time for the 1993 season. The Lynx began play in 1993 , serving as the top farm team for the Montreal Expos . The team won the International League championship in 1995, the only time it would do so. During this period, the Lynx featured such future Major League Baseball players as Rondell White , Cliff Floyd , Matt Stairs , Kirk Rueter , and F.P. Santangelo . The Lynx eventually retired two numbers: Santangelo's 24, and Jamey Carroll 's 3. In 2000, Darwin sold his shares in

3248-438: Was later built. These affiliated clubs were followed by two independent baseball teams: the Allentown Ambassadors of the Northeast League and the Lehigh Valley Black Diamonds of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball . The Ambassadors played at Bicentennial Park in Allentown until the team was disbanded after the 2003 season. The Black Diamonds moved from Newburgh, New York , in 1999 and were expected to move into

3306-400: Was played between the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (AL) and the Cincinnati Reds (NL) on April 1, 2013 at Cincinnati's Great American Ball Park . The Angels won the game in 13 innings, 3–1. The longest Opening Day game in major league history was played on April 5, 2012 between the Cleveland Indians and Toronto Blue Jays . The game, played at Cleveland's Progressive Field , ended with

3364-426: Was the first time since 1968 that all major league teams played and the first opening day that 30 teams played as there were only 20 teams in 1968. The opening of the 2024 season occurred on Thursday, March 28th; 28 of the 30 teams played their first game of the season, with the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres having played their opening game March 20 at the Gocheok Sky Dome in South Korea . The opening of

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