Play Ball!

When officials first announced the birth of a minor league baseball team in Lakewood more than a decade ago I don’t think even they could imagine the success that would come to that franchise. That first press conference in November of 1999 was held in a temporary office in the Lakewood Industrial Park as owner Joe Finley introduced Geoff Brown as the team’s General Manager. A few months later they gathered again to announce that BlueClaws was chosen as the name of the team and then in the spring of 2000 ground was broken on the stadium that would become their home…a stadium that has helped them lead the South Atlantic League in attendance every year of their existence.

Tonight the Lakewood BlueClaws, Class A affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies open their 10th season in Asheville, North Carolina against the Tourists. The BlueClaws are the defending South Atlantic League champions, having won their second title in the last four years last September. Unlike the major leagues though minor league baseball comes with a near 100% turnover and not only are the players new but for the eighth time in 10 years there will be a different manager. 48-year old Mark Parent is a former major league catcher whose last baseball job was as manager of a team in the Golden Baseball League in 2007. He’ll help guide a team that seems to have a lot of talent and potential and is young…including 17-year old outfielder Domingo Santana.

Local fans will get their first chance to see the 2010 edition of the BlueClaws next Friday (April 16) when they open an 8-game home stand at FirstEnergy Park. However as in the past you can follow the team on our Shore Sports Network as once again 1160 WOBM AM and Fox Sports 1310 are the official radio stations of the BlueClaws and will carry all 140 regular season games. Greg Giombarrese is back for his second season as the play-by-play voice of the team with David Foley joining him on our broadcasts.
As a footnote this week saw Geoff Brown present championship rings to our company president Bill Saurer, Program Director Steve Ardolina and yours truly during a ceremony at home plate. It’s a nice perk to being the team’s radio home but I could do without the Phillies logo on the ring.