Phillies expected to move Triple-A club to Allentown

The Phillies are expected to annouce a new affiliation with Allentown to house their Triple-A team, thus ending their affiliation with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre after nearly 20 years, the Philadelphia Daily News has reported. A recently-approved stadium in Allentown is scheduled to be completed by 2007.

Beerleaguer Take
I’ve said for years that a well-run, affiliated baseball team in the Lehigh Valley would be tremendously successful. The new team will draw patrons in Allentown east to Bethlehem, Easton and Phillipsburg, N.J. It will extend south to Quakertown, Downingtown and Landsdale, and north to Lehighton and Jim Thorpe. To the west, it could pluck a few bodies from Kutztown, Topton and Fleetwood. I know one family with high K-Town political clout that will travel the 20 minutes more than once.

The new Allentown team is a shoe-in for success, but the key isn’t the volume of cities and towns in close proximity, but the rich suburban families that glue these areas together. My sense is the most dollars will flow in from patrons of nearby Parkland and Emmaus School Districts, with sports-crazed children, soccer moms, and most importantly, luxury SUVs.

That’s as much business as I want to get into. What I'm hoping for, as a baseball junky, is the cultivation of a better baseball experience than what's offered at Reading or anywhere else in close proximity. Reading is a model business and a community blessing, but not necessarily an ideal place to take in the baseball game. Because of the limitations of FirstEngery Stadium, an old municipal park, it's hard to follow the action if you aren’t seated in a section behind home plate. The bleachers down the first and third-base lines tend to drift off into oblivion. In a three-hour ballgame, some of the best action is when the staff interns whip t-shirts into the crowd with a giant slingshot. It’s easy to get distracted, but the lure of Double-A will always draw me in. This is my favorite level of the minor leagues.

Allentown is owned by Grace Baseball Company, operated by Reading Phillies owner Craig Stein and Trenton Thunder (AA, Yankees) president and managing partner Joe Finley, who entered into a 29-year lease agreement with Lehigh County back in October. Grace also owns Lakewood, the Phillies Low-A affiliate.

In November, Trenton was named the best minor league organization in the nation, earning the John H. Johnson President’s Trophy which is given annually to the most outstanding franchise in Minor League Baseball that best exemplifies the complete Minor League Baseball organization.

Trenton’s stadium is best described as "retro-new," with a wide-open concourse and seats that hug the action. I suspect the new stadium will be similarly engineered. It will be a tremendous upgrade over Lackawanna County Stadium, its unnatural forest-green astroturf and steep, tumble-to-your-death seating.

With Allentown, Reading and Philadelphia, all in a tight, natural circle, Phillies fans definitely have options for their summer nights. On the field, it's a positive change for a minor league system in need of fresh air.

Comments

[martin]

Do we know they will be called the Allentown Phillies? Maybe the Allentown Macks, or the Lehigh Valley Bulldogs. So let's get some creative suggestions.

[Joe]

I'm not sure where you guys/girls are from, but I love the idea of Allentown building a stadium for AAA. I had read about this last year and thought it was supposed to be the Ottawa Lynx moving in and then figured somewhere down the line that the AAA Phillies would move in. The new news is even better then I thought. I constantly go to the Reading Phillies games and now I'm going to be able to also enjoy some Allentown games. For the last 2 years I have only gone to Scranton Wilkes-Barre 2 times (once each year) and thats only because its a hike from Downingtown.

My name for the AAA Allentown team is:
The Lehigh Valley Lollygaggers

[Mike]

I, for one, will now go to games when they are in Allentown. Allentown is only a quick jaunt up either 309 or the NE Extension of the PA Turnpike. Much easier than an excursion to Scranton. Hopefully they will market down in the surburbs of Philadelphia and try to bring people in.

[julio franco]

Too much free time Friday..The worst knickname for this team would be the Ambassadors, their last, failed Indy team. Too many sylables, awful mascot, and the local paper didn't know what to call them, so called them The Ams. If you are heading west from Allentown you would think a good name for them would be the Warehousemen, in the great tradition of the teams in the Mexican League, like Coffegrowers, or Sarape Makers. Or honoring a great team of the past....On Sept 7, 1923, the Allentown Dukes beat the NY Yankees 8-7 in a exhibition game in Allentown. More than 4000 fans witnessed Dukes' pitcher Scrap Iron Papsin srtike out Babe Ruth with the bases loaded to enable the win. True story, I was there.

[That Dude]

Not only was Julio Franco there, but he pinch hit for Duke's SS Jeremiah "Club Foot" Hamilton.

[ae]

i'm from allentown originally, although i'm not living there now. i'm all about this, something interesting to do when i visit home.

ambassadors was a terrible name before and it's still terrible. i like dukes, but i'll bet they go for something "youthful" and idiotic like the ValleyDawgs (worst team name EVER).

[gr]

any name other than the phils should pay some sort of tribute to the valley's hard-working, blue collar past, although i'm not suggesting "steelers." while alot of refugees from the DC, NY and Philly areas have moved in and raised the tax base and inflated the housing market (and the stadium i believe will be out near Dorney Park, close to the money of those schools and country clubs), the old A.B.E. area is alot like Philadelphia itself. that said, "red barons" was a neat choice.

[Karl]

Just stopping by to wish you happy holidays :)

I live in Texas now, but i'm from Bethlehem originally and this is very exciting news to me. I've never been to a minor league game other than the Reading Phillies (though i should go see the Round Rock Express someday) so this is a great chance to see some young Phillies when i visit. I think the name should have something to do with the steel, since that's why the area is bigger than anywhere in PA except Philly and Pittsburg. I'm sure they will name it something crappy though. Like the Allentown Billy Joels. Or they'll go corporate and maybe name then the Allentown Money. I think it would be cool if they were the "Little Phillies" I'll stop.

[Billy Joel]

I live in Texas now, but i'm from Bethlehem originally and this is very exciting news to me. I've never been to a minor league game other than the Reading Phillies (though i should go see the Round Rock Express someday) so this is a great chance to see some young Phillies when i visit. I think the name should have something to do with the steel, since that's why the area is bigger than anywhere in PA except Philly and Pittsburg. I'm sure they will name it something crappy though. Like the Allentown Billy Joels. Or they'll go corporate and maybe name then the Allentown Money. I think it would be cool if they were the "Little Phillies" I'll stop.

[Dantheman]

"the ValleyDawgs (worst team name EVER)."

Not even close. My all-time favorite bad team name was a minor league hickey team in Macon, Georgia (!) called the Whoopee. The Macon Whoopee.

[That Dude]

Allentown Blue Ribbons.
Allentown Phightin's
Allentown Bells (Liberty bell was hidden there during revolutionary war)

[Fred King]

I'm originally from the Lehigh Valley area and I love all things from that small neck of the woods. I too believe that the team name should reflect not only Allentown, but the entire valley's past...so, instead of the Allentown whatevers, I say we go with the Lehigh Valley Revolutionaries, the Lehigh Valley Commuters, or last but not least...the Lehigh Valley Engineers!!! But, if all else fails, just go with the Phillies!!!

[randy]

Allentown and Emmaus in particular are over-moneyed towns, and sports nuts, try driving when the emmaus football team plays. A new (almost) pro team comes to town, you better believe people will go nutty. If it is near Dorney, then it will probably hurt attendence at Dorney since a lot of people would rather see a different game every night than the same amusement park every year.

[Matt]

Even though I grew up in NY, and am a Yankee fan, I would love to see some quality professional baseball in our area. I like the idea of using the Dukes name for the team. I am looking foward to this becoming a reality.

[Matt]

Even though I grew up in NY, and am a Yankee fan, I would love to see some quality professional baseball in our area. I like the idea of using the Dukes name for the team. I am looking foward to this becoming a reality.