Please join us on Thursday, June 5th at 4:30 as we attend a behind the scenes tour of Coca-Cola Park in Allentown, PA. Then stay for an evening of food and fun while watching the Lehigh Valley's own IronPigs host the Louisville Bats. Kurt Landes, General Manager of the IronPigs, will provide us with an insider look at the stadium.
Groundbreaking ceremonies for the new ballpark were held on September 6, 2006, and construction was completed in February 2008. Coca-Cola Park was built on land formerly owned by LSI Corporation. The field dimensions and wall heights are the same as Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, except left field is five feet deeper, center field is one foot shorter and the right field foul pole is five feet closer. There is one main scoreboard which is located at the 400' mark on the field. The scoreboard consists of a 20' x 50' high definition video board, a 76' x 4' LED ribbon board, as well as the park's iconic classic Coca-Cola bottle which also serves as a firework launcher when a run is scored. Coca-Cola Park has a wide variety of seating including a grass berm, picnic benches, fold-down seats, and standing room. The initial estimate of the IronPigs stadium was $48.4 million. Its final price tag of $50.25 million, just 4 percent over the estimate, makes the minor league field one of the most expensive in the U.S.
Coca-Cola Park became an overnight sensation and drew rave reviews for its intimacy, fan-friendly atmosphere and architectural design. Furthermore, FoxNews.com ranked Lehigh Valley IronPigs fans as the best fans in all of Minor League Baseball.
With 613,075 visitors in 2013 - including 20 consecutive sellouts to conclude the year -- Coca-Cola Park remains Minor League Baseball's most visited venue since debuting in 2008. By crossing the 600,000 plateau yet again, the IronPigs have the exclusive distinction of being the only Minor League franchise to eclipse the elusive 600,000 attendance barrier for each of the last six campaigns. The 9,016 per-game average for the club's official 68 home games marks the fifth straight season the IronPigs have averaged over 9,000 fans per game.
Since 2008, the IronPigs have now drawn 3,820,124 fans to Coca-Cola Park and averaged 9,031 per game - a number that drastically exceeds Coca-Cola Park's fixed seating capacity. Every seat in the ballpark has been sold for 341 of the 423 all-time regular season games with 114 all-time capacity crowds.
http://www.milb.com/index.jsp?sid=t1410
Following our tour we will have reserved seats in the PPL Pavillion. Food and soft drinks will be provided from 6:00 to 8:30. The game will start at 7:05. The LVPSPE will be highlighted with an announcement and a first pitch opportunity.
The cost for the game ticket and food is $27.00 per person. If you would like a 1.0 PDH certificate for the event it will be provided at no charge. PayPal is available and encouraged for registration payment. If you do not pay in advance, cash or check will be collected immediately prior to start of tour.
Coca-Cola Park is located at 1050 IronPigs Way, Allentown, PA. Please meet at the Clubhouse Entrance (western gate) for the start of the tour. Click on the pdf links for directions, parking and stadium layout information.
IronPigs_directions.pdf
IronPigs_parking.pdf
IronPigs_stadium_layout.pdf
