August 10, 2008
Coca-Cola Park (Capacity: 8,100)
Allentown, PA
Lehigh Valley IronPigs vs Buffalo Bisons
Final Score: 3-4 (10)
* The stadium was re-visited for a game on August 18, 2018
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It had been 48 years since Allentown last hosted minor league baseball, but that finally changed when the Ottawa franchise was sold in 2006. Allentown took over by building Coca-Cola Park on the north side of town and Triple-A ball returned in 2008. The Lehigh Valley is made up of three cities in the eastern part of Pennsylvania and the anchor city is Allentown. With a population of 118,000, it is the state’s third largest. Allentown has a similar history to many other Northeast cities: A successful start because of manufacturing and industrial work (iron products in this case), then a downturn in the 1960s and 70s followed by attempted revitalization. That past history led to the IronPig team name. It also sets up interplay with the pig theme and boy do they certainly utilize that. The first game I went to came after a visit to MusikFest in nearby Bethlehem and a proceeding storm made things chilly as it turned to night in the ballpark. I’ve learned my lessons since my early days of travel as visiting a team in their inaugural season is not a good idea. A more fair evaluation comes years later as that new car smell wears off and the kinks in a new stadium are worked out. For the return 11 years after my visit, the weather was much more seasonable and the IronPigs were firmly established as summer entertainment in the Lehigh Valley. On the field, they’ve made the playoffs three straight years, but are still looking for their first Governor’s Cup. The stadium isn’t impressive, but adequate enough and the team’s focus on pork themes makes things fun.
Prestige Ranking: 3.5 out of 5
Location
Coca-Cola Park is on the northeast side of Allentown, away from downtown on the other side of the Lehigh River. The ballpark location is suboptimal as it is near business parks and auto-body shops. If you’re looking for nearby places to eat, Union Boulevard is the closest for some smaller restaurants. Five minutes away down Airport Road is a plethora of chain restaurants. Allentown really does not offer much as Dorney Park (amusement park) and the America on Wheels museum are the ‘best’ local attractions. Neither are worth going out of your way to see. A 15-minute trip to Bethlehem is a better option as the middle city within the Lehigh Valley features a charming downtown and great walking tours.
Location Ranking: 4 out of 10
Accessibility / Parking
Getting to the stadium complex is pretty simple and accessible from Route 22. I-78 is further south, but the way these two paralleling roads run, most are able to get on to 22 with ease. Multiple twisty roads were built inside this redeveloped area that houses parking and the ballparks. However, many employees are there to direct cars and simplify procedures as they direct you to one of several parking lots. They also help with the congestion at the end of the game so that it is not too bad.
Accessibility / Parking Ranking: 7.5 out of 8
Exterior
The exterior of the stadium looks very much like a modern strip mall. It is completely flat with only one side showing (as opposed to the normal rounded appearance). I like when a ballpark takes risks in being different, but this design just didn’t appeal to me. Maybe because it was short and didn’t resemble a stadium. Shades of tan, brown and brick were used for the colors and there were arched windows higher up on the exterior. One aspect was having what looks like the main entrance, only be for suite holders. It’s easy to get fooled and walk there before realizing “regular” ticket holders enter through an open area near the right-field pole. This is a meeting spot before getting settled in. There is a large “Coca-Cola Park” sign as you enter and an engraved baseball on the pavement.
Exterior Ranking: 5.5 out of 10
Concourse
Coca-Cola Park has a complete 360o concourse and it begins very well with a large open area in the right-corner just beyond the entrance. There are many tables in this section and it is a popular spot to drink and dine before the game. Much of the outfield features drink rail counters and it is utilized as a lot of people enjoy this spot. Out in left-field is a large kids play area. The rest of the concourse behind the playing field is open and fresh, but nothing really stood out except for the concession stand signage (large and creative). I like how down the third-base side, the large stand has an inset, allowing for more space and those in line not getting in the way of those passing through. Alternately, I did not like how down the first-base line, congestion develops since there is only one right corner entrance for the vast majority of ticket holders.
Concourse Ranking: 4 out of 10
Food
Food stands are spread out and there are a ton of options. Most recommended is the Corn on the Cob, “Aw-Shucks” style with butter, seasoning and parmesan cheese. Absolutely delicious. It’s remarkable how many pork items they have. The ones worth trying: 3 Lil Pigs Sandwich (ham, bacon and pulled pork), Pork Barrels and the Sweet n’ Sassy Hog Sandwich. Unfortunately, I went for the Pork Kebabs and they were not good. It tasted like chicken while being bland and small. It’s a shame as that kept Coca-Cola Park from getting a perfect ranking. Other options include Philly specialties like cheese steaks and various takes on the pretzel. The Beer menu at Coca-Cola Park is also extensive. The huge list of options includes local places like Weyerbacher and Saucony Creek.
Food Ranking: 7.5 out of 8
Interior
Inside design is solid with one level of seating wrapped nearly to the foul poles. A nice touch is how the seats slightly turn to provide a better sightline towards the infield for those seated at the ends of each side. Above the bowl is an upper deck of club seating (that is available for less than $20) and then a level of luxury suites with a pair of party decks. One unique feature is four separate dugout suites on the field behind home plate. This has become in vogue recently, but is too much in the way of high-end seating. I get it, just not a fan. The third-base side has a large multi-level picnic area. There is not much in the way of an outfield view with an overflow of advertisements. The ads are a theme here as it is quite over-the-top (maybe 200 sponsors in total?). A large grassy seating area is beyond center, while other parts of the outfield feature a variety of bar sections and tiered seating with counter drink space. Fixed capacity is on the smaller end for Triple-A, around 8,100, but there is room for about 2,000 more due to the standing and grassy areas. Seats are green and they are very spacious. Rows are almost too wide as the spacing between each one puts the seats further from the field than you would expect when you are 20 rows back. In addition, the pitch isn’t all that great, especially since the head of the fan in front of me was in sight of the field. Overall, it’s a fine ballpark, but not one that wows.
Interior Ranking: 8 out of 14
Scoreboard
The scoreboard is by far the most impressive I’ve seen in the minors. It is huge and bright as it stands alone in left-center with full screen video that is breathtakingly clear. They do clutter up the game presentation with ads, but it’s nice how the frequent replays go full. Stretched across the top is the ballpark logo and a coke bottle, which opens to fireworks after a Lehigh Valley home run. Also enjoyable: the mascot (Ferrus) popping up and trying to distract the batter by doing things like drawing a mustache on their player picture.
Scoreboard Ranking: 4 out of 4
Displays
Displays still lack, despite being in existence for over a decade as only the requisite Big-League graduates was featured. I’d like to see less bacon jokes and more IronPigs achievements and honors.
Displays Ranking: 1 out of 6
Cost
Prices are really affordable here as most seats went for just $11. That’s comparably better than most of the league. Food prices were fair (Burger: $5.50, Hot Dog: $3, Regular Soda: $3.50). and parking cost $5.
Cost Ranking: 7.5 out of 8
Fan Support
When the first season arrived, the team was super popular and it was often difficult to get a ticket as there were true sellouts. The market was starving for a sports team and with many in the area being Phillies fans, the fit was natural. Lehigh Valley led all of Minor League Baseball in attendance for awhile. Upon return a decade later, the team continues to draw well, but the newness has worn off and attendance has settled a bit. They are still Top 3 in the league and about 70% of the stadium was filled for the Saturday game I attended. Playoff attendance is a bit lower though as they have ranked 4th averaging the last few years with 3,868 per game. Media coverage of the team is one of the best and they are a rare minor-league team to have all games on television.
Fan Support Ranking: 6 out of 8
Atmosphere
Atmosphere disappointed on my second visit as the initial enthusiasm understandably abated. Fans were exclusively reactionary and while they gave good pops for the big plays, they were surprisingly slow to react to crushed home runs. When the ‘Pigs were a strike away from the win there was some applause and a few people who stood up. While that atmosphere aspect was average, the classy organization does a lot of little things to make the game experience better: Ushers hold fans back from the stairs until the at-bat is over, golf carts transfer fans over from further out parking spaces, the Phillies game was shown on the big screen during a rain delay and there is a website (pigsfoodfinder.com) to help find concessions. Overall, these things go a long way (just tone down the sound effects next time).
Atmosphere Ranking: 9 out of 14
Other Stuff
For our first visit, a storm rolled through before gametime and it produced quarter-sized hail, the largest that I’ve seen. Being a meteorologist, you can imagine the excitement (ok, you probably can’t). The storm really cooled things off and remarkably, the temperature got down to the upper 50s by the end of the game. Not typical of August weather in this area. The game was also delayed an hour and a half, so it was a long night…..The team store at the edge of the concourse is impressive both in size and architecture as it has a nice wood finish. Tons of IronPigs stuff can be found in here…..Coca-Cola Park cost nearly $50 million, a rather high price tag for the minor leagues. This was partially due to a lot of site cleanup that was needed.
Game (Initial Visit)
After the teams combined for just one hit thru four innings, Andy Tracy single-handedly opened things up as he hit a pair of home runs for the IronPigs. They had a 3-0 lead until the 7th, when Buffalo cut the lead to one. The Bisons tied it in the 9th inning on a wild pitch and then they singled in the winning run in the 10th inning.
Stadium and Arena Visits 
