IronPig outfielders blinded by the light

ALLENTOWN, Pa.-- Even palaces have their flaws. But usually, the overall appearance and accommodations keep complaints to a minimum. The masses are appeased, a select few complaining about a tiny crack in the wall or uneven floor boards.

At Coca-Cola Park, home of the first-year Lehigh Valley IronPigs, that select group is the outfielders.

According to play-by-play announcer Troy Hein, batted balls are lost in the twilight sky of Allentown at least once a week and multiple complaints have been voiced by visiting, as well as hometown, outfielders.

However, general manager Kurt Landes said five separate tests have been conducted at various points throughout the season to ensure the brightness of the light towers meet the requirements mandated by Minor League Baseball. All five times, the lights tested positively.

"There's no adjusting to it, the lights are just not good," said IronPigs center fielder Rich Thompson. "They tested them and they met the minimum, but visiting teams have trouble, we have trouble. It's not one of those things you can compensate for. Once you lose it, there's just no getting it back."

One reason Landes suggested for the problem may be the soft glow emitted from downtown Allentown, which lies just beyond the green aluminum roof behind home plate.

"I don't know what the reason is for it, but it's just tough to pick the ball up for about an inning," Thompson said. "Still, the minimum shouldn't come into play on a brand new ballpark."

"It's kind of a unique thing for us because we haven't been able to solve the mystery," added Landes, who will look into the problem more at season's end.

Wattage deficiencies aside, Thompson's experience playing in the region in which he grew up has been a positive one.

After not gaining much experience in high school or summer leagues near Reading, Pa. -- Thompson said he played a 12-game high school season and 15 in the summers -- and being over 300 miles from home while playing for James Madison University, an ideal combination of location and experience has finally found Thompson.

"It's nice to be back in the area and nice to see such support from the fans for a team in Lehigh Valley," he said. "My mom's about two hours away, and that's nothing considering how far she had to drive to see me play in college. My in-laws live in Virginia and they've made it up to games a couple of times."

The 6-foot-3, 185-pound father of two concludes his list of grievances at the lighting.

"The front office does a lot as far as making sure people know that we're out here," said Thompson, who has played for 11 different teams (including the Kansas City Royals) in eight years. "A lot of cities don't know who their team is, so that the city knows who we are is a testament to the front office.

"It's all about atmosphere and tradition," he added. "This is obviously a town that likes baseball, and regardless of how we do, we're probably going to draw pretty well."

In addition to fan support, transportation has been another highlight of Thompson's term in Lehigh Valley.

"The travel here has been great," he said. "You're not stuck on standard sleeper buses, which is what we expect. We have first-class buses, which really makes a difference when you have to get up and play the next day."

The field itself is kept in pristine condition. The grass is two shades of green and constantly trimmed by the grounds crew, and the drainage system can take in a whopping eight inches of water without players feeling the effects of the downpour when play resumes.

"It's a bit hard, which is good for hitting and ground balls seem to get through," Thompson said. "It's obviously not something you'd expect from a new park, surface-wise. The grounds crew is out here all the time and they do a great job."

Aside from a 13-foot, three-inch high wall in right field -- the same height as the one in Citizen's Bank Park -- the dimensions are standard (334 feet down the left-field line, 325 to right) with the deepest part of the park in left-center field (409).

Lehigh Valley's clubhouse rivals any in the Minors, with a spacious locker room, dining area, two coaches' offices, an exercise area and four massage tables. Basically, everything a Triple-A player could want in order to adequately prepare for the next level.

"This is one of the top facilities around the league," said IronPigs manager Dave Huppert. "They've got great batting cages, the bullpens are real nice and the playing surface is great. It was well done."

More so than in the majority of his past cities, Thompson is enjoying the support of the fans and the efforts of the front office to promote IronPigs baseball.

"You certainly can't put a baseball team somewhere and expect people to come," Thompson said. "'If you build it, they will come,' isn't necessarily true, so to get it out there and make a push is important."