Congratulations to the good folks at Lakewood Township and the Lakewood Development Corporation. This week, they formally paid off the final bonds owed on FirstEnergy Park. Friday, we hosted a “Bond-fire.” From today’s Asbury Park Press…

The “bond” fire at the BlueClaws stadium on Friday was little more than a flame sputtering from a portable hibachi grill — perhaps a bit anticlimactic for the ceremonial end to the largest and longest-running public debt facing township economic development.

But, the point was made.

“(Twenty) million dollars . . . it burns fast,” Mayor Robert W. Singer said after dipping into the fire a scroll meant to represent that last bond owed to pay off the minor league ball field and promised commercial anchor of Lakewood.

The last payment, made Dec. 1, actually was about $1.8 million, with $20 million being the total cost, plus interest, of building the 6,588-seat park in 2000. After 10 years, it finally belongs to Lakewood.

Read the rest here

Here’s your chance to vote for your favorite ballpark, FirstEnergy Park of course, in the 2009 MLN Sports Vote4TheBest 2009: Best of Ballparks and Arenas.

Simply head over here to vote, and please vote early and vote often.

Thanks!

Although rare, rain happens, and the tarp needs to come on the field. When it’s time, the entire BlueClaws Front Office springs into action…Here are a few pictures to show what a tarp pull looks like, Click here for a full time-lapse photo gallery.

During a rain delay in the top of the ninth of Sunday’s BlueClaws game…a Dance-off or Dance Party broke out at FirstEnergy Park:

The Dance-off included:

The Cupid Shuffle, Cha Cha Slide, Apache, Stanky Leg and the YMCA.

YMCA Video here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udaQAs2uc1I

Tonight’s starter, Tyler Cloyd has had a lot of success at FirstEnergy Park this season…and he is back on the mound, looking to end a two game losing streak the BlueClaws have been saddled with after winning four straight. The BlueClaws have not lost three games in a row all season long.

Overall, Cloyd has been very good this season…4-2 with a 3.00 ERA and on a three game winning streak, but at home, he has been outstanding.

In 24 innings at home, Cloyd has yet to surrender a walk (just one walk in his last 35 innings) and is 2-1 with a 1.67 ERA. He has allowed just 24 hits and five runs while striking out 24 in that span…Here is what Cloyd had to say about pitching at FirstEnergy Park.

“I love the atmosphere here, the fans are amazing. You can always tell when they’re behind you, they always cheer for great plays and and good outings…When the team is doing well, they let you know it…Everything is just great about pitching here, the field, just everything…Not just for the pitcher, but the whole team is put in a good mood by the home atmosphere.”

Ryan Radcliffe, our head groundskeeper, gave the field at FirstEnergy Park a new cut…. The outfield has been transformed into the shape of pinchy our logo! Check it out:

They play 140 games, but after only 27, there have been a number of things to look back on and get excited for in the future…

The BlueClaws opened the season on April 9th and did so in grand fashion. The Phillies World Series Trophy was in town and Mother Nature treated us to sunny skies and warm temperatures. It was an ideal beginning to a home slate of 70 games.

It was also the beginning of an unprecedented promotion by the BlueClaws allowing ALL kids 12 and under to eat for free at EVERY game. Thanks to NJ 101.5 and ShopRite, the promotion was extended from Monday to every game this season.

The BlueClaws then got their first win of the season, with a game-winning single in extra innings a few nights later. The BlueClaws would make late runs and rallies a habit as the season progressed.

On April 16th, the BlueClaws played an exciting 11-9 contest in Hagerstown. Down 5-0 early, the BlueClaws rallied to take a 7-6 lead before giving up three runs in the eighth inning. In the ninth, down to their last out, Sebastian Valle kept the game alive, tying the game with a double and having the BlueClaws win it in the tenth with two more runs.

Even more amazing, was the game the BlueClaws played just a few days ago against the Kannapolis Intimidators. Down 7-2 in the eighth, the BlueClaws struck for four in the bottom half, and scored a crazy run in the ninth to tie it up before fan favorite Moose Mattair won it with a single in the 10th.

So far we have seen amazing performances both at the plate and on the mound too.

Who could forget Jason Knapp’s 7 inning, 14 strikeout performance on April 21st. He allowed just one hit, and the performance was the most strikeouts in a game by a BlueClaws player, tying Robinson Tejeda’s record from 2001.

Tyler Cloyd has loved pitching at home too. He has had back-to-back shutout performances, and overall, hes pitched 21 innings at FirstEnergy Park and allowed two runs.

At the plate, Jim Murphy started the season with a bang. He was once the league-leader in hits and batting average and is still the team leader with an average of .333.

On the base paths, it’s been Anthony Gose with 15 steals to lead the team and the league. He is looking to break the BlueClaws All-Time record of 59 and hes on pace to do so.

Around the park…

The BlueClaws have had three spectacular Toyota/Scion World of Lakewood Firework displays so far (we have them every Friday).

Seen one NFL draft pick throw out a first pitch (Knowshon Moreno) and one more on the way. Donald Brown will be at FirstEnergy Park on Tuesday, May 12th, to show off his arm.

Promotions have included: Pint Glass giveaway (Central Jersey Blood Center), Pine Tree Seedling giveaway, Dollar Night (APP.com), Buster Growth Charts (TD Bank) and much more.

The BlueClaws have had a lot of fun already in 27 games. With 113 still to go, there’s sure to be a lot more fun to be had at FirstEnergy Park. Won’t you join us?

Two new ClawCasts posted, both of the season preview variety, but they come from different perspectives. First, Greg Giombarrese and Josh Ellis sit down and look at the BlueClaws roster, sorting through each positional group of players as a season preview.

Then, we talk with BlueClaws General Manager Geoff Brown to let you know what you should expect to see at the ballpark this year. What’s new, what’s improved, and how it will help better your BlueClaws experience.

Click here to head over to ClawCasts.com and take a listen.

Just a quick update on Todd and Jeff Frazier of Toms River. Both Rutgers guys, both in minor league systems, Todd with the Reds and Jeff with the Tigers.

Todd Frazier, who was on the Toms River Little League team that won the 1998 College World Series, is on the fast-track to the bigs after hitting 19 home runs last year between Lo-A and Hi-A in the Cincinnati system. Likely to start with Double-A Carolina, Frazier is Baseball America’s 2nd ranked prospect in the Reds organization. He got his first taste of big league camp this year.

“It was huge, just seeing the different pitchers and being around these guys and learning from them,” Frazier said. “That was huge. I kind of know what to do when I get up here. I’m going to love every second of it.”

Jeff, who is four years older than Todd, will head back to Erie, the Tigers Double-A affilate. Jeff hit .303 with 6 home runs with Erie last year.

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As good a time as any to mention that all youth teams in the area have an opportunity to play their games at FirstEnergy Park as part of a BlueClaws fundraiser program. For all the details, click here.

Today is day 8, just one more day until the BlueClaws are exactly one week from our Opening Day on April 9th. For number eight we dedicate it to you, our amazing fans, who have lead the South Atlantic League in attendance in each of our eight seasons of baseball.

The fans are what makes everything we do here at the BlueClaws possible and we are forever grateful for your loyalty and support over the past eight seasons.

In 2009, the BlueClaws are on track to welcome our 4 millionth fan to FirstEnergy Park. In doing so, the BlueClaws will become the fastest team in New Jersey Minor League Baseball history and in South Atlantic League history to have 4 million fans. Click here for the story of Lou Ameika, our 3 millionth fan to see all the perks and prizes he received.