The IronPigs will rebrand as the Lehigh Valley Tomato Pie for this year’s ‘Salute to Philly’ game
The “Salute to Philly” promotion began in 2016 when the Pigs first took the field as the “Cheesesteaks.”
We checked the calendar — it’s not an April Fool’s joke. The Lehigh Valley IronPigs will rebrand as the Lehigh Valley Tomato Pie for one game next month at Coca-Cola Park for this year’s “Salute to Philly” night.
The “Salute to Philly” promotion first debuted in 2016 as a way for the Phillies’ triple-A affiliate to pay tribute to the City of Brotherly Love from its home park in Allentown. Since its inception, the IronPigs have taken the field as the Cheesesteaks, Whiz Kids, Philly Special, Jawn, Jimmies, Wooder Ice, Hoagies, and Mummers. If you thought after all that they’d run out of Philly-related food names, guess again.
“Tomato pie is quintessential Philadelphia,” IronPigs president and general manager Kurt Landes said in a press release. “Philadelphia-style tomato pie with a dusting of Parmesan cheese is the best and only true tomato pie. I challenge anyone who feels differently.”
The team will debut its tomato pie uniforms on May 23 against the Buffalo Bisons as part of “Salute to Philly” night.
The new on-field look will include a jersey featuring a red (tomato) base with flecks of white (to represent Parmesan cheese) and a Tomato Pie wordmark made of cheese, sauce and crust. The hat will have a red bill and back with a white panel on the front decorated with a Tomato Pie logo.
Fans can join in on the fun and purchase their own Tomato Pie merchandise, including hats, T-shirts, sweatshirts, and more, online or at the Clubhouse Store at Coca-Cola Park. Tickets are also available online or at the Coca-Cola Park box office. Fans also can purchase a ticket that comes with a slice of tomato pie from Morabito Baking Co. — based in Norristown since 1932 — as part of a special $16 package.