Voting has concluded for the Lehigh Valley IronPigs’ (Class AAA; International League) Cheesesteaks uniform, and Team Wit was selected by the fans. This means that the hats worn by the IronPigs on June 10, when they are set to become the Lehigh Valley Cheeseteaks, will feature onions.
As was detailed here in March, the IronPigs will become the Cheeseteaks on June 10 as part of Salute to Philadelphia Night. The initial announcement also marked the launch of the hat voting contest, in which fans could choose between Team Wit and Team Witout. Fans ultimately made their preference loud and clear, with Team Wit carrying the election with 63% of the vote.
How to eat a steak sandwich is a hot-button issue among cheesesteak lovers and Philadelphians,” exclaimed IronPigs President and General Manager Kurt Landes. “Now that we’ve ‘settled the debate, we can’t wait to pay tribute by wearing ‘Wit’ onion specialty caps on ‘Salute to Philadelphia Night.'”
The winning on-field Cheesesteaks cap design incorporates a steak sandwich logo and contains onions along with steak and cheese. The team will also don a special Cheesesteaks black jersey that features the word “Steaks” emblazoned across the front chest in “Cheese Wiz” yellow. The chest patch, complete with the appearance of dripping cheese, was specifically designed to emulate the characteristics of hot cheese on a steak sandwich. The jersey’s sleeve patch incorporates the steak sandwich logo.
Cheesesteaks replica jerseys, along with official “Wit” and “Witout” caps, t-shirts and socks are on sale now at LVCheesesteaks.com and at the Majestic Clubhouse Store at Coca-Cola Park. The Majestic Clubhouse Store is open daily (Monday-Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Sunday, 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.) and is the official retail store of the Lehigh Valley IronPigs (and Cheesesteaks).
In addition to the name and uniform change, other promotions planned for “Salute to Philadelphia Night” on June 10 at 7:05 p.m. include:
- Post-game Friday Night Fireworks presented by Brown Daub Kia.
- Appearances throughout the game by the world-famous Phillie Phanatic.
- Philadelphia beer selections from Victory Brewing Co. and Yards Brewing Co.
- Philadelphia-themed on-field contests between half-innings.
These specialty jerseys will be auctioned off with proceeds benefitting both IronPigs Charities and New Bethany Ministries. Fans can bid on their favorite player’s jersey from anywhere with the easy-to-use Qtego service that allows fans to place bids, receive notifications when outbid and check the status of their item via text messages on their mobile phones. Fans without texting access can even call in their bid after registering their phone at Coca-Cola Park. Register your phone from anywhere in the U.S. by texting “Pigs” to 79230. The bidding begins on June 9 and ends promptly at the end of 7th inning of the June 10 game. Detailed instructions on how to place your bid will be made available at ironpigsbaseball.com. Winning bidders of the Cheesesteak jerseys will have the opportunity to go on the field immediately following the game to have their jersey autographed. Bidders not in attendance at Coca-Cola Park can either pick up their signed jersey at a later date or have it mailed directly to them.
Cheesesteaks have been referred to as both a civic icon and a cultural obsession in Philadelphia. Debuting in the 1930’s, the cheesesteak was invented in Philadelphia and today is served in hundreds of steakhouses around the city.
The connection between Philadelphia and the Lehigh Valley runs deeper than many people think. In 1777, the Liberty Bell was hidden in Allentown so that the British army wouldn’t melt it down for munitions. Of course, the city of Philadelphia’s role in the founding of the United States of America is unmatched as it served as a meeting place for the Founding Fathers who signed the Declaration of Independence in 1776 and the Constitution in 1787.