Next Tour Stop: Scranton
5/18/2009 4:20:38 PM | Football
The final stop on the Orange Athletics Spring Tour is is tonight in Scranton, Pa. as head coach Doug Marrone visits PNC Field to greet fans and throw out the first pitch of the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees game against the Columbus Clippers. First pitch is at 7:05 p.m.
"The enthusiasm of the fans and the enthusiasm for the program have been received well. I'm looking forward to going out again tonight in Scranton," Marrone said. "Scranton has always been a good area for us in a lot of different sports, including football and, obviously, with Gerry McNamara and the basketball program and the fans who have come up and watched him play here. We're excited to get them back and on board. The tour has been to create enthusiasm for our program and it's been received well. I'm excited about it."
Marrone was in the office Monday morning long enough to visit with Orange All Access' Roger Springfield (free video) about the tour and the addiiton of quarterback Greg Paulus to the roster. Marrone also met with the local media (read the transcript). At the end of last week Marrone was in Los Angeles meeting with Syracuse alumni and Orange Club members.
The Spring Tour kicked off on April 28 in Boston with an event at Fenway Park and continues through May with visits to baseball stadiums to throw out the first pitch, meet and greet sessions and special events.
On April 30 Marrone visited the New Era worldwide headquarters for a tour and to meet Orange football fans. He was scheduled to throw out the first pitch at the Buffalo Bisons game against Louisville, but the game was postponed due to inclement weather.
Marrone was the kenote speaker at the Rochester Salvation Army's 125th Anniversary Gala Luncheon on May 4. As an assistant coach with the New Orleans Saints, Marrone witnessed first hand the efforts of the Salvation Army when Hurricane Katrina devastated the area. Marrone applauded the organization for its work and shared his experience with the crowd of nearly 400 people.
On Tuesday, May 5, Marrone took batting practice and threw out the first pitch at NYSEG Stadium for the Binghamton Mets game against Portland. The "Orange Day" crowd cheered Marrone's opening pitch. Earlier in the day he visited the Ernie Davis Campus in Elmira and was the keynote speaker at the Elmira Rotary Lunch.
Marrone also visited the Ernie Davis campus,nestled in the heart of Elmira, which includes the Ernie Davis Family Center, the Ernie Davis Community Center and the Ernie Davis Middle School. Marrone met with the members of the Ernie Davis Scholarship committee and visited with children at the Ernie Davis Community Center. Marrone's Syracuse teammate, Marty Chalk, organized Marrone's visit in Elmira.
The Ernie Davis Community Center was known as the Neighborhood House where Davis played grade-school basketball and pickup games and Ernie Davis Middle School was Davis' high school, Elmira Free Academy. It was renamed for Davis when a new high school was built. A statue of Davis resides at the school.
On Thursday, May 7, Marrone visited Ithaca and Cortland, serving as the keynote speaker at the Cortland County Chamber of Commerce event at the Cortland Country Club where a full dining room of guests learned about the first-year head coach's vision for the program during his power point presentation. Earlier in the day Marrone visited with an enthusiastic group of fans and supporters at a two-hour reception at The Rink/Field Community Recreation Center in Ithaca and was a guest on a local radio morning show.
On May 11, Orange fans turned out in Rochester to meet Marrone at the Rochester Red Wings basetball game. The first-year Syracuse leader greeted fans in the concourse and then threw out the first pitch prior to the Red Wings game against Charlotte at Frontier Field as part of the Orange Athletics Spring Tour. After he fired the first pitch, Marrone joined the Red Wings radio broadcast for the second inning.
For further information on the Orange Athletics Spring Tour, call the Orange Club Office (315-443-1419).
