Latest news with #LehighValley
Washington Post
3 days ago
- General
- Washington Post
Phillies shake up bullpen, designate José Ruiz for assignment, recall Seth Johnson from Triple-A
PHILADELPHIA — The Philadelphia Phillies recalled right-handed reliever Seth Johnson on Sunday before their series finale against the Milwaukee Brewers. To make room on the roster, reliever José Ruiz was designated for assignment. Johnson, 26, is 2-2 with a 4.91 ERA and 42 strikeouts in 33 innings with Triple-A Lehigh Valley, transitioning from the starting rotation to a relief role. He made one appearance for the Phillies last year, allowing nine earned runs in 2 1/3 innings on Sept. 8 against Miami.
Associated Press
3 days ago
- Automotive
- Associated Press
Kelly Buick GMC receives 25 Year Dealer Award for GMC
LEHIGH VALLEY, Pa., June 1, 2025 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — The Kelly Auto Group is proud to announce that they recently received the 25-Year Dealer Award for GMC for their Buick/GMC dealership in Emmaus. Kelly has had the Buick franchise since 1982 and added GMC in 2000. 'We have been honored to be the premier Buick dealer in the Greater Lehigh Valley for over 40 years, and we were thrilled to add GMC 25 years ago,' said Greg Kelly, the President of the Kelly Auto Group. 'That successful longevity comes from the dedication of our team members to deliver an outstanding experience selling and servicing these exceptional vehicles.' As the Kelly Auto Group continues to grow, these awards serve as a powerful reminder of the company's mission: to deliver exceptional automotive experiences, driven by integrity and a relentless pursuit of excellence. For more information about Kelly Auto Group and its award-winning dealerships, visit: MULTIMEDIA: PHOTO LINK for media: Photo Caption: Kelly Buick GMC Receives 25 Year Dealer Award for GMC. NEWS SOURCE: Kelly Auto Group Keywords: Auto Dealer News, Buick GMC dealership in Emmaus PA, Kelly Auto Group, 25-Year Dealer Award for GMC, LEHIGH VALLEY, Pa. This press release was issued on behalf of the news source (Kelly Auto Group) who is solely responsibile for its accuracy, by Send2Press® Newswire. Information is believed accurate but not guaranteed. Story ID: S2P126641 APNF0325A To view the original version, visit: © 2025 Send2Press® Newswire, a press release distribution service, Calif., USA. RIGHTS GRANTED FOR REPRODUCTION IN WHOLE OR IN PART BY ANY LEGITIMATE MEDIA OUTLET - SUCH AS NEWSPAPER, BROADCAST OR TRADE PERIODICAL. MAY NOT BE USED ON ANY NON-MEDIA WEBSITE PROMOTING PR OR MARKETING SERVICES OR CONTENT DEVELOPMENT. Disclaimer: This press release content was not created by nor issued by the Associated Press (AP). Content below is unrelated to this news story.
Associated Press
27-05-2025
- Automotive
- Associated Press
Kelly Auto Group Celebrates Top Dealer Awards for Nissan, Toyota, and Hyundai Dealerships
LEHIGH VALLEY, Pa., May 27, 2025 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Kelly Auto Group is proud to announce that Kelly Nissan, Kelly Toyota, and Kelly Hyundai of Hamburg have each earned the Top Dealer Award by their respective manufacturers. This prestigious recognition highlights the dedication, performance, and unwavering passion that each store brings to their brand, their customers, and the greater automotive industry. Winning the Dealer Top award is no small feat—it reflects excellence in customer satisfaction, operational performance, and community engagement. Kelly Auto Group is honored to see not one, but three of its dealerships celebrated at this elite level. 'We are beyond proud of what the teams at Kelly Nissan, Kelly Toyota, and Kelly Hyundai of Hamburg have accomplished,' said Greg Kelly, the President of the Kelly Auto Group. 'These rewards are a result of the dedication and passion for performance of the dealership leaders and every member of their teams. You need to sell cars in volume to qualify, but what gets me most excited is that, in order to win, you have to satisfy and retain customers at a high level.' As the Kelly Auto Group continues to grow, these awards serve as a powerful reminder of the company's mission: to deliver exceptional automotive experiences, driven by integrity and a relentless pursuit of excellence. For more information about Kelly Auto Group and its award-winning dealerships, visit MULTIMEDIA: Image link for media: Image caption: Kelly Auto Group. ### UPDATED 12:53 p.m. PDT to correct logo image/file. NEWS SOURCE: Kelly Automotive Group Keywords: Auto Dealer News, Kelly Auto Group, Top Dealer Award, automotive, Nissan, Hyundai, Toyota, new and used cars, LEHIGH VALLEY, Pa. This press release was issued on behalf of the news source (Kelly Automotive Group) who is solely responsibile for its accuracy, by Send2Press® Newswire. Information is believed accurate but not guaranteed. Story ID: S2P126485 APNF0325A To view the original version, visit: © 2025 Send2Press® Newswire, a press release distribution service, Calif., USA. RIGHTS GRANTED FOR REPRODUCTION IN WHOLE OR IN PART BY ANY LEGITIMATE MEDIA OUTLET - SUCH AS NEWSPAPER, BROADCAST OR TRADE PERIODICAL. MAY NOT BE USED ON ANY NON-MEDIA WEBSITE PROMOTING PR OR MARKETING SERVICES OR CONTENT DEVELOPMENT. Disclaimer: This press release content was not created by nor issued by the Associated Press (AP). Content below is unrelated to this news story.
New York Times
23-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
How Phillies' Mick Abel found himself, raised his game and made the ‘little wins' big
As Phillies pitcher Mick Abel worked through the worst days of the worst stretch of his professional career in 2024, everything felt so big. He couldn't make the right adjustments each week because there simply were too many. 'I kind of put myself in a blender,' Abel said. 'Doing that for a full season helped me understand, 'OK, I need to whittle it down to the basics, just easy little things I can do every day to count as little wins that will eventually add up.'' Advertisement Little wins might be consistency with his routine, practicing each day in the offseason, setting realistic goals or taking care of his body via the training room, weight room or nutrition. These victories end up in his journal, where Abel tracks daily what he's doing well, what he could do better and how he can accomplish his goals. It's part of a routine that's helped Abel reorient after a difficult 2024 in which he lost his command, fastball velocity and, above all, himself as he slogged to a 6.46 ERA and 3-12 record across 24 starts for Triple-A Lehigh Valley. But in striking out nine and shutting out the Pittsburgh Pirates across six innings in his MLB debut Sunday, Abel looked confident and in control, resembling the pitcher the Phillies saw years ago when scouting him, a starter with stuff and poise out of Jesuit High School in Portland, Ore. One could argue the path to Abel's dominant debut started when he emerged sharper this season, walking fewer batters (3.7 per nine innings in 2025 versus 6.5 per nine in 2024) and striking out seven, eight, nine in early outings. It really started during an exit meeting. Abel shared a season's worth of perspective with Lehigh Valley and Phillies development and pitching coaches after his dreadful 2024. He needed to be more athletic. He needed to let things unfold naturally rather than obsessing over his mechanics and windup. He needed to be stronger. Those at the meeting agreed. The 23-year-old right-hander was paired with Phillies pitching coach Caleb Cotham in the offseason, regularly talking about his progress via Zoom and phone calls. Cotham wanted to be there as he hit the reset button, and to pose a challenge: Abel was no longer a prospect. It was time to become a big leaguer. 'So, like, what does that mean?' Cotham said. 'There's a higher bar. There's a bigger price you have to pay. Then you balance that out. What are the things that you're going to stand your ground so hard that you might piss me off on? Because if you're doing it your way and you're assertive, sometimes I want you to say, 'No.' That fire, it kind of leaks into things. Sometimes you just need to get irritated. Do it your way. So, that was a lot of it.' Advertisement It was contrary to how Abel, after being drafted 15th overall in 2020, approached his first few professional seasons, calling himself 'a little too much of a sponge.' He took comments about mechanical adjustments too seriously and literally. He would try to manufacture certain looks or feels. When Abel arrived in Philadelphia last Saturday, manager Rob Thomson told him, 'Come in here. It's just one start. Just go out there and be yourself, and have fun. Enjoy the moment.' It's cliche. But being himself is what earned Abel that spot start in the first place. He stopped overthinking on the mound and started embracing the moment. He simplified how he viewed the job. 'I'm a pitcher,' he said. 'I throw the ball. I try to get hitters out. I'm still going to throw hard. I'm still going to have really good stuff. That's just who I am, but it's just naturally letting it happen.' It was a perspective years in the making. Cotham posed a question to Abel during the winter: What's your attack plan for righties versus lefties? Twenty seconds. Go. Abel couldn't answer it initially because he would get so specific about what he wanted to accomplish. But Cotham helped him narrow it down, just as he helped Abel pare down everything he was thinking on the mound. 'He's actually thinking more but having less thoughts,' Cotham said. 'It's a more esoteric way of saying, simplifying the noise in your head, like, really batten down the hatches on what you allow in and what you don't. He's not allowing in a whole lot. He's decided he's the loudest guy in the room.' Abel also utilized the Phillies' mental health resources, in addition to his work with mental performance coach Brian Cain. He has worked with Cain for two years and always felt there was a connection between what they spoke about and baseball. But he zeroed in on what it was during the offseason: finding those little wins. Redefining his version of success. Simplifying how he viewed everything. During the offseason, Casey Weathers, now the Phillies' director of pitching development, interviewed for his job with the club. Abel came up in the conversation. What went wrong? What do you think he needs? How should we intervene? Weathers honed in on getting Abel moving freely, confident in his stuff and optimizing his arsenal. No grand plan, Weathers said — 'he wasn't super far off.' Advertisement They met for the first time at January camp in Clearwater, Fla. They spoke regularly at camp, Weathers telling Abel, 'Go out and be you, and you'll do good.' The coach quickly gained a better understanding of Abel: He was a fluid athlete who threw polished bullpens, on top of being thoughtful and intentional. Those bullpens have been one key to making Abel feel like Abel. During spring training, Cotham asked younger pitchers to talk through their bullpens — saying whatever came to mind, what pitch they were going to throw and where it was going. Cotham then could provide better feedback because he knew exactly what Abel was thinking. As the offseason progressed, Abel felt the dots connecting as he threw more bullpens and long tossing. It happened naturally. There was not one lightbulb moment, but a bunch of little ones. He was getting better. Now in Triple A, veteran catcher Garrett Stubbs tries to drive that feeling home during their bullpen sessions. He wants Abel to feel confident, reminding him of how good his stuff is and his ability to drive it through the zone during bullpens. Because, no doubt, Abel thrives in the zone. Sixty-two of his 84 pitches in his debut were strikes. He threw first-pitch strikes to 16 of the 22 batters he faced. Abel's fastball reached 99 mph on his first batter and 97.7 mph on the second before the adrenaline subsided and he settled in. He averaged 97.3 mph on the fastball and 96.2 on his sinker on the day, drawing a combined nine whiffs on the pitches — plus eight on his curveball. Abel didn't quite envision a debut like that when he redefined his version of success during the offseason. Executing pitches is how he measures himself now. Not numbers. Just execution. By those terms, he had a pretty excellent debut — something he'll hold onto for the rest of his life, he said. He wants to make it back to Philadelphia. The Phillies want him to continue to start, so starting in Allentown, Pa., it is. Abel, who has a 2.53 ERA in eight minor-league starts this season, will next pitch against Triple-A Buffalo on Saturday. In the meantime, he's focusing on consistency in his routine: the weight room, the training room, water bags on the mound, making sure his tempo is in the right spot, staying loose. Advertisement Tying a 78-year-old franchise record for debut strikeouts was pretty sweet. So was hugging family on the field postgame and sending them back to Oregon with a win. And the tough but loving reception in the IronPigs clubhouse after making it to the big leagues and doing that. But what might even be sweeter for Abel? 'I feel like Mick,' Abel said. 'It's funny to say. But I feel like myself, and it's a really good feeling.' — The Athletic's Matt Gelb contributed to this report.
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
In this political bellwether, voters feel the impacts of Trump's policies
Todd Harder voted for Donald Trump and knows firsthand his community would benefit if the president can deliver on his promise of a quick American manufacturing renaissance. But Harder doesn't believe he will ever see it. The early evidence, Harder said, is that the tariffs and tough trade talk Trump says will bring back factory boom times is instead leading to hard times. 'My generation, it's not going to (positively) impact. It is going to hurt us,' said Harder, the owner of ProDart, which makes wooden darts and dartboards in an Allentown industrial park. 'In the future, for the next generation, it might possibly help them out. But it's impacting the people that are here now today … in a not-good way.' That skeptical short-term take — from a Trump supporter — is worth noting and tracking: Trump's political standing is down from Inauguration Day, and the economic tumult caused by the tariffs debate is part of his slip. Harder lives in a Pennsylvania and American bellwether: the 7th Congressional District. Trump won it just barely in 2024, and the House seat flipped from Blue to Red. It is already a top target in the 2026 midterms. The Lehigh Valley holds icon status in the history of American manufacturing. Bethlehem Steel and Western Electric were among the valley giants back in the day; Mack Trucks and Martin Guitars are today. Crayola crayons is an Easton landmark whose lineage traces back to a turn-of-the-century company that made the red barn paint that dots the rural countryside. The globalization and trade debates that animate Trump today have defined the Lehigh Valley economy for a generation now. There were more than 66,000 factory jobs in the valley in 1990, just shy of 55,000 a decade later and a low of 35,000 in 2011. By the end of 2024, manufacturing employment had climbed back to 41,000. It has been flat in the four months Trump has been back in the White House. Harder and ProDart have a tiny place in those statistics. Fourteen employees at its peak; five now, including Harder's parents. 'We're kind of slow right now,' said Harder. 'Money is tight. People are complaining rent is really high. A lot of places, just the cash flow isn't there. So, I think everybody's starting to become a little more conservative on spending right now.' Harder only occasionally sources materials from foreign suppliers, so tariffs aren't really a direct hit on his business. But he says other local manufacturers are hurting, to varying degrees, and the tumult of the tariffs debate has hurt consumer confidence. 'Six to a seven, but not more,' is the grade Harder gives Trump on the economy at four months. 'He just got into it. See where it pans out.' Harder just got into it, too. He is 55, but his 2024 vote for Trump was the first time he had cast a ballot. Yes, he was mad about inflation. He thought Trump's tax policies would be better for his family and his business. But that is not what pulled Harder off the sidelines after skipping every previous election since he was first eligible to vote in 1988. 'There's no law and order anymore. The smoking marijuana stuff — that is getting out of hand,' Harder said. 'Go watch TV. You have men kissing and everything else and all the transgenders. You didn't have that before. You know, there is a God. I'm Catholic.' He says there are too many Puerto Rican flags around Allentown, too few schools teaching cursive and beginning with the Pledge of Allegiance. 'I was just so disgusted,' Harder said. 'Just how everything in this world, you know it is going to crap.' The Trump campaign and its allies made a methodical, concerted effort to target infrequent or unreliable voters like Harder; immigration, transgender rights and attacks on 'woke' Democrats were key pieces of that strategy. His decision to vote — to join the MAGA culture wars — also benefited the 7th District's new Republican congressman, Ryan Mackenzie. He defeated the Democratic incumbent by just 4,062 votes. But Harder isn't sure whether he will vote again in 2026. 'If I feel that things are running properly, yes,' he said. 'If I don't see anything changing, then it really doesn't matter what my vote is.' The Lehigh Valley was a repeat stop for our All Over the Map project in the 2024 cycle, and Harder is among the additional voters we hope to stay in touch with through 2026 and beyond, to track the first two years of the Trump term through their eyes and experiences. Michelle Rios is another, a battleground voter on the other side of the MAGA cultural divide. Rios helps run a diversity, equity and inclusion program at a local college, and she gets a mix of angry and amused at how her work is described by Trump and his allies. A normal day, she said, likely includes financial aid advice to a minority student, maybe help navigating campus clubs or social events. Of late, she might be dealing with rumors about lost funding or immigration crackdowns. 'I wanted to help out college students the same way that I was helped out because it made an incredible difference in my life and in my journey,' Rios said in an interview in Bethlehem. She was a student during the first Trump term and recalls always being on edge. She is determined this time to keep calm, while figuring out whether her college program will be impacted, or whether nonprofits she works with in the bustling Latino community here will be impacted because Trump officials view their grants as related to diversity. 'It just instills fear, and I think that is essentially what the last few months have done to people,' Rios said. 'So I try to focus on the action part. Like, this happened, so now what can we do about it?' The action part, to Rios, includes finding ways to win back the growing number of Latinos who left the Democrats to support Trump and other Republicans. 'Sometimes it has a bit to do with Latino culture,' she said. 'Sometimes we don't want to see women in a certain position.' Another effort: 'Just trying to encourage less social media. … I think that's also what made a big difference.' Rios let out long sigh when asked what she would say if she had a minute with President Trump. 'I don't think I would want a minute,' was her first response. Then, 'There's a lot of things that come to mind, but I just don't think I would know where to start.' Gerard Babb has no such hesitation. He would ask President Trump to try to save his job. The irony, he says, is that he sees Trump as at least partially to blame for the fact he will likely lose it soon. Babb works in the assembly line at Mack Trucks, a major employer in the area. But the company announced recently it would slash 250 to 350 jobs from its 2,600-member workforce here. It cited Trump tariffs as a factor, saying the president was softening demand. The United Auto Workers and others, including Rep. Mackenzie, suggest the company is using Trump as a foil and has long wanted to shift some production to Mexico. 'I believe they played a part,' Babb said of the Trump tariffs. 'Donald Trump could have had a little bit more finesse instead of using a blanket policy over everything.' Babb's first vote was for Barack Obama in 2008. But he switched to Mitt Romney in 2012 and then cast three votes for Trump. 'A B+' is how he grades Trump at the four-month mark, despite his jitters about losing his job. But every day is more stressful, as Babb checks seniority charts to see if normal turnover might somehow save him by the time Mack announces an exact number and timing. 'I was a 171 when they first announced,' Babb said. 'Now I am at 218. … If I can get about 350 it would be perfect. But as long as I am past 250, I have a chance.' Babb voted for Mackenzie, too, but says it is far too early to commit to his 2026 midterm vote. The strength of the economy is his top issue, and he said Mackenzie would help his chances if Congress eliminated taxes on overtime or did other things that would help his family. Babb said he is open to voting for the Democrat for Congress if that candidate had better economic policies. 'I haven't seen anything yet,' Babb said when asked about the White House promise to quickly boost manufacturing. 'I would love to see more manufacturing jobs in the area.' Most of his time now, though, is divided between keeping on top of the layoffs news at work and then trying to shake the stress and spend time with his wife and three children. 'It's stressful that I am (likely) going to be out of work in the near future,' Babb said. 'Because I want to provide for my wife and kids. It is the uncertainty that really gets to me.'
