The 2023 baseball season thus far has been a strange one for Pirates fans. The hot stove interval didn't produce any big ticket news for the Pittsburgh club. Ownership had promised more additions and renovations for PNC Park, including a new scoreboard and jumbotron twice the size as the previous screen (more jaded Bucs fans … Continue reading City Scenes: Pirates 2023 Home Opener
Tag: PNC Park
Closing the 2022 Pirates season
This baseball season really tested my Pirates fandom. For six years I’ve followed the team (a relative baseball baby, I admit), never letting a losing record dampen my enthusiasm. Commiserating about ownership and the team’s performance felt like a Pittsburgh rite of passage, and a stalwart standby to have in the conversational toolkit. This season … Continue reading Closing the 2022 Pirates season
Josh Gibson Heritage Park opening
It’s been a busy summer for the Josh Gibson Foundation. Sean Gibson has arranged a full slate of events to commemorate the 50th anniversary of his great-grandfather’s induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame. On August 3rd Gibson’s Hall of Fame plaque was on display at PNC Park during that evening’s Pirates game. And the … Continue reading Josh Gibson Heritage Park opening
Pirates Drone Show June 2022
Following their evening game on Friday June 3rd the Pirates held their first-ever drone show. This inaugural promotion had been touted by the local press as “something different” for Pittsburgh crowds who are accustomed to traditional fireworks shows which the Pirates typically put on several times each season. (Years before moving to Pittsburgh I had … Continue reading Pirates Drone Show June 2022
Pirates 2022 Home Opener
The Pittsburgh Pirates held their home opener at PNC Park on April 12th. First pitch was scheduled for 4:12 PM, a deliberately specific start time that sought to establish hometown Yinzer synergy with the 4/12 game date and Pittsburgh’s 412 area code. I had been eagerly anticipating opening day since I hadn’t attended a Pirates … Continue reading Pirates 2022 Home Opener
City Scenes: The Summer Ends (again)
The official first day of fall came two weeks ago, and the weather in Pittsburgh has changed accordingly. But I feel that the summer doesn’t really end until the regular baseball season comes to a close, and due to MLB scheduling this year the Pirates’ final homestand fell on the first three days of October, … Continue reading City Scenes: The Summer Ends (again)
2021 Pittsburgh Negro Leagues Commemoration at PNC Park
This past week marked the 50th anniversary of the Pittsburgh Pirates fielding the first all Black and Latino starting lineup in Major League Baseball history. The historic game -- played September 1st 1971 at Three Rivers Stadium -- made the Pirates the first franchise to start an all-minority lineup in the major leagues. While all … Continue reading 2021 Pittsburgh Negro Leagues Commemoration at PNC Park
City Scenes: Back at the Ballpark
Within a week of returning to Pittsburgh I attended a Pirates game at PNC Park. It was my first time back to the park since September 29, 2019, which was the last day of the Pirates’ 2019 season and therefore also the last time fans were in the stadium until the pandemic attendance restrictions were … Continue reading City Scenes: Back at the Ballpark
City Scenes: Cycling from the South Shore to the North Shore
Pittsburgh’s South Side neighborhood stays up late. While the major urban artery and commercial corridor of E. Carson St channels a significant amount of traffic all day long, the South Side Flats district is particularly known as a nightlife hot spot. For area residents, the abundance of after-hours revelry can be a nuisance: complaints about … Continue reading City Scenes: Cycling from the South Shore to the North Shore