Pirates gave fans young and old a thrill in series win over Phils

PNC Park, one of MLB’s gems, sold out for Bucs’ Saturday night victory

by Steve Stallone Sports Editor

I’ve been going to the ballpark for 50 years, and after all these years it’s still a thrill. On Saturday night, I was in Pittsburgh with a lifelong friend to see the Philadelphia Phillies and hometown Pirates tangle, and it turned out to be a great game and threegame series.

On his own Bobblehead Night, all-star closer David Bednar held off a late Phillies’ rally and got a game-ending double-play with the tying run at third to give the Bucs a 7-6 victory.

It was a great ending (for Pirates fans, anyway) to another great experience at the ballpark and short stay in Pittsburgh.

Upon our arrival, we tailgated with Pirates fans in a parking lot right in front of the Pittsburgh Post Gazette, and right next to the Pittsburgh Steelers’ Acrisure Stadium. From there, our walk to the stadium was only about four blocks.

While we were tailgating and looking around, I couldn’t help but reflect on all my visits to this town to watch the Pirates play. My view through the parking lot to the Steelers’ new stadium used to be that of Three Rivers Stadium, where I saw my first big league baseball game as a 10-year-old Little Leaguer. Every year, at the end of the season our Little League organization would sponsor a trip to the game for all the players and any parents that wanted to go along. In addition to that, my father would take us to a game each summer.

Man, how the game and the Pirates’ surroundings have changed since those days in the early 1970s.

Back then, you weren’t worried with how many pitches your starter threw.

I’d come to a game and expect the starting pitcher to get at least to the seventh or eighth inning, and possibly notch a complete game. On Friday, the Pirates went through five pitchers and the Phils used four.

Watching the pitch clock on Saturday was also strange, something that is supposed to be speeding up the game. While it has produced some sub-2hour games this season, Saturday’s game went past three hours.

One of the most staggering changes off the field since my visits to Three Rivers is the prices. Everything from the parking and the game tickets themselves, to the concessions and souvenirs, have gone up astronomically.

My father and I attended Game 5 of the 1979 World Series between the Baltimore Orioles and Pirates. The price of the ticket? Would you believe $10? And that includes taxes and fees. And they were decent seats, along the third base line, just above the box seats.

On Saturday, I paid $15... for a 24-ounce can of beer.

While our seats for Saturday’s game were excellent the front row in right field they cost $150 each after taxes and fees were added on. Parking was $24.

Still, regardless of the prices, it was another great experience at the ballpark.

PNC Park is one of the gems of the Major Leagues, offering great site lines of not only the game, but the city itself and Pittsburgh’s three rivers running through it. Inside, there are a variety of things for the kids to do, a number of great concessions, and several patio seating areas where you can eat, drink and watch the game.

A 1979 World Series ticket from Pittsburgh’s epic 7-game win over the Baltimore Orioles cost $10, and that included all taxes and fees. The seat was on the third base side at old Three Rivers Stadium just above the box seats. It was notably from Game 5, when the Pirates began their rally from a 3-1 series deficit to win the final three games.

One of the highlights of the in-game activities are See PIRATES, page 16