If
the true test of a ballpark is how it reflects the organization,
community, and fans, then we may have found the best professional
baseball stadium in Pittsburgh.
I
kid you not.
PNC
Park is awesome… incredible… thoughtful… historic…
fun. The positive descriptions work here… in every way.
Reflecting
the organization? Three statues are currently in place, with plans
for a fourth. (Honorees include Honus Wagner, Willie Stargell,
and Roberto Clemente. There is one for Bill Mazeroski on the way.)
The batting cages contain a listing for those that have won batting
titles while wearing Pittsburgh’s uniform.
The
community? Well… this list is just ridiculously long. Do we start
with the view of the city? How about the inclusion of Primanti
Brothers inside?
The
fans? They shut down a bridge to vehicle traffic on game days.
There’s places like Legacy Square and a Negro League exhibit inside.
The seats are comfortable, the ballpark wide open to the great
summer evenings, and the entire place just feels comfortable.
During
the game Dad and I saw… with the Los Angeles Dodgers in town…
we were treated to a few fun elements. We watched Manny try to
toss a ball into the stands, and hit the Pirates logo shrubs instead.
There were lots of kids around in the park, which was great to
see. And I can highly recommend the cones of moose tracks ice
cream.
The
opening video for the night worked perfectly with the pirates
theme. (All of the teams seem to try these multi-media pieces
now… here it actually made sense and contributed to the heightening
anticipation of the team taking the field.) And while the “Green
Monster” was absolutely a marketing idea waiting to be created,
a parrot for a mascot is an obvious no-brainer of a must.
Casey
Blake almost hit for the cycle on the night we attended… he started
off with a home run and a triple, later getting a single and going
3 for 5 according to my notes. Any baseball game has that element
attached to it, that you might get to see something that has never
happened before, or happens so rarely that there’s a certain hushed
respect that goes along with seeing it in person. And that points
out the only downside to a game in Pittsburgh… and it is the only
downside. See… Blake played for the visiting team.
PNC
Park is, quite possibly, the perfect place to see a game. It’s
a beautiful facility that truly seems to have everything in place.
All that’s missing is a team winning 90-plus games and getting
to the playoffs. When this field hosts a winning team, it will
be a simply elite facility second to none and perhaps better than
any.