There are not many views better in the world than PNC Park. You’ve got the Roberto Clemente Bridge and the rest of the city behind the ballpark, and, man, does it shine at night.
Monday, I took in the Pirates’ series opener with the Reds from Section 6, Row B, Seat 6, a decent view in its own right although I maintain that there’s no bad seat in any ballpark when you’ve got a hot dog in your hand and a beverage in the cup holder.
Pregame is always a fun time. You’ve got the initial smells of the $1 Sugardale hot dogs, the salty pretzels, the cold beer and lemonade. You’ve got fans filing in for batting practice, trying to get autographs. Then you’ve got Pirate Parrot strolling around and playing frisbee with young fans. The Parrot actually played toss with a Reds fan that had trouble getting it back to the Parrot, and then a young Pirates fan made a perfect toss on the first try. That was fun.
It was a beautiful night for baseball with temperatures in the 70s for first pitch and a breezy upper 50s night by the final out. My section had a good mix of Pirates and Reds fans, which made for some fun banter. The best of the night was the Reds fans trolling the lemon chill salesman and the two sharing some back and forth smiles and seeing who could yell “Lemon chill, here” the best.
I’m always grateful for the kindness of the attendants in the stands at PNC Park. They’re always helpful to show you to your seat, wipe it off for you and then point out the nearest hot dog vendor:
The pregame lineups always provide banter, too. But the thing that struck me was that the Reds fans gave the largest ovation, at least in my section, to Billy Hamilton. I hadn’t pegged him for a bigger fan favorite than Joey Votto. Although the top dog with the fans wanting autographs might have been Bronson Arroyo.
When game time rolled around, things unraveled quickly for the Pirates and Tyler Glasnow. After Glasnow walked in the game’s first run, boos rang out from across the ballpark. And when he delivered a 3-1 strike to Scott Schebler minutes later, sarcastic cheers and claps filled the Pittsburgh air.
That moment also brought a laugh and smile to the lady sitting next to me, who still keeps her scorecard throughout the game. She didn't wish to give her name, as she was just simply taking the game in as a longtime Pirates fan.
There was much of those same back and forth boos and cheers for most of the game. The loudest cheers came from Pirates fans when Francisco Cervelli walked and helped the Pirates’ lone run come across the board, and then the loudest boos came just about any time Antonio Bastardo did anything on the mound late in the game.
Fans filed out late, but that allowed some young fans the chance to come down to the front rows and take in the final innings. That’s the beauty of baseball, to me. Young fans don’t care much about the outcome. They take in the scenery, take in the smells, take in the game. One young Reds fan sat with his glove on the railing, smiling as Schebler ran past with the final out. Pirates fans did the same every inning as Andrew McCutchen tossed warmup balls into the crowd.
Baseball has always been my favorite sport to watch live for those same reasons. It gives me the chance to step away from sports and just enjoy the game.
And there’s not many places better to enjoy the game of baseball than in PNC Park.
Oh, yeah, I highly suggest the Gateway Clipper shuttle service to and from, too: