A Real Gem at PNC Park

Take Me Out to the Ball Game….

Take me out with the crowd
Buy me some peanuts and cracker jack,
I don't care if I never get back…..

I love going to PNC Park.  Whether the Pirates are winning or losing, I just love being there. I mean, who doesn’t love sitting outside on a nice sunny day, cold drink in hand, encircled by people who are cheering, singing, yelling, and having a great time?   Who can resist     

that Pittsburgh skyline? 

the amazing ball park food? 

cheering for your favorite Pierogie to win the race?

It has become a family tradition to watch the Bucs play if they are in town on Easter Sunday.  This Easter was no exception.  It was a beautiful day for baseball.  We had our traditional Easter dinner of Primanti Brothers and Nachos and then made our way to our seats…Section 9, Row L…. right beside the visiting team dugout.  We were surrounded by a sea of black and gold sprinkled with was some blue and gold.  Brewer fans!  Oh, this will be interesting!

Tyler was to my left and an older woman was to my right.  She was wearing a black Pirate tee and a Pirate ball cap with a sequined “P” on it.  As if that wasn’t snazzy enough, she had on a bright red shade of lipstick that made my Mac Pink look pale.  The stadium was buzzing!  After the jumbo tron replayed the video of the guy who caught a foul ball in his popcorn bucket, I asked her and her friend who was going to be the hero of the section and catch foul balls that came our way.  My snazzy red lipsticked friend said she would take one for the team and be the hero. 

When the starting lineups were announced, she pulled out her scorecard and pencil and filled it out.  Ohhh, this is way cool!  She keeps score!  It actually sent a shiver down my spine….that could be me in 20 plus years! 

            That was the end of the comparison…….

Don’t get me wrong, my snazzy new friend knew a little about baseball.  She knew the difference between a backward “K” and a forward “K”.  She paid attention to batting averages of the players compared to their on-base percentage.  But I was a little concerned when she asked me about the “blue cushions”. 

 

“What are the blue cushions for?”

“Umm, the seats behind homeplate?”

“No, right there, the blue cushions.”

“I don’t see what you are referring to.”

“The blue cushions that man is selling.”

“Ohhhhhhh, that’s cotton candy!!!”

Oh boy….

It didn’t end there.  I had to laugh at a conversation my snazzy red lipsticked friend and her not-so-snazzy friend had….

“Who is up to bat next?” 

“Tabata is up next.”

“Tabata….oh, okay.”

“I think he’s Italian.  Doesn’t that sound like an Italian name?”

“I think he is Italian and the announcers are pronouncing it wrong.”

Really?  His first name is Jose! He’s from Estado Anzoategui, Venezuela!!!

Or this conversation…..

“I like that Neal Walker.”

“Me too.  Didn’t he bat right handed last time?”

“I think so but he is batting left handed this time.”

“Well, he must not know if he is a righty or lefty.”

For those of you who don’t know, Walker is a switch hitter.  I found it very hard to not jump into their conversation and explain this to them but I just chuckled to myself instead. 

As if this, along with the game, wasn’t entertaining enough, a bench clearing brawl erupted after Carlos Gomez smashed a triple off Pirates starting pitcher Gerrit Cole.  Gomez took a long time exiting the batter's box, leading to an argument when Gomez arrived at third base. Things escalated when the Gomez and Cole advanced toward each other, causing tempers to flare and both dugouts to clear.  When the dust settled, Gomez and Travis Snider from the Pirates were ejected from the game. 

Going into the 9^th inning, the Pirates were up 2-1.  The stadium erupted as Pirate closer, Jason Grilli jogged to the mound from the bullpen.  Grilli is one of my favorite players and I’m pretty sure he finds me to be one of his favorite fans.  After all, at the PirateFest this year, he touched my shoulder as he walked passed me.  Unfortunately for Grilli and the Pirates, the resilient Brewers came back to tie the game when Ryan Braun homered sending the game into extra innings.  My snazzy friend was not pleased and muttered, “I hate that closer business.  Cole should have finished out the game.”   I had to agree with my red lipsticked friend. 

Regardless, we were headed into extra innings on a beautiful day!  Yay! Bonus baseball!

At one point during the extra innings, my snazzy acquaintance turned to me and asked,

            “Do you know why Gomez isn’t batting?”

            “He was ejected earlier.”

            “Oh, ejected?”

            “Yes, after the bench clearing brawl.”

            “Oh?  A fight?  You know, I thought something was going on.”

Okay, where is the hidden camera because this can’t be real!  This woman was planted next to me on purpose! 

After 14 innings, the Bucs ended up losing to the Brewers 3-2.  Sadly, my snazzy friend and her not-so-snazzy friend only made it to the 12^th inning because they were hungry.  Apparently the little tangerine she ate prior to the start of the game couldn’t hold her over any longer. After they left, well, the game was just a game. 

My Easter Sunday at the ballpark was near perfect.  And although the Pirates didn’t win, I really can’t complain because

the sun was shining,

I saw 5 innings of bonus baseball and

I got a glimpse of what I might be like in twenty years.