Anyone regularly follow the Pittsburgh Pirates? (Erie: home, live, restaurants)

[Tiger Beer]

Anyone regularly follow the Pittsburgh Pirates?

Looks like you have a great baseball stadium though, love the views of the downtown skyscrapers and such from the bleachers. Seems like a good atmosphere in general.

Okay, okay, haven't heard much good stuff about the team though!

[dugdogmaster]

Yup, it's great for the atmosphere, but the team stinks.

[Drover]

Originally Posted by Tiger Beer

Anyone regularly follow the Pittsburgh Pirates?

Yeah, the owners and the players' families. And oftentimes I'm not too sure about the owners.

It would be more accurate to say PNC Park has the potential for a great atmosphere. The atmosphere would be a lot better if anyone showed up. Your best bet is to go when a popular visiting team like the Cubs or Phillies comes to town.

[TelecasterBlues]

The current state of our team is a joke. Before the mid-90s and the start of our infamous losing streak that has spanned two decades and two generations...we were up there with the best of the best in terms of history, accolades, etc. There are few teams out there who have had the kind of success that the Pirates have, let alone our lengthy history. We've been there from the very beginning.

Enter the current ownership group and the wonderous Bob Nutting...bleh. Little known fact, Nutting has had majority interest and control of the club all along, McClatchy was just used as the public figurehead and somewhat setup to take the initial blame when things went bad. But they've had their chance to show that winning was a priority, but it's beyond apparent after watching group after group of "3 year plan rebuilding phase" teams get completely gutted of their stars and torn apart, that this group of individuals at the helm are only about making a profit and stuffing their pockets. 17 years of losing is inexcusible...logic dictates that over TWO DECADES, you would at least field ONE TEAM out of luck that somehow produced a winning record and had success. To be this bad for so long requires actual intent to do so.

About the ballpark, it's gorgeous...best there is out of the modern crop and only passed by the likes of older gems like Wrigley and Fenway. Only problem, a Pirates game doesn't revolve around the Pirates!!!! We have endless promotions like "dollar dog night" and "all you can eat seats", side attractions and restaurants set up within the park itself, goofy scoreboard animations, two mascots now(why?)...Pirate girls of all things, people dressed up in Pieroghi suits running around(6 mascots?), and a whole hoard of side shows to "entertain" you. THIS IS NOT A BASEBALL EXPERIENCE!!!!! Take a trip to Boston, NYC, or even Philly and you'll see a real baseball atmosphere that's focused around the team itself. What we have is a business venture...it's not "come to the ballpark and watch our hometown team play" it's "come to the ballpark, spend your money on food and other crap, watch some entertainment and walk around, and oh yeah...the Pirates are also playing a game if you really want to see that". In essence, we have an entertainment complex as opposed to a ballpark...and it stinks.

But the saddest thing is that, even with the current front office of Huntington/Coonely and company looking to be doing much of the same as Littlefield, Bonifay, etc; these new guys DO have the right to rework and reshape the team to fit their vision, they shouldn't inherit 15 years of skepticism and fan hatred...we can't really hold them accountable for the past 15 years before their time and get on them every time they make a roster move. But they better field one amazing team by 2011 or else I'm staging a protest outside the gates of PNC...I'm sick of it, never has there been such a proud example of a sports franchise going under due to terrible ownership and crooked agendas.

I also feel abd for John Russell...he's on his third year as the team's manager, and yet we still ahve no idea if he's any good or not because he's had about 5 different groups of players to work with during the two years that he's been here. It's not exactly easy to work with one group of guys heading into Spring Training, get them going into the season, have 3-5 players traded during the season, rework your lineup to compensate for their absense, rework your lineup again to make use of callups, and then deal with the offseason moves on top of that leading into the following season...in which the same cycle repeats.

I've ranted enough for now...

[Tiger Beer]

Originally Posted by TelecasterBlues

About the ballpark, it's gorgeous...best there is out of the modern crop and only passed by the likes of older gems like Wrigley and Fenway. Only problem, a Pirates game doesn't revolve around the Pirates!!!! We have endless promotions like "dollar dog night" and "all you can eat seats", side attractions and restaurants set up within the park itself, goofy scoreboard animations, two mascots now(why?)...Pirate girls of all things, people dressed up in Pieroghi suits running around(6 mascots?), and a whole hoard of side shows to "entertain" you. THIS IS NOT A BASEBALL EXPERIENCE!!!!! Take a trip to Boston, NYC, or even Philly and you'll see a real baseball atmosphere that's focused around the team itself. What we have is a business venture...it's not "come to the ballpark and watch our hometown team play" it's "come to the ballpark, spend your money on food and other crap, watch some entertainment and walk around, and oh yeah...the Pirates are also playing a game if you really want to see that". In essence, we have an entertainment complex as opposed to a ballpark...and it stinks.

Interesting!

Being from Michigan with the Detroit Tigers. I really loved the old Tiger Stadium. Almost magical there.

I haven't lived in MI for quite some time, but they have a new stadium, Comerica Park...(typical these days named after a corporation). I went to a game there, and while no complaints as a pro baseball game is still a pro baseball game.

BUT, I did see this mall food complex, the same kind of thing you'd see in the mall, but it was hidden away from seeing the game. Kind of a surreal quality to me, as the old style was to get your hotdog or other home made food at the park. But the new style is with fastfood chains - mcds, etc., pizza chains restaurants, and on and on. Somewhat ruined it for me, but again, a baseball game is a baseball game. So can't complain too much though.

But, I do know what you mean!

[onepoint]

The new front office regime is making intelligent moves. If a majority of the new crop of guys live up to their potential, the team should be competitive in the NL Central by 2011-2012.

As widely acknowledged, the ballpark is beautiful. It is worth catching a ballgame just to explore the stadium and its views of the city. Regarding the 'distractions', these sideshows are commonplace in a majority of ballparks across the country (especially with those smaller market clubs looking to increase attraction).

And suffice to say, if anyone believes the ballclub has an actual "intent" to lose, it's time to put the conspiracy theory books away. It may just be more convenient to not win

[robrobrob]

This is the rumor that I heard. Basically, when the owner bought the team they would either get a new stadium and make tons of money or move the team and make tons of money. I guess they didn't figure that they would get a new stadium and that they couldn't make a go of it.

I don't follow the Pirates and get upset when the Sports Radio guys discuss them because I believe there are only about a thousand Pirates Fans in Pittsburgh.

[fleetiebelle]

As a non-Pittsburgher I think it's interesting that people live and die by the Steelers, even if they're not having a good season, but would never show that kind of loyalty to the Pirates. Whereas there are Cubs fans and Red Sox fans who stick by their teams no matter how crappy they are.

[szug-bot]

if i ever do move back to my hometown (ive been saying it for 5 months now), i will see a number of pirates games next season. yes, ive grown up to be the creepy old guy you would see at Three Rivers Stadium when you were a kid, and you assumed he was a fixture at the ballpark, and had nothing better to do with his sad life.

but i want to for a few reasons:
some day they just might be a contender. so i can say "i am not a bandwagon fan. a glutton for punishment, yes, but at least ive been here when they were lousy".

also, when the pirates finally move or become insolvent, i can bash the rest of pittsburgh from my proverbial high horse, and claim martyrdom since i at least attended games.

[skuzzie]

Originally Posted by fleetiebelle

As a non-Pittsburgher I think it's interesting that people live and die by the Steelers, even if they're not having a good season, but would never show that kind of loyalty to the Pirates. Whereas there are Cubs fans and Red Sox fans who stick by their teams no matter how crappy they are.

So how about them bruins and blackhawks?? There are always teams that a city will die for and well...let the others run a muck. And a thing about the cubs and sox, they always have the potential to be good and make it to the ship, while the pirates...yea uh you know what I mean.