As you can see from today's post, baseball is back and I could not be happier. Last night I braved the chilly April air (Felt more like a January day), and made my first of many visits to PNC Park this season to see the Pirates take on the Chicago Cubs in their second game of the season. The chill in the air definitely kept many fans from the ballpark, but one of the perks of last night's game was the fact that it was Buc Night. For those who are unfamiliar with Buc night, once a year the Pirates offer $1 tickets, hot dogs, and popcorn along with $1 off fountain drinks. Usually, the tickets we receive seats in the upper deck for the $1, but last night the seats we got for $1 were located in right field above the Clemente wall, my favorite section of the park to sit in.
After settling in with some hot dogs, I was lucky to see a great outing by both the Pirates hitters, but also Wandy Rodriguez who had an impressive outing going 6.2 innings, giving up only two hits while striking out six. The bullpen performed well, especially Tony Watson coming in and getting the Pirates out of the jam in the 7th. Jason Grilli struck out two in the 9th to pick up his first career save. Seeing win #1 and being in one of my favorite sports venues was worth freezing my @$$ off.
While at PNC park, I noticed some interesting changes this season. The AYCE seats have been moved to the upper deck, being replaced by a new riverwalk-themed stand. I will have to check this one out on a future visit. Another change I will check out on one of my future visits is the rebranding of the Hall of Fame Club, which is now sponsored by Rivertowne.
In other baseball news, the Altoona Curve open their 2013 campaign tonight in Erie, PA. For a nice preview of their season and tonight's game, click here for a blog post from their broadcaster.
Until next time, keep swinging for the fences
-The Flood City Sports Fan
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