I meant to post this last week, but with all the preparations for Memorial Day weekend it never got posted. This is a recap of my experience at Pittsburgh Pirates photofest and a tour of PNC Park.
On May 18th , I attended the Pirates/Astros game with some friends. We went to the game for several reasons, one of which was getting an A.J. Burnett bobblehead (Mission Accomplished). Just a day or two before the game, I found out that the team was holding the annual Photofest before the game, so we figured we would head to Pittsburgh early to see what it was about.
We arrived at the parking garage near the park about 4:15, 15 minutes after the gates opened so fans could begin making their way down onto the field to get a good spot. When we got out of the car we could see that the line was still making its way in and the fans in their Pirates gear stretched all the way down the outside of the stadium on the third base line. We took our time getting over there and by the time we made it to the gate it was 4:30 and there was no line. We got through the turnstiles, got our bobbleheads and made our way up the series of escalators to the main concourse. As we took a few steps off the escalators, we saw the large number of people already on the outfield warning track.
Instead of attempting to wade through the mass of people already out there and get little to no good pics of the players, we decided on a different strategy. We would make our way down to the seating area next to the Pirates dugout so we could see the players and coaches coming onto the field. This was a great option because we got to see all the stars and even say hi to manager Clint Hurdle. Hurdle was a class act and talked to fans and signed autographs as he made his way towards the outfield. Eventually, we made our way out onto the warning track which was cool before taking our seats for the game. Unfortunately, the Pirates lost in extra innings and my detour to stay away from the closed Squirrel Hill tunnel resulted in sitting through construction on Route 28. I was impressed by the Photofest setup and the ability to be up close and personal with all the players and coaches.
Now, onto the tour. I returned to Pittsburgh the following Monday to run some errands, so I decided to take a tour of PNC Park. I have wanted to do this for the past 2-3 years, and I finally decided to head over to the ballpark and take a tour. When I arrived I went to the ticket windows, purchased my ticket, and went inside to meet up with the tour guide. Originally, I was worried that I would have to take the tour with one of the many school groups there that day, but luckily they had a tour guide for walk ups that day. Our tour guide Elaine was very friendly, and her knowledge of the park and the city made it a fun and informational tour.
The PNC Park tour took me all over the park to areas I have visited like the Pittsburgh Baseball Club. The best part of the tour is all the places you visit that you would never get to visit on a typical game day, unless you were working. You get access to the Press Box, where I took this great picture of the city and the skyline. I was also able to visit the Pirates press conference room, batting cage, the Lexus Club, before heading into the Pirates dugout. While in the batting cage we were able to hold the bats and gloves of some of the Pirates players. Does this bat look familiar?
The final stop on the tour was the dugout and access to the area behind home plate. As we left the batting cage and headed down the stairs to the field, we were able to see and touch the sign with the famous Roberto Clemente quote pictured to the right. A short hallway took us inside the Pirates dugout and then onto the field. As a Pirates fan, I sat back for a minute in the dugout and thought of all the players I have watched and admired over the years who may have sat in this same spot. McCutchen, Bay, Giles, etc.
We then exited the field and made our way out to the gate where our tour began. It was a great experience and again, I have to thank our tour guide Elaine who made the whole group feel welcome and allowed us to take pictures and even took pictures for us. One thing I will have to go back and take the tour on a non-game day when tours have access to the clubhouse. I recommend taking the tour if you are a Pirates fan or a fan of baseball. You will learn things you have never heard about the team and the park and its a great way to spend an afternoon.Click here to visit the information page about PNC Park Tours and pricing.
- The Flood City Sports Fan
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