Changing Experience

Check out this great article by AP write Ted Anthony about the new experience evolving at PNC Park this year. This quote demonstrates the point of this blog perfectly: ""For 20 years, it's been the Penguins and the Steelers. And the Pirates have been the afterthought. And now the Pirates are in the conversation. They're relevant," says Scott Kaminski, 45, a lifelong Pirates fan and college baseball player who is now an attorney in neighboring West Virginia. "For 20 years it's just been, `Well, let's go see a Pirates game for something to do,' or `Some great players coming into town,' or "It's a great ballpark.'" Now it's `Let's go see the Pirates.'"" 

Season Tickets, Baby!

Done! Official season ticket holder, 2013. Purchase made. More later.

All Aboard the Pirate Ship?

As you may know, last year (2012) I bought season tickets for the second half after the Pirates showed they could compete. This blog -- Season Tickets, Baby -- documents a new, changing experience at PNC, a shift in perspective. It hopes to follow a fan base refocusing -- from fireworks and free t-shirts to pennant races and trade acquisitions; from dippin' dots to developing prospects.

I felt satisfied with my purchase last year. I got about a month and a half of good, meaningful games, and I sold enough tickets to make back most of my original cost. But the late season collapse (twice) -- coupled with increased ticket prices this year (seriously?) -- left me convinced I shouldn't re-up my package. My thinking leveled out over the off season, feeling good about Russell Martin, a full year of Wandy, etc, but still didn't think it wise to purchase a package at the beginning of the new year. Why not wait again like last year and see if they demonstrate the ability to compete at a high level consistently?

Now ticket prices have settled down a little bit. No, I'll never get outfield box seats for 12$ a ticket again -- tremendous deal last year -- but it came down from 24$ to 21$. Last year I bought the remaining 45 games -- every home game left -- but right now the full season prorated package only gives you 30 games. I don't know why they don't give the full package, but I actually like it better this way, given the price increase. In other words, I can pay closer to the same overall price, and just get two thirds as many games -- rather than getting the same number of games at a significantly higher cost.

Approaching the midway point this year it sure looks like the Buccos will stay in it. (All of the "Are the Pirates for real this year?" talk started in May, and the team has only improved since.) Of course, it looked that way last year, didn't it? But you can see the obvious differences in this year's team: Russell Martin and Starling Marte; a legitimately powerful Pedro; lock-down, playoff caliber bullpen; an incredibly deep starting rotation; and Andrew McCutchen hasn't fully heated up yet.

The Pirates, on June 28, 2013, reached first place in the NL Central, passing the Cardinals for the best record in all of Major League Baseball, nearing the halfway point in the season. That certainly bodes well. Ruhl well, as we say in the 'Burgh.

Let me consider a few reasons not to buy, though. One, if Tricia starts grad school in the Fall she probably won't attend games with me in September :-(. Two, the Pirates pitching can not sustain this level of run prevention. Three, it's the freakin' Pirates. Three solid reasons, to be sure, but not enough to make the risk outweigh the reward at this point...Let's buy! I think. What do you think?

Cole's Debut Absolutely Tremendous

I've never seen PNC Park so electric for a whole game. I've seen moments like that, but people were hanging on every pitch from Cole tonight. Tremendous. Absolutely awesome. That is exactly what I'm talking about when I'm talking about a new experience at PNC Park. Phenomenal. And he pitches to contact, that's the best part, rather than trying to blow everyone away. Who else throws 98 and pitches to contact?!? Fantastic.

Chicago Thinks Things Have Changed at PNC Park

I wanted to get season tickets last year to witness a change at PNC Park. I want to see the transition from losing to winning baseball. I want to see the ballpark here in Pittsburgh evolve from a place to watch pierogi races to a place to watch pennant races. I want to see this question get answered: is there a new experience at PNC Park?

Well, some of the people at the Chicago Sun-Times seem to think that this change has already taken place. They site examples like signing Andrew McCutchen to a long term deal and signing Jason Grilli this offseason rather than letting him go to a team like the Cubs that offered a little more money. Interesting article...

Discount Pirate Tickets

The Pirates currently have a great discount ticket promotion running! Called 'How Many K's' they took a dollar off of ticket prices for every strike out Pirates pitchers threw over the course of three games last week. They racked up 23 K's, so they took 23$ off the ticket price for lower outfield box seats. So the lower outfield box seats cost 9$ and the second tier just 5$. I bought a pair for Tuesday and a pair for Thursday -- just the kind of price I look to pay when it comes to the Pirates! 

Love the Pirates Hot Start!

Now, you have to admit, the voyage on the Titanic started off great, with people mingling and drinking hot toddies. Obviously we know how it ended: icy cold, face down, ass up. So, while I love the Buccos' great opening month of April, let's not raise the Jolly Roger so far up our own ass that we can't see the big picture.

All signs look good, though. Well not all. They started the season a miserable 1-5 with absolutely no hitting. And even during the recent 12-4 stretch we've seen some awful starting pitching. But, 1) I'm exaggerating the negatives, and, 2) the positives far outweigh these negatives ... so far.

As you know from last year, the decision of whether or not to buy a season ticket package weighed heavily on my mind during the first half of the season -- until finally I gave myself the go ahead around the midway point. I decided before the season started this year, based on two factors, that I would have to play wait-and-see again before even considering buying in. If you combine the terrible, miserable, awful garbage baseball to which the Pirates reverted in August/September 2012 with the franchise's decision to significantly raise ticket prices this year, you can see why. 

Let me sum up the ticket price increase the following way: for the exact same seats that I had last year it would cost me twice as much (per ticket) to get the same package this year. Last year I got a pro-rated full season ticket package in July, for all the remaining home games, at 12$ per ticket, for tickets whose face value was 24$ (lower outfield box seats near first base). That turned out to be an absolutely great deal! Going into this year, for the exact same tickets, they would have cost 24$ per ticket after the discount! In other words, this year's discounted price (for the full season package) has the tickets priced the same as last year's face value price. Doesn't that seem insane when you put that way??? 

I guess it just shows how great a deal I got last year. Speaking of last year, that reminds me (and here's a warning: this post is about to take a turn). Fucking A, that was the year for god's sake, ugh!!! Losers!! Sixteen games over .500 with 2 months to play ... the worst collapse in baseball history?!? Twenty consecutive years of losing -- the longest such stretch in modern professional team sports history ... first, you totally blow the season, and then you go and jack up the prices?! 

This post started in a positive way ... and it concludes with the following sentiment ... It's Riverhounds time!!! Let's just hope there isn't yet another blog in my future.

Reconsidering Season Tickets Again Next Year

Down the stretch last season I swore off investing in the season tickets again next year -- because the final third of the season was just so miserable. So many of the games I went to were awful, just miserable baseball games, stacking up losses, giving up tons of runs, diminishing crowds. But. Then I remembered my bottom line. I originally spent 937$ for 2 tickets to about 40 games, lower level, near first base. Very good seats at 12$ a ticket -- 50% off the regular price for those seats. Then I sold a third of my games -- just a third -- and made back $627. So, for selling a third of my tickets, I made back two thirds of my cost. I ended up spending about 300 bucks for 25 games worth of tickets. It brought my total cost down to 6 dollars a ticket -- for what normally costs 24$ + fees.

So I'm facing the same decision as I was last year.. If they are hovering at or above .500 for most of the season, with a chance of contending going into August/September, I do want to be there. The question is this, though. Will I still have an easy time selling my tickets if they don't perform as well in the first half of the season? Should I wait again until June or July to see how things play out? I'd love to replicate the same experience -- invest about $1000, sell a bunch of games, and make back a big chunk of my money. The point being this. If you were going to buy these tickets at face value, and go to 5 games, just 5, for 2 tickets it would cost you $250 (or more with fees). I only ended up spending $300 for about 25 games. So why not? 

The only reason not to is if I'm worried that I won't be able to sell the tickets as easily this year. But here's the thing. The fireworks and other special event games are always sold out, and I will always be able to sell them. Labor Day and July 4th games will be easy to sell no matter what.

I guess the other reason not to buy before the season starts is if there is a strong possibility that they will suck. If they're in 4th place all year, I don't want to go to any games. Maybe one. But that's my whole thing. I absolutely want to go to as many games as possible if they are contending -- but if they suck again, I have zero interest at all. Absolutely none.

The smart thing to do of course would be to wait until halfway again like last year. But if I buy early I can get a better choice of seats. And I can start selling them earlier than last year. Plus I'll have opening day tickets as well. And I'll just get to enjoy all the benefits of being a season ticket holder all year, which is nice -- if, IF, I'm going to go -- IF they don't suck! Jeez I am going in circles again just like last year! You can see why this is a tough call -- it's the freaking Pirates.

EDIT: I now just realized they have raised prices significantly. I guess that means I would have to ask for more when selling them, but there is not the same 50% deal for the Outfield Box seats that I got last year. Last year they were 24 at regular price. They cost 12 for the full season plan -- the only ticket level that was offered at 50% off. This year they are 28 regular price for normal games and even more, 33 bucks, for premium games (which are every Saturday). With the discount they are 22 and 26. That sucks!!! Last year, this tickets cost 24 for FULL PRICE. This year, the premium Saturday games cost 26 WITH the discount. In other words they cost more this year after the season ticket price discount than they did last year at REGULAR cost. That's insane. I mean, if they spend more on players and development, that's fine, I'm ok with that, so we'll see. We'll see.

So, on one hand that makes me want to buy them less. But on the other hand, given that the price has gone UP, it kind of makes MORE sense to buy season tickets -- so I don't end up paying regular price for a dozen games and spending way too much.  Aye yay yay. 

Bucs Steal Martin from Yanks, Headlines From Steelers

On the eve of a potentially make-or-break Steelers-Ravens game, rife with story lines, the Pirates stole the headlines, at least for a few hours.  That's not the biggest coup in this story, though.  

It's a far too familiar story in Major League Baseball.  All-star player available on the free agent market.  His current team apparently just doesn't have the money to make an adequate offer.  An opposing team swoops in, offers a chunk of cash, and snags the guy away.  Only this time it was the Pirates taking the player away from the Yankees!  

Former gold glove, all-star catcher Russell Martin, signs a two year, 17 million dollar deal with the Bucs!  Cheers Neil Huntington!  Well done. Hmmm I may be reconsidering my adamant stance against re-upping my season ticket package.  Martin has worked with McDonald and Burnett before.  By one man's measure, he was the second best catcher in the league at framing pitches from 2007-2011.  That is an invaluable skill!  At 30 years old, he's in his prime.  This move leaves Michael McKenry in the role he is best suited for, back-up catcher, rather than one he is far less qualified to play -- platoon catcher (or even, god forbid, a starter, yikes), which is also great news.

nice 'stache dude

Now, it is a lot of money, and who knows, it may have been better spent elsewhere.  But I think it is clearly a defensive upgrade, and he has the potential to hit 20 homeruns.  Plus it's only a two year deal.

I've collected a few other interesting articles:

• Another look at pitch-framing
• Another one, with fantastic charts and graphs
• Some counterpoints against the Martin signing
• New York Post coverage

Oh, and check this out.  Here's a list of available free agent catchers and their age. Martin is younger than all of them. Napoli can hit but isn't really a catcher.  Normally I would expect the Pirates to go for, oh I don't know, the Kelly Shoppach's of this list.  In fact, this entire list -- except for Napoli -- is exactly the kind of guy that the Pirates would normally get in this situation.  Hell, there actually are 3 former Pirates on this list!

• Rod Barajas (37)
• Henry Blanco (41)
• Mike Napoli (31)
• Miguel Olivo (34)
• Ronny Paulino (32)
• A.J. Pierzynski (36)
• Brian Schneider (36)
• Kelly Shoppach (33)
• Chris Snyder (32)
• Yorvit Torrealba (34)
• Matt Treanor

Cashing In!

I have a lot of cash in my paypal account from selling Pirates tickets this Summer.  It's time to cash in!  I have a birthday coming up and it's the holiday season, so, like it or not, I will be doing some shopping over the next month and a half.  In fact I already made my first purchase using some of my "Pirate Booty."  You'll never guess what it is....

I recently became a dude who wears hats again.  Wearing hats is somewhat universal for dudes.  You have caps for sports team, obviously; the whole hip-hop/urban cultural influence; dirty hippies have their rasta hats; 90's ravers and their visors; hunters wear hats; the trucker hat phenomenon; practical hats; status symbol hats; early 20th Century black-and-white Italian mafioso style hat sitting askew...  I think it satisfies an urge to collect something.  And it gives guys a way to "express themselves" by accessorizing in their own way.  You can  say something about your identity, your socio-cultural status, or just your mood -- with a hat.  I'm not saying it's who you ARE, but it is what you're wearing right there on top of your head, sometimes every day all day for a lot of guys!  

D-Train, the O.G. flat brim MLB guy?

Personally, I'm too fidgety to really rock a hat most of the time.  I'm more likely just to grab it  for certain occasions and constantly take it on and off or tug at it.  My return to hat wearing came for two reasons.  First of all, I realized why hats just started looking different... flat brims!  For years I didn't understand this.  I mean, it never occurred to me that there were just two different styles of "baseball cap" that were just shaped differently!  I can remember watching Dontrelle Willis pitch, and I'm like... how does he wear his hat like that?  Not why -- how?  How do you make it do that?  I just thought some people didn't bend their brim, but I didn't realize it was actually made differently. You really can't make a traditional style cap look like that.  

Anyway, I had stopped being a dude who wears baseball caps when I had long hair (and because, well, I'm a grown man, you know?).  In the early 2000's when I had lusciously long hair (and a few dreads) I did have a some very stylish rasta hats.  So a couple of years ago I started thinking in the back of my mind, Ok, I'm slightly on the look out for a hat.  If I find a hat that speaks to me, I'll check it out.  I had started to realize how the whole flat brim thing worked.  And then the Pirates hit first place for a day in the Summer of 2011.  By this point, I understood the fashion, I knew I was ready to get back in the game, and I felt like maybe it would be ok to wear a Pirate hat without shame -- the shame of giving my money to the Pirates franchise.

Having long hair at the time, I needed it to be a snapback, not fitted.  And just getting back into the hat wearing game, I didn't want to spend a lot.  Hats can cost 30 bucks or more, and I didn't want to spend that on something that might end up looking really stupid or ridiculous.

My very good friend Brandy, a graphic designer, works for a wholesaler in the Strip called Aim Gifts, and has access to unlimited Pirate/Penguin/Steeler junk, I mean gear, at a discounted rate.  Now, the Pittsburgh Pirates traditional baseball cap -- all black with the classic gold P -- is definitely classy.  So it became apparent.  The time was nigh.  She grabbed one of those classic Pirates hats, flat brim with a snap back, for me, and it has been a very solid item over the last 15 months or so.

But it's time to add to the collection.  My choice may seem odd, but I think it was a reasonable one.  This one is not about the actual team at all, but the style and the logo.  I love basketball.  I love music.  So check this out... 

Do you know what team this is?

Experiment Over

I thought that last drunken rant would be my last post, but I want to wrap things up. There is no completely new experience at PNC Park (yet).  This is still a pathetic sports team in many ways.  I'm glad I got to enjoy good baseball while it lasted for 2 months.  I don't regret the season ticket purchase at all because I was able to sell so many tickets and recover about two thirds of my initial cost -- still a great deal all around.  I will absolutely not be renewing next year (at the beginning of the season).  If they have another great first half, though, I will definitely consider it...

Absolute Garbage

Why did the chicken cross the road?  Because the fucking Pirates were on the other side and the goddamn chicken wanted to sweep those motherfuckers!!!

Absolute garbage.  Purely putrid.  Regurgitation.

As go the Pirates, so goes the Orange Kickball Squad (aka the PumKings).  Yesterday we (minus Gravely, Sylanski, Booth, Orenich, and Thovson) allowed 8 runs in the first inning and lost by the mercy rule a half hour into the affair.  It reminded me of the your Buccos, allowing untold first inning runs with runners on the base paths running rampant.  Absolutely rampant.

So today we put together a nice crew of young urban professionals to head over to the late afternoon 4 o'clock game -- you know, the businessman's special.  By the time we had our tickets in hand the Pirates were already losing 3-0.  We were still in the process of texting each other to meet up by the time the Pirates had relinquished a seemingly insurmountable early lead.  It was already 4 to nothing as we sat outside Dominic's pounding domestic beers (and the occasional gin and tonic).  Boooo.

But your battling Bucs made a game of it.  As we continued to get schwilly your Bucs fought back. Andrew McCutchen went yard to bring the game back within reach.  The Pirates even took a lead. We were in our seats crunching peanuts and sippin' brews as the Pirates went ahead 7-4.  

But that lasted about two and a half minutes.  The Pirates are, if you didn't already know, officially garbage.  Under .500.  Another losing season.  Deep, so deep, into the tank.  Absolute, irreconcilable garbage.