Reconsider Your Options

"Should I Stay or Should I Go?"
The Clash

The Pirates have already sold more tickets this year than they did all of last year. Glad I got mine. Yesterday's 12:35 afternoon game against the last place Florida Marlins saw the second highest 12:35 attendance in PNC Park history. Glad I went. I almost skipped it. I had a meeting at 11:30, which included lunch and ended up lasting until 2 o'clock. I had emailed my second ticket to Andy and he went separately. I checked the game online -- 5th inning, Marlins lead 2-0. Just as I saw this, they scored again, making it 4-0.

Remember, we're talking about the Pittsburgh Pirates, losers of 20 consecutive baseball seasons, the most by any North American professional sports team, ever. 

So... game half over, Pirates trailing by 4, I would have to jump on the bus and get downtown ... might as well just skip this one, right? With season tickets, baby, you can exchange unused tickets for future games -- even after the fact. So I have nothing to lose by skipping this one.

But this is the new PNC experience. As I keep saying, it's become about the pennant race not the pierogie race. Your 2013 Buccos are a different breed. So I started thinking ... what if they come back? It's a reasonable idea. The Pirates bullpen should hold the opponent at 4. If they can get Fernandez out of the game, scoring a few more runs doesn't seem like a monumental task. Maybe I would have something to lose if I skipped this game. Would I regret not having gone if they come back and tie and win in walk-off fashion?

I had to reconsider my options. I texted Andy. OMW get me beer if last call.

By the time I arrived in the 7th, the Pirates had halved the lead, 4-2. Fernandez got the hook, and here comes Chad Qualls out of the bullpen! Yes! Qualls faced 6 Pirate hitters this series, over 2 days, and all 6 of them reached base! The rest of the game unfolded just as I had imagined it could, with a Bucco victory. Not that I predicted it would. But that it could. That's the difference. That's the new experience at PNC Park. 

If you want access to playoff tickets, I suggest you get season tickets, baby.

Smart Food

In conjunction with the Pirates food and beverage / gate policy I've decided to bring my own snacks tonight. Usually I don't buy a lot of food at the park. I love getting the crab fries, but they cost 10 bucks, and you can't get a "small." I love Primanti's, but I'd rather save that for a night out drinking in the South Side rather than outside at the park on a steamy August evening. And for something like a hot dog or burger, it just pains me to pay ballpark prices for mediocre (at best) food. A lot of times I grab a slice of pizza on the way home, after crossing the Clemente bridge into downtown. (Two fifty for a big slice! Great deal, but I have to wait till after the game)

After suffering through a free hot dog last week, I figured why not just grill my own Hebrew National all beef frank before the game tonight? So I had a grilled hot dog with steamed veggies (broccoli and carrots from my garden), and I brought peanuts, cajun sesame sticks, and red grapes with me. 

A Different Environment

Let's Go Bucs, at Rifrafters Campground

Tonight I found a streaming broadcast of the Pirates Cardinals game while I stay holed up in a quaint little cabin in the New River Gorge, West Virginia. Rifrafters campsite has wifi (sweet), which has come in handy while it rained all day (yuck). So I've got a St. Louis broadcast of the game, and I always love hearing the other team's announcers' perspective on the Pirates. The play by play guy just pointed out that the crowd has hung on every pitch tonight, and he commented that it was a different environment -- a new experience if you will -- at PNC Park. They also commented that the three biggest surprises they've seen have been the bullpen, the team's energy, and that "it's a pretty complete ball club."

The Times They Are A-Changing

I think I just spent 7 hours at PNC Park. And most of the time I sat there watching every pitch. And get this. So did everyone else at the stadium! Mindblowing. Have things officially changed? Sure, you can't say you've done much if a series in July represents the biggest series in your ballpark's history -- but still, you can only get there one season, one series, one game at a time. And what a pair of games. What a series so far, with the Bucs taking the first 3 (of 5 total) against the previously first place St. Louis Cardinals on a beautiful, historic, and epic July night in the 4-1-tizzle. 

How about this? During the second game when they played Pirate trivia (or whatever the hell stupid game) with a fan -- you know, the game where you win a hat or wind breaker and then have to choose whether to keep it or take the Mystery Box? In my experience at PNC Park this moment -- this fan trivia game -- is the most exciting point of the night. The box, we have to know what's in that box! Tonight, though, I heard not a ripple, not a rumble, not a remote interest in the mystery box. Nobody gave a damn that the dude got an old school Duck Hunt / Super Mario Brothers classic Nintendo game (phenomenal mystery box prize by the way). People actually waited for the end of the innings to get up and pee or  go stuff their face. No one loitered in the aisles. People got yelled at if they did!

Pirates fans came to see the game. They came to see a pennant race not a pierogi race. Remarkable. You can feel the difference. You can hear it. I met my season ticket neighbors to the left, a nice older couple named Steve and Something I Forget. I can't go the rest of this week and weekend, but I sold my tickets to friends. Steve and his wife said they'll make sure everyone behaves. I even took pictures tonight. Oh, and let's not overlook the fact that I caught a launched hot dog. Pictures to follow.

What a phenomenal crowd. You could feel a buzz at the ballpark (without even drinking). Tremendous seats, too, by the way. Row C rules. 

Did you know that they do actually shoot real hot dogs out of those launchers? Take a look at this rubbery wiener (that I did not eat). It also came with a voucher coupon for a dog if you didn't want to eat that one. I did redeem the coupon and enjoy a red hot with relish, onions, and Heinz ketchup.

Mixed Feelings as 2013 Season Tickets Begin

Remember the Pirates actually played meaningful games down the stretch last year -- they just played them miserably. Tonight begins Meaningful Baseball Phase II at PNC Park when the Pirates host the first place St. Louis Cardinals. Many have called it the most important series in PNC Park history. In a bizarre twist, because of a rain out earlier in the year, the Cardinals actually come in for a rare 5 game series, including a double header on Tuesday. Five games in four days!

Even more exciting my second half full season ticket package officially begins tonight as well! I should be doing cartwheels and swinging from the chandelier, right? But here's the problem -- I have to go out of town this week! I leave Wednesday morning for West Virginia for a short camping trip at the New River Gorge before continuing on to Winston-Salem, NC for my cousin's weekend.

I can't make it to tonight's game because of kickball. So I traded these in the week I bought the tickets to go to one of the games against the A's. Tomorrow I can make it to the double header (sweet) but then I'll miss the rest of the Cardinals series and the weekend set against Colorado. :-(

Worst case scenario? The Pirates win tonight, Wednesday and Thursday, and lose the double header (the 2 games I attend) on Tuesday. That will really piss me off if they do that. 

Otherwise, I feel fine missing out on the "biggest series in PNC history" because it will only really matter if another series down the road claims that same title. I'll make it to the next biggest series in PNC history.

I had no problem selling all the games I'll miss. My cost per ticket came out to 24$ each (so 48$ per game) and I'll sell them at that price or lower to friends -- since they still get a discount over the regular price and better seats than you could get from the box office. For fireworks games I will see what I can do on Craigslist. I got 125$ for the game Saturday Aug. 3 against the Rockies. I sold Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Sunday to friends!

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.