matthewweaver.com | mlb ballparks

Ballpark:
While Three Rivers Stadium was an ugly "Cookie Cutter Era" bowl that hid the fans from the city of Pittsburgh, PNC Park is a gorgeous "retro" park that opens to a beautiful view of the city skyline and its bridges. The exterior of the park is low profile and consists of gold tinted stone with a blue painted steel superstructure. From the scoreboard in left centerfield to the small area of bleachers in right field, the park is wide open and allows the fans to see more than just baseball.

Just like SBC Park in San Francisco, PNC Park frames an attractive suspension bridge, though Pittsburgh's is much closer. The golden-colored Roberto Clemente Bridge sits just past center field and links downtown Pittsburgh with the park by acting as a pedestrian bridge over the Allegheny River during game days. This is an ingenious feature of the Pittsburgh baseball experience.

The outside of the park features two statues of Pirates legends - J.P. "Honus" Wagner at the home plate entrance and Roberto Clemente at the point where the park meets the bridge named in his honor. There is also an attractive Riverwalk that runs between the park and the Allegheny River, providing a panoramic vista of the downtown skyline.

The inside of the park is much like the other new ballparks, with intimate seating, a small amount of foul territory, asymmetrical outfield dimensions, a huge scoreboard and a restaurant (in this case, an Outback Steakhouse) with a field view. The concourses are a bit cramped, but that is a function of the park being crammed into existing city streets much like Jacobs Field in Cleveland. There is a large amount of standing room only areas, mostly in the spiral ramp to the upper deck. The ramp, in left field, is known as "The Rotunda."

The outfield walls are the normal 8 feet height, except in right field where the wall is about double that height. The bleachers above the right field wall swallow up most home runs before they can fly (or bounce) past the Riverwalk into the Allegheny River. Regardless, the Pirates still have a tote board dedicated to water landing home runs, just like in San Francisco.

All in all, PNC Park is one of the best designed and most attractive ballparks in the Majors. Though I don't think it is quite as good as the ballpark in San Francisco, it is very close and deserves an "A+" rating.

How to get there:
From the Pittsburgh International Airport, take the Airport Parkway Southeast to Interstate 279 (at the intersection of Interstate 79). Follow I-279 through the Fort Pitt tunnel, over the Fort Pitt Bridge and into the city. Follow I-279 over the Allegheny River and take the first exit for PNC Park.

You may also park downtown near 6th Street and walk over the Roberto Clemente Bridge to the park.

City:
Pittsburgh was once known as a rusting steel town with a poor economy. It transformed itself into a high tech mecca with a good economy and great living conditions. It is home to several major colleges and a number of Fortune 500 businesses.

Downtown Pittsburgh is actually quite similar to Portland, Oregon, with several rivers, multiple bridges and an urban area shoe-horned into a plain at the base of surrounding hills. I really like both cities.

The people of Pittsburgh are sports fanatics and they seem to have a language all their own - called "Pittsburghese". They refer to their town as "Picks-Berk" and their football team as the "Stillers" (instead of the Steelers). Its a unique place to spend some time. I highly recommend doing so.

Stuff to do while there:
Check out the food and the culture of the South Side neighborhood on the bluffs overlooking the Allegheny River. Carson Street is home to many cool shops and restaurants, including a great "hole-in-the-wall" place called the City Grill (you've gotta try the hamburgers). Fat Heads is a great hang out for wings and local beers. You should also ride the Duquesne Incline from river level up to the top of the nearby hills.

Story:
In 2001, I drove over to Pittsburgh with my friends Dave and Tim to see the Indians play in their first series at new PNC Park. This was part of my summer ballpark trip to Cleveland and Pittsburgh.

In 1997, I traveled to Three Rivers Stadium with a contingent of friends to see the Indians play the Pirates in the first Interleague game between the two teams. So many Cleveland fans made the trip that there was a 5-mile-long traffic jam at the toll booths on the border of the Pennsylvania and Ohio Turnpikes!

Fun facts:
PNC Park is the only two-deck ballpark of all the new parks constructed since 1990.

PNC Park has the smallest seating capacity (38,000) of all those new ballparks.

PNC is a Pittsburgh-based bank.

Three Rivers Stadium, the former home of the Pirates and the Steelers, was demolished on February 11, 2001 and is now the site of a parking lot for Heinz Field.

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The exterior of PNC Park.
June 16, 2001

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Home plate entrance with its statue of Honus Wagner.
June 16, 2001

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Matt in front of a beautiful backdrop at PNC Park.
June 16, 2001

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Todd Ritchie pitches to Kenny Lofton to start the game.
June 16, 2001

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The "golden" Roberto Clemente Bridge provides fans an unique and scenic stroll over the river to the ballpark via 6th Street.
June 16, 2001

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The "golden" Roberto Clemente Bridge.
June 16, 2001

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The Pittsburgh skyline across the Allegheny River from PNC Park.
June 16, 2001

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The skyline peers over the top of old Three Rivers Stadium.
September 1, 1997