PNC Park Offers Plenty Of Promise For Pirates, Fans
Opening Day Seen As Rebirth For Franchise
By John E. Sacco

A new ballpark for a major league team seems to bring excitement to a city and to its ball club.

Statistics confirm the new parks, at least the ones built in big-league cities since the late 1980s bring, on average, more fans to baseball games.

One can even make a case that it helps turn franchises around or at the very least points them in the winning direction.

That is certainly good news for the Pirates as they are set to officially enter PNC Park this month.

A new era of Pirates baseball will begin. The fans will have a new way to look at baseball. With just 38,000 seats, and baseball's first two-deck designed park since Milwaukee's County Stadium opened in 1953, intimacy is guaranteed.

Pittsburgh can only hope PNC Park does for its baseball franchise what Camden Yards did for the Baltimore Orioles, Jacobs Field did for the Cleveland Indians, The Ballpark in Arlington did for the Texas Rangers and what Pacific Bell Park did in one year for the San Francisco Giants.

"I don't know if there is any correlation between building new parks and winning," said Steve Greenberg, the Pirates vice president of new ballpark development and communications. "Our objective was to design and coordinate the construction of the park. To develop the most fan-friendly park and create revenue opportunities for the franchise."

The record shows that building a new park immediately boosts attendance and excitement.

That is exactly the aim of the Pirates as they enter PNC Park, which many in the organization believe is the best of the new parks in the major leagues.

"This park will certainly redefine the image of Pirates baseball," said Dennis DaPra, vice president of operations. "This is a great opportunity for the organization to generate revenue and to be the benchmark in customer service to the fans. When you are able to manage a facility and create an atmosphere of your own, you also recognize certain revenue streams. Not only in ticket sales, but also in concessions, sponsorship packages and so on. The revenue streams now come under our umbrella."

The additional revenues should lead to procuring better players, through trades and free agency, and upgrading the club's scouting practices and minor league development.

What the fans want most, however, even beyond a good experience at the new park, is a chance to root for a contender. The Pirates have contended for a division title only once since 1992.

While the Pirates may not yet be able to compete with the Indians or Atlanta Braves or Giants on the field, PNC Park promises to hold a unique place of its own among the new parks in the big leagues.

The Pirates are a small market team but there is nothing bargain basement about PNC Park.

The luxury suites are as nice as any, the amenities as vast as others are and the sight lines and unobstructed downtown views may make fans wonder when Shoeless Joe Jackson will emerge from beyond the outfield fence to start playing catch.

No one is quite sure how this ballpark will play. In other words, is it a hitter's park or pitcher's park? Will there be a lot of home runs? Who will be the first to smack a home run into the Allegheny River beyond the right field wall?

What we do know is that the wind will blow 12 to 15 miles per hour minimum from West to Southwest - right field to left field - in the early spring. Beyond that, there is some idea but nothing is conclusive.

"We said when construction began that we would build the best ballpark in baseball, and we believe we've done that," Greenberg said.

DaPra admits that almost all discussions about how the park was going to be constructed included the impact on the on-field product, such as reviewing the Pirates roster, the opposition and their rosters, the division and the league.

"Kevin (McClatchy) and ownership never deviated from the course," DaPra said. "This ballpark was necessary in order for the franchise to stay alive and be successful. We've created a ballpark we think fans will come to, generate revenue and in turn put that revenue into talent.

"There is great excitement. I'm a big Lloyd McClendon fan. He's a great guy to approach and talk to. You get a sense of what the goals are. He's not going to deviate. He's changing attitudes and outlooks. I think he'll get the most out of that roster."

The Pirates can only hope their fortunes change as dramatically as their venue has.

They desperately want to follow the leads of the Indians, Texas Rangers, Toronto Blue Jays and others that changed parks and thus changed their images.

"I believe PNC Park will serve as the crown jewel of the renaissance of the City of Pittsburgh," McClatchy said. "It's going to be a unique park, unlike any other. The size, the sight lines and the view all combine to really set PNC Park off from the rest. It's going to be a special place."