PNC Park
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| PNC Park | |
|---|---|
  |
|
| Location | 115 Federal St. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15212 |
| Broke ground | April 7, 1999 |
| Opened | March 31, 2001 |
| Owner | City of Pittsburgh Sports & Exhibition Authority |
| Surface | Grass |
| Construction cost | $216 million |
| Architect | HOK Sport; L.D. Astorino & Associates (Pittsburgh) |
| Tenants | |
| Pittsburgh Pirates (2001-present) | |
| Capacity | |
| 38,496 (2001) | |
| Dimensions | |
| Left Field — 325 ft (6 ft high fence) Left-Center — 386 ft Deep Left-Center Field — 410 ft Center Field — 399 ft (10 ft high fence) Right-Center — 375 ft Right Field — 320 ft (21 ft high wall) |
|
PNC Park is a baseball stadium located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania that is home to the Pittsburgh Pirates, the city's Major League Baseball team. It opened in 2001, shortly after the controlled implosion of Three Rivers Stadium. The ballpark is named after locally-based PNC Financial Services, which bought the naming rights.
Contents |
[edit] Overview
[edit] Construction
The stadium was built with public money after a long political debate. Mayor Tom Murphy originally proposed a sales tax increase to fund building of PNC Park and Heinz Field, but this proposal was rejected in a referendum. Mayor Murphy changed the funding plan, called it "Plan B", and put it into effect.
PNC Park was the smallest of the new MLB stadiums to be built in recent years. It was the first permanent facility to be built for a MLB team that hosted fewer than 40,000 since Milwaukee County Stadium, which was later expanded. It was also the first to be built with two decks rather than three (most of the seats are actually located within the lower deck, 26,000 to be exact) since County Stadium. Consequently, the highest seat in the park is only 88 feet from the playing field, giving the stadium a very intimate feel. PNC Park also has the smallest capacity of any stadium in Major League Baseball, only a few thousand seats smaller than Wrigley Field of the National League and a few hundred seats smaller than Fenway Park of the American League (the low capacity of PNC Park is justified by the low attendance numbers regularly posted). The stadium includes 2,800 club seats, 69 luxury suites, and 4 party suites.
[edit] Features
PNC Park is often noted for its physical beauty. The low, open-air outfield stands offer a wide, breathtaking view of the downtown Pittsburgh skyline across the Allegheny River. The exterior walls and backstop behind home plate are made of limestone, a departure from the red-brick walls present in most of today's newer ballparks. The limestone captures the city's trademark "gold" color while also representing the rugged local landscape. Also prevalent throughout the ballpark is the use of steel construction, a tribute to Pittsburgh's history in the steel industry. The spiraling rotunda in left-field, which allows access to the various concourse levels via escalators and stairs, employs this the best. All of the concourses are open-air, as well, meaning fans can still watch the game and even enjoy the riverfront view when standing in line at concessions stands. A 2003 ESPN study gave the park a 95 rating (out of 100), making it "the best stadium in baseball."
The ballpark is notable for being built on the Allegheny River, which runs directly behind the ballpark. A well-struck ball hit beyond the right-field wall may find its way into the water. Because of the ballpark's geography, many fans choose to travel to the park by riverboat. Behind the ballpark, between the river and the bleachers is a waterfront promenade called the River Walk, complete with concessions stands found throughout the rest of the ballpark. It is open on off-days to the general public. River Walk also serves as an entrance/exit from/to the Roberto Clemente Bridge, located on the left-field side of the ballpark. The bridge, named for Pirates' Hall of Fame right fielder Roberto Clemente, is closed to vehicular traffic on game days, allowing easy access to the park by pedestrians.
The river is approximately 440 feet from home plate. Only one player has hit a homerun into the river on the fly in regular season play: Daryle Ward of the Houston Astros in 2002, off Pirates pitcher Kip Wells. Lance Berkman, Ryan Howard and David Ortiz, however, each hit homeruns into the river on the fly during the 2006 Home Run Derby.
PNC Park is also notable for having some of the best food of any Major League venue. The ballpark features an extensive selection of local specialities and favorites, including pierogies, Primanti Brothers sandwiches (serving meat, cole slaw, and french fries within the sandwich), Quaker Steak and Lube, Benkovitz Fish, Smorgasburgh, Pop's Plaza (named for Willie Stargell), a barbeque run by former catcher Manny Sanguillen (who signs autographs while fans wait in line), as well as "Outback in the Outfield," an Outback Steakhouse at the top of the left-field bleachers.
The right-field wall is 21 feet high, a homage to Roberto Clemente, who wore #21 as a Pirate. The wall features one of the most extensive out-of-town scoreboards of any Major League ballpark. It shows not only the score for every game, but the inning, count, number of outs, and baserunners, as well. The scoreboard is automatically updated via wire services. Special indoor, front row seats are built directly into the wall; these seats are primarily reserved for handicapped accessible guests.
Fans can have messages engraved in bricks in the sidewalk surrounding statues of Roberto Clemente, Willie Stargell and Honus Wagner outside the ballpark for $75 or $150, depending on the size of the brick.
Games usually feature a "Pierogie Race" between the 5th and 6th innings of most games. Fans dress up in giant, oversized pierogie costumes and run the length of the field, an idea borrowed from the Milwaukee Brewers and their famous "Sausage Races"
[edit] Other notes
PNC Park is just up the Allegheny River from the sites of two of the Pirates' previous ballparks, Three Rivers Stadium and Exposition Park. The latter also afforded its spectators a broad view of downtown Pittsburgh, as it was in the early 1900s. PNC Park also borrows a few elements from its days at Forbes Field, including blue seats and steel, an asymmetrical outfield, and "old-fashioned" light towers. PNC Park is just walking distance from the Steelers' Heinz Field, located further west from "the Point" where the Allegheny and Monongahela Rivers join to form the Ohio.
On Tuesday, July 11, 2006, PNC Park hosted the 77th Annual Major League Baseball All-Star Game, as well as the All-Star Game festivities, including the Home Run Derby. The game showcased the ballpark to many baseball fans outside of Pittsburgh's small market for the first time.
[edit] External links
- Ballpark Digest Visit
- Pittsburgh Pirates Official website
- PNC Park Official website
- Pirate ballparks history website
- PNC Park LIVE WEBCAM!
- Ballparks of Baseball PNC Park website
- Pittsburgh Post-Gazette coverage of "Plan B"
| Preceded by Three Rivers Stadium 1970–2000 |
Home of the Pittsburgh Pirates 2001–present |
Succeeded by Current |
| Preceded by Comerica Park |
Host of the All-Star Game 2006 |
Succeeded by AT&T Park |
