Screw the general baseball thread, this deserves its own for history...Pirates!

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Buccos win

$1 hot dogs and $2.50 16-oz beers after the game - PNC rocks

 

Brewers still on their ass. Lick my balls, Cinderella.

 

Next Tuesday night in the Dirty South, Pirates at Braves.

Last time I was at a Pittsburgh-Atlanta game that meant anything, I was freezing in the auxiliary press box on the Mezzanine Level at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium when Sid slid.

 

Actually, they were sixth, eighth, and seventh in the NL in attendance during their three-year run, according to BaseballReference. And the year they were eighth, they actually drew about 15K more fans than the year before when they were sixth.

Granted, a division winner should have been better, but they were hardly near the bottom of the league.

 

It will continue this year if the winning continues. Bank on it. Remember, people have been dying for this. An extended run of winning, which is also unlikely? Yeah, the attendance spike would probably level off.

Also, a look at attendance in the early '90s:
1990 season: 13th in MLB (2.05 million, 25,308 per game)
1991 season: 17th in MLB (2.06 million, 24,587 per game)
1992 season: 17th in MLB (1.82 million, 22,585 per game)

So, agreed, the attendance was very poor back then for a team that was winning, but middle of the pack, not "near the bottom." And it also was in decrepit, atmosphere-less Three Rivers Stadium. There was nothing to do near the park. There was no view. Terrible concourses.

People go to PNC Park now because it's a nice place to spend a spring/summer night. There is lots to do near the park, it's beautiful, roomy concourses, good food. That alone draws fans. Now that they're winning? This attendance spike will continue as long as the team stays in the race.

 

Y'know, the last 4-5 times I've seen this James McDonald, he's looked pretty damn good. 1-0 over Reds last night with sharp six-plus start.

Team's eighth shutout of the year.

 

He also walks a ton of people and rarely ever goes past the sixth inning because his pitch count usually gets pretty high by then. He definitely has the best stuff of their starters, but his lack of control is a big issue.

 

Yeah, he finally had a little bit of command last night, and you see what he can do when that occurs. But it's been few and far between.

 

My mistake on the attendance. I should have looked more closely. I was allowing my memories of empty seats at playoff games to cloud my memory.

That said, you don't know what will happen once there is more competition, specifically from the team that Pittsburgh cares most about.

I did say that winning in PNC will make a difference, but you are overstating the drawbacks of Three Rivers Stadium. A bad ballpark won't keep good fans away from a winner. Pittsburgh just didn't have enough people that cared. Maybe that has changed, but that is not a sure thing.

If it was all about the ballpark, attendance would have been better the last few seasons.

All of this is based on a big if -- IF they keep winning.

I remember 1997. There was buzz that season, too. More fans came out and the media started putting a heavier focus on the team again. At least one paper that had stopped staffing games started again (leading to one of my favorite Jim Leyland stories). But that all went away when they faded late and couldn't follow it up the next season.

 

He was a pretty big prospect for the Dodgers before they traded for Dotel.

He should be their #2 starter in a couple years behind Jameson.

 

The Steelers only play one day a week. That won't affect attention or attendance, IF (like you said, BIG IF) the Pirates keep winning. Yes, this is just my opinion, but I'd be willing to bet a lot of money on it. There is a legitimate buzz right now.

And I'll argue that, if not for PNC Park, the attendance the past few years would have been even worse. Those have been some awful ballclubs.