Pittsburgh isn’t just a football town these days. Thanks in unequal parts to the play of the Pirates and the power of Zoltan.
For the baseball team’s part, Pittsburgh is now 14 games over 500 and challenging for a National League playoff berth. Its a first for either since 1992. That was also the last time the Pirates so much as posted a winning record. Their current streak of 19 consecutive losing seasons isn’t just a baseball record. It is an American professional sports mark. The record is truly impressive and very much in jeopardy this year as the Pirates look like serious contenders.
The Steel City is basking in its baseball success these days. Over 112,000 fans took in the Pirates three game sweep of the Miami Marlins over the weekend. Friday and Saturday night games sold out. Pittsburgh has a 34-12 home record, the best in the bigs.
You can get a ticket in the upper grandstand of PNC Park, judged by many to be baseball’s best, for as little as ten dollars. That’s the same price as the cheapest walkup ticket for a Red Wings game. Purchase them in advance or be prepared to pay 45 dollars on the street.
This is all happening inside of a five hour drive from here. There are real reasons. Centerfielder Andrew McCutchen is a MVP candidate and is doing it all for this team.
Pitcher A.J. Burnett is finding there is baseball life after the New York Yankees, and actually enjoys being cheered for a change. Burnett beat Miami Saturday night to go 11-3 on the year, and left to a rousing ovation, which began prior to manager Clint Hurdle’s arrival on the mound in the 7th inning, and continued to grow. A.J. acknowledged the applause, twice, on his way to the dugout. Hurdle admits on his pitchers behalf, that it is actually more fun when people pull for you. It wasn’t that way in New York.
Future Red Wings Hall of Famer Garrett Jones, who spent four spectacular seasons in Rochester, has become a fixure in the Pirates lineup.
Then there’s Zoltan. Bad movie affectionados might just recognize the character from an old Ashton Kutcher film, “Dude, Where’s My Car?” Zoltan was the alien cult leader of a group of UFO tracking nerds who wear bubble wrap jump suits. That’s right, bubble wrap jump suits.
Pittsburgh isn’t just a football town these days. Thanks in unequal parts to the play of the Pirates and the power of Zoltan.
For the baseball team’s part, Pittsburgh is now 14 games over 500 and challenging for a National League playoff berth. Its a first for either since 1992. That was also the last time the Pirates so much as posted a winning record. Their current streak of 19 consecutive losing seasons isn’t just a baseball record. It is an American professional sports mark. The record is truly impressive and very much in jeopardy this year as the Pirates look like serious contenders.
The Steel City is basking in its baseball success these days. Over 112,000 fans took in the Pirates three game sweep of the Miami Marlins over the weekend. Friday and Saturday night games sold out. Pittsburgh has a 34-12 home record, the best in the bigs.
You can get a ticket in the upper grandstand of PNC Park, judged by many to be baseball’s best, for as little as ten dollars. That’s the same price as the cheapest walkup ticket for a Red Wings game. Purchase them in advance or be prepared to pay 45 dollars on the street.
This is all happening inside of a five hour drive from here. There are real reasons. Centerfielder Andrew McCutchen is a MVP candidate and is doing it all for this team.
Pitcher A.J. Burnett is finding there is baseball life after the New York Yankees, and actually enjoys being cheered for a change. Burnett beat Miami Saturday night to go 11-3 on the year, and left to a rousing ovation, which began prior to manager Clint Hurdle’s arrival on the mound in the 7th inning, and continued to grow. A.J. acknowledged the applause, twice, on his way to the dugout. Hurdle admits on his pitchers behalf, that it is actually more fun when people pull for you. It wasn’t that way in New York.
Future Red Wings Hall of Famer Garrett Jones, who spent four spectacular seasons in Rochester, has become a fixure in the Pirates lineup.
Then there’s Zoltan. Bad movie affectionados might just recognize the character from an old Ashton Kutcher film, “Dude, Where’s My Car?” Zoltan was the alien cult leader of a group of UFO tracking nerds who wear bubble wrap jump suits. That’s right, bubble wrap jump suits.
This isn’t the kind of thing most sports teams, make that any sports teams, take real inspiration from. But before an April game in Atlanta, the Pirates watched the movie, and as the story goes, Neil Walker began flashing the Zoltan sign to his teammates, and it caught on big time. Pan the crowd and you’ll see it everywhere. Tee shirt vendors, licensed and otherwise, are cashing in.
You make the Zoltan sign of the Z with both hands. To do it properly, the left hand is palm out, the thumb down; the right hand palm turned in, thumb up. Connect the thumbs to make a Z.
For the time being, this is little more than a curious local anomaly and proud to be so. But should the Pirates persist and somehow make the playoffs, Zoltan will be recast as a national phenomenon. That’s what 19 years of losing will do to you.
