After visiting the Greendance Winery, Lindsey and I went to the Pirate game on Tuesday night. The Buccos lost to the Padres (maybe I should not go to games against the Padres). We had fantastic seats from work. Actually had four seats and offered them to multiple people, but no one could go.
The Pirates lost 5-2 (if you want a good recap of the game, you can read it here). I heard one guy behind me saying how bad Jeff Locke sucks and that he should never have been starting this year. Umm, did the guy see him pitch in the first half of the season? Hell, even his friend was like “he pitched really well last game…”
Also, there were some weird stoners behind us. They were pretty drunk and kept talking about how they could not wait to get back home so they could smoke more of that awesome bud. They actually left fairly early though, so it was cool.
This was the game that Burnett made the comment about there being a lot of empty seats in the house, which caused Pittsburgh sports media to explode. Everyone on the Fan was talking about how horrible it was that fans did not show up to a pennant race game. I feel like we have this debate every season.
Guys on the radio were saying that the fans did not seem to be too into the game. I think that is pretty much how it is at any game. If the home team is losing, the fans are not that into it. The people in front of us were playing with their baby. I said this last year about Baltimore, but the more I pay attention, the more I feel like all baseball games are this way. The fans are half into it and then when the home team does something amazing (or scores some runs) do they actually pay attention. It is a sad fact.
The previous Tuesday game against the Brewers on August 27th had an attendance of 23,801. To compare, there were 22,520 people at the game I was at. At the top of the ninth, Lindsey and I got up to make our way out. Some other people were leaving as well, and some guy stood up and yelled “True fans do not leave early!” Fuck that guy.
Where the hell was this guy when the Pirates sucked? Hey asshole, where were you on the first of September, 2011? I bet you were not at the Pirates game. You remember that one? When the Buccos lost to the Dodgers. I went to that game. The attendance figures are skewed because it was a make-up, but there could only be about 5000 people there. Hell, the beer guy stopped walking around sections and basically hung out in our section because me and the five guys in front of me were all drinking Miller Lite.
Or how about the final home game of the 2009 season? Was that guy there? I doubt it. We were the only people tailgating in the parking lot! There were supposedly 16,696 people there. It felt like there were only about 7,000 though.
Maybe that guy was at the June 4th, 2008 game. You remember that one? I bet not. That was game six of the Stanley Cup Final. The Red Wings defeated the Pens. Oh by the way, the Pirates beat the Astros 5-2. I was one of the 9,392 people at PNC Park that night.
I am not saying this to brag about my fandom, but just want to say to that guy “Go fuck yourself.” If I want to leave early because my fiance is a little cold and tired, then I will do it. If I lived in Pittsburgh, then yeah, I would stay until the end. Unfortunately, I live far away and I wanted to get out of there before traffic gets congested. We did it and actually made it home in about an hour and a half, instead of two or more hours if there is traffic.
I think by going to games and watching this team for the past 25 years (I consider my fandom to start in 1988, or maybe ’89, not when I was born) makes me a true fan. I remember those shitty years, when we got excited about Chris Duffy, Pokey Reese, Jimmy Anderson, etc. Does that guy remember those times? Nope, I bet he was one of those guys that made fun of me for going to Pirate game during the Stanley Cup Final.
Okay, angry rant is over. Enjoy this picture of Lindsey drinking a beer before the game.
