Ahead of the Pittsburgh Pirates’ home opener Friday, the team is rolling out new enhancements for players and fans alike at PNC Park — from shopping upgrades and streamlined concessions to the Bucco Bricks’ return as a new plaque display.
On Tuesday, the Pirates unveiled 60 5-foot-high bronze panels along the ballpark’s facade at West General Robinson Street and Mazeroski Way. The panels display more than 10,000 personalized fan messages that originally appeared on Bucco Bricks embedded in the sidewalk outside PNC Park. The bricks were controversially scrapped before last year’s season opener.
“We were able to put them on the bronze plaques in exactly the same format with the same messages,” Pirates President Travis Williams said, also saying in a prepared statement, “We know how much these messages and memories mean to our fans.”
The new season brings renewed buzz for the team, Williams said Tuesday, along with a celebration of memories tied to the park’s 25th anniversary.
“Families come here, generations of families come here and make it part of their summertime tradition,” he said.
The team will pay tribute to Pirates legend Bill Mazeroski, who died in February. His nickname, “Maz,” will appear behind second plate, and players will wear a No. 9 patch on their sleeves all season.
In another nod to Pirates history, fans can shop a wider range of memorabilia at the Pirates Authentics store (on the main concourse behind Section 125) and at the Pirates Clubhouse team store.
Now occupying a large footprint, the team store sells eight jerseys with players rotating throughout the season, along with new dugout jackets. Other merchandise includes nostalgic T-shirts featuring Mister Rogers and pierogies, and larger Great Pierogy Race plushies like Jalapeño Hannah, which Fanatics PNC Park general manager Brandon Starr hopes will entice NFL Draft visitors.
“We’re the best ballpark in America. The shopping experience should also mirror that,” Starr said.
Two weeks ago, fans got a preview of nine new food items debuting at the ballpark, including empanadas (Section 136), the Coop Puppy (Section 144), a sweet-brined chicken sandwich, kettle nachos, and a “fancy Puerto Rican hot dog,” as Aramark senior executive chef Gabor Kovats described it Tuesday, a tribute to hall-of-famer Roberto Clemente.
Other Pittsburgh-centric snacks include chipped ham fries and a cold pierogi salad (both in Section 118 and HPC Market).
For Renegade Dog lovers, another foot-long creation, the Heavy Hitter corn dog (Section 146) features a Pittsburgh twist: pico de gallo infused with Pittsburgh pickles. Kovats said another personal favorite is the massive Smoked Turkey Leg topped with smoked gouda mac-and-cheese, barbecue sauce and coleslaw (Section 140).
Fans will get their food faster through added “speed lines” on the park’s main and upper concourses and Pop’s Plaza area. The new concession stand “pass-through” design features a single queue line for faster service.
The Plaza at North Shore, a new dining and entertainment venue, will launch the same day as the Pirates’ home opener, Williams said, offering another food option before the game.
The organization also touted a suite of improvements for players, including a refurbished clubhouse.
The Pirates face the Baltimore Orioles at 4:12 p.m. Friday.