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ALL STAR GAME: 2006
BEEN THERE: I saw PNC Park under construction in August 2000. See below.
The awe-inspiring view of the Roberto Clemente Bridge, the Allegheny River, and downtown Pittsburgh beyond the center field wall would be reason enough to see a ball game at PNC Park. Add to that the cozy, human-scale size and superb overall design, and you've got a ballpark that rivals the Pirates' beloved old home, Forbes Field. It is obviously far superior to its immediate predecessor, and is located just a few blocks from where Three Rivers Stadium once stood. PNC Park has the lowest seating capacity of any of the neoclassical stadiums, which is quite appropriate for a medium-size city such as Pittsburgh. The only other post-1990 stadium with only two main decks is Comerica Park, which has TWO skybox levels, one more than at PNC Park. (Exception: there are two skybox levels in the left field corner, which is why the second deck out there has fewer rows. Because there is only one "mezzanine" level, the press boxes are situated at the top of the second deck (under the roof, and therefore not shown in the diagram above), as at Wrigley Field. This being Pittsburgh, it is fitting that there is lots of exposed structural steel in this ballpark. This is especially evident in the big spiral "rotunda" entrance ramps in left field, and at the main entrance to the stadium in back of home plate; see Photo #2 below.
That intriguing corner in left center field, like other such "nooks and crannies" common to neoclassical stadiums, presents a challenge to visiting outfielders. Inasmuch as it was put there to accommodate the bullpens, it more or less passes the "authenticity" test. As in Ameriquest Field in Arlington, however, there are too many gradual bends in center field. If the Pirates really wanted to pay tribute to their old home at Forbes Field, they should have straightened and extended some of those outfield walls so as to enlarge the playing area and approach some of the extreme outfield dimensions of this ballpark's "grandfather." Originally, the distance to left-center was marked as 389 feet, but they had to move that marker to make way for a new billboard prior to the 2005 season, and the sign now says "378."
Foul territory at PNC Park is almost as confined as at Wrigley Field or Fenway Park, affording great close-up views for fans. For some odd reason, there are three separate seating levels out in left field. Aside from the cozy size and great views, this stadium resembles AT&T Park in that the right field wall is very tall (21 feet, in this case) and hemmed in by a body of water. The edge of the Allegheny River is 443 feet from home plate, considerably more than I had originally estimated. Darryl Ward hit the first "splash" home run at PNC Park, and there were others at the 2006 Home Run Derby. Since the out-of-town scoreboard is located so close to the river, it tends not to work whenever the river rises close to flood stage. From the right-center corner at the 375 mark to the bullpens, the wall is 10 feet high, and in left field it is only six feet high. The area in front of the center field "batter's eye," landscaped with Norway pine trees and mountain laurel, is a nice aesthetic touch.
As close to perfect as PNC Park is, it could stand a bit of improvement, I think. If the field to the right of center field were extended into the the area where that small seating section is currently located, replacing the gradual angles with a sharp corner about 420 feet from home (like at Fenway Park), there would be a lot more opportunities for extra-base hits. Hence the "suggested alternative configuration" diagram above.
Unfortunately, the Pirates did not get much of a boost in attendance or playing success from the new stadium. It seems that the "bloom is off the rose" of the neoclassical retro stadiums, which just don't seem to draw fans they way they did in the 1990s.
SOURCES: Lowry (2006)
FAN TIPS: T. J. Zmina, Matt Ereth, Cody Gobbell
