Surprisingly, I was excited to see a ball game in our rival city. On our way up to Pittsburgh I noticed a sign that said, “Pittsburgh is KIDSburgh.” My father jokingly responded, “All the more reason to hate Pittsburgh.”
Rolling up to the city of Pittsburgh, anybody from Baltimore would pick up a very different vibe. I finally understood why they called Pittsburgh the “Steel City.”Pittsburgh was very industrial compared to Baltimore. And even though we can all say what we want about Pittsburgh, it is truly a likeable city.
Is it as nice as Baltimore? No. And even though my father and I were representing our own Baltimore Orioles the two days we were down there, most of the citizens in Pittsburgh were very pleasant to us, and other O’s fans as well.
A mile away from the park, my father and I started walking down by the river, where we had an amazing view of the Clemente Bridge.
When I entered PNC Park for the first time, I was as giddy as a little kid eating cotton candy for the first time. The predicted rain in the forecast did not bring me down as I was enjoying my first O’s game in another ball park, and what a beautiful ball park it was.
As we arrived at our seats in right field, I noticed the O’s taking batting practice. While teenagers and even a few grown men were equipped with Mega Mits, I simply went old school with my O’s hat. The closest I came to snagging a ball was when Chris Davis came up to take a few swings. While everybody is getting into position, I ran up to the top of my section knowing Chris’ true power. With the smack of the bat Chris sent one over our heads and into the river.
Luckily for me and the rest of us O’s fans at PNC Park, we got a taste of that power three times during the game. In Davis’ first homerun, you can see me captured on MASN screaming in excitement with my hands thrown in the air. I couldn’t be happier. My first O’s game outside of Baltimore was a win.
On Wednesday morning, I was even more excited than I was for Game 2. So before the game, my father and I decided to get some grub at BZ Bar and Grill, a restaurant next to the stadium, where I ate one of the best cheeseburgers I have ever consumed. We must have chatted with other Pittsburgh fans for hours talking about baseball. Ravens fans will get hassled entering Heinz Field but around PNC Park you will be treated as if you are a Pirates fan too. Most Pirates fans brought up how they want to go to Oriole Park. One even said that going to Oriole Park is “definitely a bucket list activity.” From an Axel Rose doppelganger rocking out to the many stores and restaurants around PNC Park, to the great views of the city itself, I just had to see more. Sure you have TV’s near the concession stands, but in PNC Park you can watch the game on the field standing in the line thanks to the open concourse.
After I was done taking in the views of the stadium I finally came to the decision that PNC Park was more beautiful than Oriole Park. Oriole Park feels like a second home to me, but what PNC Park had to offer was a lot more than I expected. Everywhere you sat in PNC Park, there was a great view.
Going to PNC Park was truly a memorable experience and I definitely recommend seeing a game there.
