Ballpark scores a hit with fans

The first pitch was a strike, the first run was a Pirate's, the first fans were in awe.

The first game played in the newly completed PNC Park on the North Side on Saturday was hardly about the players. The real show-stopper for the 38,000-plus sellout crowd was the stadium itself.

'It's fantastic. It's amazing the intimacy it has,' said Bill Ferney, 37, a warehouse manager from New Kensington and longtime Pirates fan.

Though only an exhibition - the first regular-season game in the park is not until April 9 - yesterday's 4-3 loss to the New York Mets was the first chance for the public to see for itself how the $228 million, largely taxpayer-funded baseball stadium measured up.

'This is going to be one of the classic places to play in baseball,' Pirates general manager Cam Bonifay said. 'If the fans don't enjoy this, I don't know what they will enjoy.'

With its soaring banks of lights and gleaming grass field, the new park is a promising showcase for the city compared to the old multipurpose Three Rivers Stadium, many longtime fans found.

'The old stadium was the world's largest ashtray. I'm glad it's gone,' said Bill Figas, 29, of Georgetown, Beaver County.

The best thing about the new park, many older fans said, was its courteous tip of the hat to Forbes Field, one of the most famous parks in baseball history and the Pirates' home before the team joined the Steelers football team at Three Rivers in 1970 - that, and its expansive view of the city's skyline.

'I remember being a bat boy on Forbes Field,' said Josh Gibson Jr., 69, of Wilkinsburg, the son of Baseball Hall of Famer Josh Gibson, known as the 'Black Babe Ruth' for his legendary ability to hit home runs while a catcher for the Homestead Grays and the Pittsburgh Crawfords in the Negro Baseball Leagues.

'I thought Forbes Field was the greatest ballpark of all time,' Gibson said. 'I guess these kids here will think the same thing about this park.'

'It puts the fans closer to the field,' said Tom Lewis, 58, of Brockport, Elk County. 'The multipurpose-type stadium didn't do either sport justice.'

But the new intimacy comes at some cost, some fans said.

'It's sort of like a matchbox compared to Forbes Field,' Gibson said.

The old field in Oakland was famous for its centerfield wall, 457 feet from home plate and one of the hardest places ever to hit a home run. The new field's farthest point is at left center, only 410 feet from home plate.

And the seating was a little too intimate for some.

'With 60 percent of the public overweight, it's too close for a modern ballpark,' said Mike Blanciak, 49, of Vandergrift, Westmoreland County. 'It'd be good for a couple.'

But criticism was minimal yesterday. From down close to way up in the nosebleed seats, fans periodically shouted out, 'This is beautiful.' 'This is great.'

Blanche Seidel, 57, of the North Hills, sporting baseball-and-bat earrings and a Pirates sweatshirt, seemed excited about the only problem she could see.

'We didn't bring our mitts along, so we might get knocked cold,' Seidel said. 'It's fabulous.'

And emotional. Though new, the stadium evoked a lot of old memories for some.

'I'm kind of overwhelmed,' said Patrick Shea, 43, of Pittsburgh. Shea said the park reminded him of days his father took him to games at Forbes Field. Shea's father recently died of cancer.

'I wish he were here,' Shea said. 'Because he would like to know that Pittsburgh finally has another real ballpark.

'I just want to say to all the fathers out there they should take their kids to ball games,' Shea said. 'They might not realize what an impact it has.'

Chuck Plunkett Jr. can be reached at cplunkett@tribweb.com or (412) 320-7996. The Associated Press contributed to this report.