Did Tonight Save the MLB?
The Yankees walking into PNC Park drummed up excitement in the Pittsburgh baseball universe not seen since the wild card era of the early-mid 2010s. A team of promising young talent meeting with one of the strongest regular-season teams in years set up the first sellout for the stadium in 3 years. Anecdotally, I had heard that many of the Pittsburgh native fans would be wearing Yankees jerseys just to feel something at the ballpark (confirmed by the crowd shots during the game), but the wardrobe change didn’t keep fans from igniting during an electric Pirates upset win.
This series could have easily served as an example of the wealth inequity in baseball and guilted the powers-that-be in baseball to implement a salary cap/floor and balance the markets in the game. Instead, the Pirates not only held their own but battled to a huge win over a goliath, which may have served as a better example for equity.
The energy in the city during the wild card playoff runs, especially when they beat the Reds in 2013, are often cited as reasons to fix the baseball payroll system that allows teams like the Yankees and Dodgers to have nearly ten times the total contracted amount to players than our Buccos. You can’t fake the passion shown during Russell Martin’s home run off of Johnny Cueto in that game. There will always be die-hard fans of the team, but when a lineup of players with household names takes on the giants that Rob Manfred pushes in front of them, the Black and Gold can find its way into PNC with the same fandom it carries into Heinz Field or PPG Paints Arena.
From experience, the closest thing to the grittiness and universal appreciation of college teams in remote Southern areas like Arkansas is a Steelers Sunday. The entire town has a super bowl with the sun up and 25 mph winds coming off the river, destroying the kicking game. That is the same energy that funneled down the street to sit down the Yankees tonight. Watching multiple home runs, diving catches, inning ending double plays, and David Bednar striking out Aaron Judge to send them home kept the decibel level high.
This city drinks more than enough beer to make any weeknight an atmosphere to watch a game at. Rob Manfred should see the fire that Pirates fans brought tonight and realize the dreams that are being squandered by a league of strong arming the little guy. Imagine if Raven’s fans could watch the Orioles get back to matching their divisional rivals. Detroit would ignite at another team of tough goons like the Red Wings and Pistons are known for.
The Pittsburgh Pirates are already 5–1 against the Dodgers this year, and the British-football presenting victory against the Yankees tonight will always be more effective towards action than a merciless beat down. Now all we can hope for is that Rob Manfred watched his Golden Boys get sat down on the banks of the Ohio tonight and it puts baseball into perspective for him.
