THE PARK

the Toronto Blue Jays. Madison Bumgarner and the Giants in
The applause from the stands pour-
ing down on Burnett as he walked off
the mound Oct. 3, 2015, in what turned
out to be his final big-league start. I
got choked up, Burnett said. He, as
much as anyone, deserves credit for
turning the Pirates from losers into
winners.
The sight of Jung Ho Kang going
down with a major knee injury Sept.
17, 2015, after a hard slide by the Cubs
Chris Coghlan. Fans wanted to cry for
a much different reason when Kang
a folk hero by this point was rolled
onto the field in a wheelchair and
introduced before the 2015 wild-card
game. It was the best part of an other-
wise lousy night.
That loss to Arrieta and the Cubs
was the lowest on-field moment at PNC
Park, worse even than the 8-0 loss to
when I see it on highlight shows that
the 2014 wild-card game. The Pirates
thought they could win it all in 2015. It
might be a long time before they get a
better chance.
The lowest off-field moments came
in 2001, the first season at PNC Park.
The Pirates lost 100 games, then had
the nerve to raise ticket prices for
2002. They attracted even more nega-
tive publicity when they revised their
food-and-drink policy, banning fans
from bringing in hoagies and bottled
water. Unreal.
Ill finish with those precious mo-
ments that made us want to smile,
even laugh out loud. Im having a hard
time picking my favorite. Was it Mc-
Clendon yanking first base out of the
ground and walking off the field with
it after being ejected in 2001 in a game
against the Brewers? I still crack up
list baseballs all-time great rants. Or
was it actor Michael Keaton ripping
Pirates management for not spending
enough on players? At some point,
you have to write the check, he said.
A lot of people have said that about the
Pirates owners and still are saying it,
of course. But Keaton did it on opening
day, 2006, after he had been invited to
throw out the first pitch. On second
thought, that could happen only to the
Pirates, at least at that point of their
history.
That clinches it for me.
Batman takes the top prize.
Ron Cook: rcook@post-gazette.com
and Twitter @RonCookPG. Ron Cook
can be heard on the Cook and Poni
show weekdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on
93.7 The Fan.

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