What Led you to Becoming a Pirates Fan?

Bobster21 · Post by **Bobster21** » Thu Jan 05, 2017 2:58 am

233820372124232C420 wrote: Alley to Mazeroski to Clendenon

Best years of my childhood in southwestern PA. Mazeroski was my hero
Loved teaming Alley with Maz! And Clink was a good bat. What part of SW PA?

Spent 1960 to 65 in Beaver Falls then 1965 to 1970 in Monongahela. Dad worked in Charleroi. Then had to move to upstate New York and the land of the dreaded Mets fan
Mon City? Heck, you were practically next door!

azbucfan · Post by **azbucfan** » Thu Jan 05, 2017 4:04 am

153835242332256566570 wrote: Alley to Mazeroski to Clendenon

Best years of my childhood in southwestern PA. Mazeroski was my hero
Loved teaming Alley with Maz! And Clink was a good bat. What part of SW PA?

Spent 1960 to 65 in Beaver Falls then 1965 to 1970 in Monongahela. Dad worked in Charleroi. Then had to move to upstate New York and the land of the dreaded Mets fan
Mon City? Heck, you were practically next door!

Guess if you want to be specific it was Carroll Township. But a great place to have been a kid

CTBucco · Post by **CTBucco** » Thu Jan 05, 2017 1:27 pm

Born and raised in CT. An aunt, uncle, and cousins moved to The Burgh in '70. We visited them in the summer of '71. I attended my first MLB game on that trip at Three Rivers and remember a raucous crowd cheering a big win over the Phils where Clemente and Stargell had big hits. Then, I remember seeing them in TV in the WS that fall. Add to that the fact that Blass is from nearby my hometown. I was hooked. It has been a long distance love affair.

Cried my eyes out on New Years '73. I used to listen to games on KDKA in my mom's car on summer evenings because it picked up the skipped signal better than the radios in the house. I sweated out every second of the '79 playoffs. Went to the '90 NLCS. Had WS tickets purchased for '92. I was at PNC for Giles' walkoff GS (whenever that was). I was there for the '13 NLDS games, and, sadly, predicted Holiday's HR off Morton seconds before it happened. And I'm looking forward to sitting in PNC for some WS games in the not so distant future.

PMike · Post by **PMike** » Thu Jan 05, 2017 4:34 pm

It seems like I am younger than many here.

I grew up in rural Indiana County. My grandpap and I would spend nearly every summer morning walking around our huge multiple acre garden talking about the Pirates and caring for the plants. He would tell me stories about his dad riding his bike to see Honus Wagner play. He'd tell me stories about watching Ralph Kiner and many others play. We'd talk about the game from the night before. Grandpap took me to my first game. I don't remember ever seeing green so intense as the astroturf at TRS.

From those summer mornings, baseball became one of the biggest passions of my life. The Pirates have always been and always will be the team at the center of that passion.

BenM · Post by **BenM** » Thu Jan 05, 2017 7:49 pm

607D595B55300 wrote: It seems like I am younger than many here.

I grew up in rural Indiana County.

So did I! Near Two Lick Reservoir. East Pike alumni.

sdimmick3 · Post by **sdimmick3** » Thu Jan 05, 2017 8:05 pm

growing up in central pa, my entire family of 20+ would get in a full size van and trek down to Three Rivers to see Bonds, Bonilla, Bell, and of course, Van Slyke. My first game, they all hit HR's and won the game. I remember walking up to the jumbo screen to catch the view from up there as nobody sat up there much.....we would stop at Dicks Diner in Murraysville??? before the games. Back then there was no GPS, Pap always had a tough time traveling the Pittsburgh Streets.

Im also a big baseball business fan, I have no idea why as I have no business background. The complexities to what makes a MLB team work as a business feels like no other sport is the same.

SammyKhalifa · Post by **SammyKhalifa** » Thu Jan 05, 2017 8:08 pm

382F222626222820784B0 wrote: Back then there was no GPS, Pap always had a tough time traveling the Pittsburgh Streets.

To be fair, GPS doesn't seem to know its way around town either.

timozbuck · Post by **timozbuck** » Thu Jan 05, 2017 10:02 pm

Grew up in Washington, PA pretending to be Andy Van Slyke in the backyard. Everyone I knew was a Pirate fan. I wish that I could stop caring for the team and root for another.....but just can't do it.

Been living in NE Ohio for the last 30 years and the Indians haven't converted me yet (not even close)

Tintin · Post by **Tintin** » Thu Jan 05, 2017 11:43 pm

Born in SC, raised in NC, don't have any ties to Pittsburgh.

I don't ever remember not being a Pirates fan.

PMike · Post by **PMike** » Fri Jan 06, 2017 3:36 am

50777C5F120 wrote: It seems like I am younger than many here.

I grew up in rural Indiana County.

So did I! Near Two Lick Reservoir. East Pike alumni.

That's awesome! I'm from the other side of town. Somewhere in the woods between Plumville and Creekside.