Official Game Thread - Home Opener - 4/5 - Buc vs O's

[Bobster]

Jones threw 80 pitches-63 for strikes. I guess Shelton just couldn't stand to not make a pitching change.

[Bobster]

Borucki gives up 3 hits and a run in "relief" of someone who didn't need relief.

[Bobster]

Triolo HR would have tied it at 2-2 if Shelton hadn't done the Orioles a favor and needlessly pulled Jones. 4-2 Orioles.

[fjk090852-7]

It is only 8 games, but Cutch, and Henry Davis are scuffling. Could be that Davis is so concerned about his defense, and due to that his hitting is being effected. Possibly Bart will be given the start tomorrow.

[Wildwoodcoach]

I was sure hoping for a win today especially if Falter is pitching
tomorrow's game.

[Surgnbuck]

Well, back from the home opener. Some observations:

1. I was completely shocked the GDT was spring training level participation!
2. It wasn't even close to the worst weather I've been to at a home opener. With the Pirates not really generating much energy, it was fun that the crowd got all riled up and cheering during the second blizzard that covered the infield briefly.
3. Suwinski-Cutch-Tellez-Davis not only a horrid 0-16, but accounted for 9 of the teams 12 strikeouts. Woof.
4. Jones was great, but I'm almost rolling my eyes completely into the back of my head on the post game show, suggesting he better get a third pitch or he'll just become a bullpen guy. Seriously, 2 starts. But on the same show, telling people not to over react regarding #3 above.
5. Fantastic pre-game ceremony. The Pirates are the best.
6. The most head scratching observation. Game was a sellout. As those who certainly noticed if you watched some of the game, there were a LOT of empty seats. I'd be hard pressed to believe the actual turnstile count was even 30,000, let alone the official attendance figure of 38,400. I don't want to hear about the weather being bad, I've been to every home opener except one since 2008, and there have been far worse weather days. That's a lot of money that was spent and not used. And before you think I'm getting on the fanbase, I'm not. I'm suspecting it had a lot to do with speculators trying to make a profit on the secondary/scalping market, and were able to obtain an inordinate amount of seats. If that's the case, I hope they took a beating. Anyone that likes going to concerts sees this happening all the time with all the better seats seemingly snatched up instantaneously, and just as fast listed on the secondary market.
7. It's always a shame when you see something taken away because of ad revenue. So long Club 3000, Gunner's Lounge, Keystone Corner. Hello Wigle whiskey. That really took some charm out of the park, much in the way when Coonelly dismantled Legacy Square.
8. We didn't try the Renegade hot dog that's been shown across SM. It wasn't sold where we sat, and didn't really feel like eating outside, or buying it and carrying it up to our level. Someone posted a picture of the one they got on Reddit, and it was a shock, because it was nothing like the pictures on SM, with hardly any pot roast and only one pierogi. However, I'm taking the pic with a grain of salt that it wasn't someone who removed stuff and posted the picture as part of an anti-Pirate agenda.
9. We sat outside the entire game. A family to the left of use were just so annoying. Every half inning, at least two of them got up. But first, they'd watch the between inning stuff, then went when the game resumed, as well as returned while the game was going on.
10. As a veteran of multitudes of games seeing the opposing fan base take over PNC Park, I was quite shocked at how few Orioles fans showed up. And the few O's fans I did see wearing player's jerseys, they were all of the current team. Which isn't strange to an extent, it's just that the Orioles have a great tradition of success, and surprised I didn't see the older jersey wearing folks having Robinson, or Palmer, or Murray, or Ripken jerseys. Then again, they had a 101 win team last year, and didn't even draw 2 million.
11. As fun as Opening Day is, just like all the other games during the season with big crowds, it's populated with complete morons who are attending the only game they'll see that year, and probably the first in many moons, if not ever. How embarrassing is it for one of the between inning games, where you answer a trivia question, and probably one of the easiest they'll do all season, and the fan not have a clue. "Who was the first Pirate to be voted into the Hall of Fame"?
12. Biggest cheers, at least from my standpoint, in order of longest and loudest: 1. Bednar 2. Cruz 3. McCutchen. Yes folks, the Cutch thing has officially started to grow old on some of the fan base.

[bucs607179]

^^^^^^^^^^^^
Good report on home opener. I'm part of the fanbase that says meh to Cutch.

[Surgnbuck]

Speaking of the huge number of morons that show up for the home opener:

Unless a player has showed a dogging it attitude, is a borderline criminal, has publicly stated their distaste of the city, franchise, fanbase, etc.- You DON'T boo them during the opening introductions!!!!!!!

I said I wasn't getting on the fanbase about the empty seats, only because I'm not certain it was the direct result of ticket speculators. So I'm giving them a pass there, even though as a player, I'd be pretty effing disappointed seeing how many empty seats there are.

The usher and I both felt the team showed absolutely no life. You know, anyone that has ever played a team sport knows, there's the best guy on the team, and the worst guy on the team. Great teams and great teammates always stick up for, encourage, and support the guys on the lower rungs.

Booing Bailey Falter out of the park when he hasn't pitched ONE EFFING GAME AT PNC, had to have an effect on the team.

Don't like the guy? Come to places like this board and rip him. You don't go to the game and voice it, especially when he isn't even playing!!!!!

I'm so fed up with the typical yinzer sports fan in this town. They are mostly backstabbing, whining, bandwagon jumping trolls.

Want to see your true Pirates fan? Those are the ones that show up on cold drizzly nights on a Tuesday when there are about 8,000 of them.

Rant over.

[Wildwoodcoach]

Speaking of the huge number of morons that show up for the home opener:

Unless a player has showed a dogging it attitude, is a borderline criminal, has publicly stated their distaste of the city, franchise, fanbase, etc.- You DON'T boo them during the opening introductions!!!!!!!

I said I wasn't getting on the fanbase about the empty seats, only because I'm not certain it was the direct result of ticket speculators. So I'm giving them a pass there, even though as a player, I'd be pretty effing disappointed seeing how many empty seats there are.

The usher and I both felt the team showed absolutely no life. You know, anyone that has ever played a team sport knows, there's the best guy on the team, and the worst guy on the team. Great teams and great teammates always stick up for, encourage, and support the guys on the lower rungs.

Booing Bailey Falter out of the park when he hasn't pitched ONE EFFING GAME AT PNC, had to have an effect on the team.

Don't like the guy? Come to places like this board and rip him. You don't go to the game and voice it, especially when he isn't even playing!!!!!

I'm so fed up with the typical yinzer sports fan in this town. They are mostly backstabbing, whining, bandwagon jumping trolls.

Want to see your true Pirates fan? Those are the ones that show up on cold drizzly nights on a Tuesday when there are about 8,000 of them.

Rant over.

Carol enjoyed hour rant. She said you are a true fan!!

[bucs607179]

That is BS and disgraceful booing Falter. Hope he doesn't hear crap today.