Pittsburgh Pirates Make Great Use of the Mulligan.

Although my Dad was a huge Pirates fan, we never went to a game together.  So it meant

a lot when I got to take my son to his first Pirates game last year.  You  probably don’t remember, but it was exactly one year ago today.

It was something I had been looking forward to for a very long time.  But the Pirates were crushed by the Atlanta Braves.  For me, the Pirates were a tough team to watch,   So, let me remind you of the pain my boy endured during the long walk back to our truck:

Oh, what a difference a year makes.   In the picture below,  Brody is riding high on a cotton candy buzz as he tells the world that with some more luck tonight the Buccos could be in first place.  He doesn’t care that its’ early in the season.  Hell, neither do I.

Brody won’t remember that he watched the  Pirates lose last year .  But he will never forget this game. Because the City of Pittsburgh and the Pirates make it so much more than a ball game.   It was a day that included riding the Gateway Clipper Fleet’s Duchess to the ballpark in 40 degree weather, getting great tickets from Jimmy, climbing all over the new inflatable Pirate ship on Federal Street where face painters and balloon artists made it even more fun.  The day wrapped up for ‘The Franchise’ with Dad on the top deck of the Clipper fleet after circling the PNC Park bases.  Yeh, that was a pretty good day.

It was pretty big for the Pirates too.  A sweep of the Reds wrapped up the first back-to-back series wins since 1992.  Hell, I was still in my Army battle dress uniforms back then.

But on this great day, I know my Dad would have enjoyed watching Brody bask in America’s pastime, especially when Brody sang at the top of his lungs during the traditional take me out to the ball game…

I swear, somewhere up there my Dad was singing along.

Because it’s ONE,

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My Boy’s First Pirate Game, in all the gory details, is here.