Another Pirates sellout, another round of “sell the team” chants at PNC Park

On Saturday evening on Pittsburgh's North Shore, what started as a beautiful night for baseball and a celebration of a life lost too soon quickly devolved into yet another loud airing of grievances with the ownership of the city's MLB team.

A crowd of 38,041 fans – many of whom has been waiting in line for hours to get their hands on one of the 20,000 commemorative Mac Miller bobbleheads being distributed at the gates – packed PNC Park on Saturday to watch the Pittsburgh Pirates suffer a soul-crushing blowout loss to the Chicago White Sox. It was the second of three such losses this weekend.

During play, the crowd erupted into chants of "Sell the team!" which have become increasingly common during home games, and are a clear message from a fed-up fanbase to team owner Bob Nutting.

As the team eyes yet another last-place finish in the National League Central division, fans remain frustrated with the organization’s unwillingness to spend and sustained mediocrity.

Another Pirates sellout, another round of “sell the team” chants at PNC Park during Mac Miller bobblehead giveaway

Saturday's crowd was the Pirates' largest of the season and their third sellout in 2025. The others were on April 19 vs. the Cleveland Guardians, when 37,713 fans came to get their hands on an exclusive Paul Skenes bobblehead giveaway, and the 2025 home opener vs. the New York Yankees on April 4, when 36,893 fans came to watch the Pirates lose to the defending American League champions.

Chants of "Sell the team!" were audible at all three sellouts, as well as a handful of other, more sparsely attended home games. A group of disgruntled fans even hired a plane with a banner reading, "YOU SUCK AT THIS BOB. SELL THE @#$% TEAM, which they flew over PNC Park during Friday and Saturday's games.

Unfortunately, the repeated efforts from fans to voice their disapproval of the franchise's ownership have fallen on deaf ears. Saturday's chants weren’t isolated — they’ve popped up throughout the season during high-profile games, and social media has only amplified the message.

The team has remained quiet on the public backlash, which appears to have fallen on deaf ears (for now, at least). But the message from the fans is clear: they’re tired of watching a team with potential get held back by ownership, and they refuse to stay silent about it.

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