David Bednar’s entrance in pinstripes is last thing Pirates fans wanted to see

The jig is up, the news is out.
New York Yankees v Texas Rangers
New York Yankees v Texas Rangers | Ron Jenkins/GettyImages

Although he no longer pitches for the Pittsburgh Pirates, David Bednar brought an important piece of his hometown with him to his new home in the Bronx – and Pittsburgh fans are having all kinds of feelings about it.

In many ways, the song "Renegade" by Styx is synonymous with the City of Pittsburgh. It's the song that the NFL's Pittsburgh Steelers have used to hype up fans in the fourth quarter at home games since the early 2000s, and it's the song that played at PNC Park every time Bednar entered a game from the Pirates. Naturally. He is extremely proud to be from Pittsburgh, and this is just one of the ways he showed it.

But after spending more than five years with his hometown Pirates, Bednar was dealt to the New York Yankees – for a mediocre return, no less – at the July 31 trade deadline. No one knew what would happen with "Renegade," as Bednar's first two series with the Yankees were played on the road, but the answer became clear the moment he stepped out of the home bullpen at Yankee Stadium on Saturday.

"Oh, mama."

The lyrics, familiar enough to give chills to anyone who bleeds black and gold, echoed throughout Yankee Stadium as Bednar made his way to the mound. The trade had been finalized more than a week earlier, but this somehow made it feel official. "The Renegade" had moved on.

David Bednar’s entrance in Yankees pinstripes is last thing Pirates fans wanted to see

New York went on to win Saturday's game against the Houston Astros by a final score of 5-4. Bednar pitched 1 2/3 innings, with two strikeouts and no hits allowed.

Bednar struggled in his first outing with the Yankees the day after he was traded, allowing two runs on four hits in 1 2/3 innings against the Miami Marlins. He hasn't allowed a run since, however, and even went on to make history in Wednesday's series-closing win against the Texas Rangers when he became the first Yankees pitcher since Hall of Famer Goose Gossage in 1982 to record five or more outs by strikeout in a save.

He may be making history with the Yankees now, but Bednar keeping his entrance song is an emotional tribute to his hometown – and his hometown team. You can take David Bednar out of the Steel City, but you can't take the Steel City out of David Bednar.

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