Generations of Pirates fans betrayed by Bob Nutting's latest show of disrespect

My grandfather, Bill Lingan, was born and raised in Pittsburgh. He was a product of Central Catholic High School and Duquesne University. He worked as a spotter at Pittsburgh Steelers games in college. He grew up watching Negro Leagues legend Josh Gibson mash homers for the Homestead Grays at Forbes Field.

He was, in every sense of the word, a true 'Yinzer.' He passed his love for Pittsburgh – both the city and its sports teams – down to my father, who passed it down to me. At age 8, I attended my first Pirates game at PNC Park. It's where I fell in love with the game of baseball; how could you not?

My grandfather passed away in 1997, so he never got a chance to see PNC Park. But my family made sure he was still a part of the place that housed the team that he loved and saw win three World Series titles in his lifetime. In the years leading up to the opening of PNC Park in 2001, my dad bought one of the 10,000 "Bucco Bricks" that paved the way to the home plate entrance to the stadium and dedicated it to my grandfather.

"Bill Lingan," it read. "Thanks Dad."

I have stopped to look at the brick on every one of my dozens of visits to PNC Park over the years. It made me feel like my Papa was there watching the Pirates with me; it kept his memory alive.

But the Pirates dishonored that memory this week, when my Papa's brick was one of the thousands that were found dumped at Pittsburgh area recycling facilities after being removed during renovations.

The bricks had been removed without warning prior to the Pirates' April 4 home opener and replaced with white cement. This may have raised a few eyebrows, but there was not any major outcry at the time – after all, the bricks had already been replaced twice since their introduction in 1999 due to foot traffic and general wear and tear.

When the bricks turned up in a landfill atop a pile of construction waste without warning, however, many of the fans who had purchased them – including my family – were rightfully outraged. It's not about the money, though. Every $75-$150 spent on an individual brick went straight to the Roberto Clemente Foundation (more on that later).

The bricks were more than just pieces of stone; they had sentimental value and connected generations of Pirates fans to one another in a symbolic way. Now, they've been thrown out with the rest of society's garbage.

From the Clemente Wall to the 'Bucco Bricks,' generations of Pirates fans betrayed by team's latest show of disrespect

The Pirates say that they will make things right and claim that the plan was never to do away with the bricks entirely, but rather, to preserve the memories inscribed on the bricks in a "more permanent display."

First of all, I'm not convinced that's entirely true. After all, we are talking about the same organization that drew much-deserved scrutiny over the weekend for dishonoring the legacy of Clemente – one of the most revered figures in franchise history – by replacing his No. 21 logo on PNC Park's right field wall with a paid advertisement for an alcoholic beverage.

The Pirates issued an apology and restored the logo ahead of their home series against the St. Louis Cardinals this week, but only after Clemente's family expressed their displeasure that the tribute had been removed without their knowledge. Who's to say that the Pirates never actually planned to replace the bricks if they hadn't gotten caught?

But let's say that the Pirates are in earnest regarding their plans to replace the bricks. Why didn't they inform fans with an announcement of their removal? Why didn't they offer those who had purchased a brick a chance to retrieve it as a keepsake before it was sent to the dump?

The Pirates, who haven't made a postseason appearance since 2015, are already in the basement of the National League Central after a 4-8 start. But this brick disaster is more than just bad publicity for a bad team; this is a blatant show of disrespect to their city, their history and their most loyal fans.

Bob Nutting and his merry men have taken tone deafness to an entirely new level as they find more ways to alienate Pirates fans with their actions. They already destroyed the franchise that my grandfather fell in love with nearly a century ago; now, they are actively desecrating his memory and thousands of others in the process.

Please, Bob, just sell the team. It's not even about the mediocre baseball anymore. Now, you've made it personal.

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