And PNC Park is a beautiful ballfield. Has a bit of Target Field (smallish, open OF views) vibe but different in many ways. Glad we came here.
Found out it’s not cheap to drive on the PA Turnpike. Right as we cross the state line, we got to pay $7.90. I asked the toll taker if it mattered how far I drove across the state or was it the same price regardless. Sheepishly, she says, “this is for the first 30 miles, then you get a new toll ticket.” Gulp.
Thankfully, there were no more tolls before driving through the hills of western PA into Pittsburgh. (oh, if going to the airport, there was a separate toll road for that as well) What a beautiful city, with the three rivers intersecting right in the heart of it. Hills all around it.
Had a bit of weather to deal with pregame but everything cleared out in time to start on time at 7:05PM.
Heinz Field just down the road from PNC Park.
Pittsburgh was site of first World Series. Who knew?
Also, had a chance to see Francisco Liriano throw his 1,800th strikeout. Nice.
Then, just to show we’re not the only ones on a baseball roadtrip, we ran into Jimmy from Joliet again. We met Jimmy and his family the night before in Cleveland. When we arrived early for batting practice, we saw a huge line waiting to get in. Suddenly, we hear, “hey, Mike!”. Jimmy pulls us right into line. To make things even serendipitous, our seats are one section apart at the game. Before game time, Jimmy comes running by and says “Mike, let’s go! Boys, you stay here.” Jimmy had found out they have a Friday Happy Hour in the stadium from 5:30-7:00PM, which was located right by us. $6 for a beer is still expensive but tastier at half-price. Thank you Jimmy!
We decided to skip the 5hr drive to Philadelphia and are heading towards Cooperstown today. Noticed this morning that Williamsport is on the way.
Bye for now!