Pirates News

Fans Speak in Large Numbers at Winter Caravan, PirateFest

By Paul Ladewski

POSTED: January 31, 2010

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If the large turnouts from start to finish were any indication, then the Pirates received a healthy vote of confidence from their fans at the annual Winter Caravan and PirateFest, which concluded on Sunday afternoon.

The team reported 15,398 fans attended the three-day PirateFest at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center, an increase of 2 percent from the 2009 edition. Even though it went head-to-head against a Penguins home game in the same vicinity, the Sunday finale attracted 1,200 more customers than the same day one year earlier.

"It was a great weekend at PirateFest as the excitement for the 2010 season that we saw during the Caravan filled the Convention Center all weekend," team president Frank Coonelly said. "(Sunday's) crowd was especially impressive. Pirate fans once again showed why we are an extremely fortunate organization. Fans got an opportunity to get to know our young players, and their energy and excitement for the 2010 season mirrored that of our players."

The Staub family from Clarion was fairly typical of those in attendance -- intensely loyal, highly knowledgeable and fairly optimistic about the season ahead.

"I'd like to see .500 baseball. I'll settle for 81 wins," Ken Staub said of his standard for the season ahead.

Asked whether he expected the Pirates to achieve the goal, the 44-year-old Clarion University professor responded, "Yeah, if they don't trade veteran players like they did last season. But I like many of their younger players. That's the best way to build the team."

"I agree -- I'd like to see .500 baseball," said his wife Susan, an assistant director at the same university who still had vivid memories of the 1979 World Series that she attended years ago. "I'd just like to see them be competitive. It has been awhile. I like the plan to build from within, so we have to give them a chance, but it wouldn't hurt to get some veteran guys."

Eldest son Will wasn't as convinced about a .500 record as his parents, but one would never have known it by the Pirates hat on his head, the Pirates shirt on his back and the Pirates duffel bag filled with goodies in his right hand.

"I got a little bit of doubt because they trade every good player they have," said Will, 12, a sixth-grader. "But they have some pretty good prospects."

"In my heart, I always want them to win," said Youngstown resident and life-long Pirates fan David Janci, 32, who intended to squeeze a few games at PNC Park into his busy schedule this summer. "Hopefully, they'll do well and fill the ballpark a little bit more."

"They'll do well this year," said a confident John Riley, 15, a Trafford High School sophomore who attended approximately 20 games with his father last season. "I like what they did in the off-season. Bobby Crosby and Akinori Iwamura were good pick-ups. Garrett Jones, Andrew McCutchen . . . this will be a better season."

After a one-year absence, Merle Bielack was bitten by the Buccos bug again.

"I'm back," Bielick announced.

"Last year I kind of lost interest in the team, but this year I'm optimistic," said Bielack, 63, a retired Greensburg resident and Pirates lifer. "My family and myself started to listen to the front office and its plan. We're optimistic that it will build a championship team and make it worth the trip to the ballpark again. I believe we got the right players back in trades and things like that."

Ross Township resident Ted Smith considered the team to be "a couple seasons away" from a serious run at the Central Division title.

"I'm mildly optimistic and frustrated at the same time," said Smith, 52, an operations manager for a storage company. "Every time you get to know the team, the players are traded. I thought some of players were young enough to build around."

As for the season ahead, Smith said, "It comes down to the pitchers. If they're solid, the team will have a chance (to be competitive). A lot of guys have to have good seasons together."

"I'm somewhere in the middle," said Conway resident Gene DeLeonardis, 69, a retired steelworker who planned to attend a few home games with his son once again. "It was a bummer to watch them last year. Hopefully, the younger players will work out for them this season. We'll see."

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