On deck at PNC Park: Plenty of pandemic change-ups
Jared Rendine would have been happy with whatever tickets he could get for the first game at PNC Park this year.
The Reserve native has gone to every Pirates home opener since 1990 with his father, Gerard, and over the years they’ve helped facilitate a growing tailgate for family and friends who have made it a tradition to attend the Bucs’ first home game every season. COVID-19 prevented these sorts of traditions from continuing in 2020, and they’ll look different in 2021.
Up until last Wednesday, all anyone knew about the logistics of PNC Park was that the Pirates would be selling tickets for around 25% capacity for their first few series of the season, which includes Thursday’s opener against the Chicago Cubs. Mr. Rendine received his tickets before the general public because he previously had a credited ticket account with the team.
He applied for 10 seats but told the Pirates he’d be happy with two, if that’s all they could give, for him and his father. He got all 10.
So much has been in doubt over what MLB games would look like this year, right up to that stadium capacity. Gov. Tom Wolf announced on March 15 that outdoor events would be permitted to host 50% of its normal maximum capacity. At the time, the Pirates delayed their release of tickets to the general public but ultimately decided to maintain a capacity limit of around 25%, citing social distancing concerns as reason not to increase the number of fans in the stands.
“We are excited to host fans once again at PNC Park,” Pirates president Travis Williams said in a statement. “The easing of restrictions by Gov. Tom Wolf regarding capacity limits for outdoor facilities is an encouraging step.
“However, due to the current social- distancing guidelines, our capacity will be limited to roughly 25%. We are constantly reviewing the changes as they come out and will announce any updates as it increases capacity limits at PNC Park.”
Last Wednesday, the Pirates released their full health and safety protocols for PNC Park this season, from virtual ticketing to assurances over lines for concessions, to the types of face coverings that will be permitted.
The protocols begin with masks. All fans above age 2 are required to wear a face mask at all times, unless they are actively eating or drinking while sitting in their seats. Additionally, the Pirates are asking fans to wear masks, specifically — no gaiters, bandannas, or face coverings with an exhalation valve or vent are allowed.
The Pirates also will have posted instructions around the stadium to help guide fans into staying 6 feet apart. Each fan’s ticket will designate the gate they should use to enter the stadium — an attempt to prevent close-quartered lines building up at those gates. The right-field gate and Legacy Square gate are closed until further notice.
Tickets and ticket-buying processes are unique for this season, too. When Mr. Rendine had his tickets confirmed, he said the email he received came with instructions on downloading the MLB Ballpark app to his phone. Those are where his tickets will show, and this is “the preferred method of
“It’s still the home opener. Still going, still doing our thing ... The pandemic is getting under control a little bit, and hopefully by season’s end we can get to even more capacity and more normalcy.”
ticket buying,” according to the Pirates’ guidelines.
The hope is this will cut down on the amount of physical interactions fans have with employees at the gates of PNC Park, making for a more streamlined entry. Perhaps more important to fans is that the Pirates pledged in their protocols “to provide assurance to fans that their investment in Pirates baseball will be guaranteed.”
“In the event a fan’s 2021 seats are impacted due to restricted capacity or a reduced number of regular season home games resulting from the pandemic, the Pirates will do everything possible to provide the best seat location and season ticket plan that meets the fan’s expectation,” the release said. If that can’t be accommodated, fans will be given the opportunity to use the money in their ticket account toward a different ticket in 2021, a credit for 2022 or a refund.
But virtual ticketing, and a commitment to do right by season ticket holders, isn’t exactly new. What is new is that PNC Park will be “a cashless ballpark.”
Reverse ATMs have been installed, where fans can convert up to $500 in cash to a prepaid Mastercard, which they can then use at concessions and ballpark stores. Those machines are found in sections 119 and 319, respectively. Further protections in the concourse include social distancing markers on the ground at concessions to guide fans where to stand, prepacked food and condiments, and touchless sinks and toilets in ballpark restrooms.
Certain restaurant, bar areas and places where fans could congregate inside the stadium have been closed as well, like the Jim Beam Left Field Lounge, Corner Bar, Picnic Park and Bucaroos at Legacy Square, along with the Kids STEM Zone (though Bucaroos in section 147 is open). The pool tables at the club level are closed, too.
The Pirates announced Friday that they are also adding two new amenities. Near the left field rotunda at the suite level of PNC Park, there will be a sensory room, designed to help alleviate sensory overload for fans with sensory sensitivities. They’ve also added what is called the Mamava Nursing Pod on the main concourse in section 131, for mothers of newborn children. The pod can be located and unlocked through the Mamava app, which can be found on both iOS and Android.
Even parking is meant to be contactless, with the Pirates specifying that lots
Pirates fan Jared Rendine, of Reserve Township
1, 2 and 6, as well as Gold 1 and the North Shore Garage, will all have touchless payment systems.
Upon arrival at the ballpark, fans will not be allowed to bring bags bigger than 8-by-5-by-1-inch, unless it is a medical or diaper bag. They are, however, allowed to bring sealed water bottles as long as they’re 24 ounces or less. The water fountains inside PNC Park will not be in use.
Perhaps most important to Mr. Rendine and others is that there will be no tailgating allowed outside PNC Park. The Pirates’ release on their protocols did not mention how that would be enforced, just saying it is not permitted.
The permanence of these protocols is unclear at this time. As the COVID-19 vaccine continues to be rolled out across the country, restrictions likely will continue to ease.
The Pirates even acknowledged this in their Friday release, noting that the Bucaroos children’s concession stand in Legacy Square, which will be closed to start the season, is supposed to open later in the season as “current attendance capacity limitations are expected to increase.”
How that potential increase affects the rest of the Pirates’ plans is up in the air, just as it was in March when they decided to maintain a 25% capacity.
What’s important to Mr. Rendine, though, is rekindling a tradition that was derailed last season.
“It’s still the home opener. Still going, still doing our thing,” he said, adding: “The pandemic is getting under control a little bit, and hopefully by season’s end, we can get to even more capacity and more normalcy.”