PNC Park

From SoSH

PNC Park

Location:	Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Opened:	March 31, 2001
Owner:	City of Pittsburgh Sports & Exhibition Authority
Surface:	Grass
Architect:	HOK Sport (Kansas City) L.D. Astorino & Associates (Pittsburgh)
Current Capacity:	38,365
Build Cost:	$262 Million
Tenants:	Pittsburgh Pirates (2001 - Present)

1 Stadium History
2 Field Dimensions
3 Wall Height
4 Ground Rules
5 Trivia
6 External Links

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Stadium History

Pittsburgh Mayor Tom Murphy established the Forbes Field II Task Force in 1995 to study various issues relating to the building of a new ballpark in Pittsburgh. It was made up of 29 business and political leaders in the Pittsburgh region, and received testimony from a number of experts and interested parties, including Kevin McClatchy, HOK Sport and the Society of American Baseball Research. Their final report was issued on June 25, 1996, and settled on the so-called "North Side" site, one block from Three Rivers Stadium, as the best choice for a location for the new ballpark.

From its north side site, the park provides a dramatic sweeping view of downtown Pittsburgh. The Allegheny River and Roberto Clemente (6th Street) Bridge also provide prominent landmarks in the ballpark vista.

On August 6, 1998, Pittsburgh-based PNC Bank Corp. announced that it had purchased the right to name the new Pirates ballpark "PNC Park" when it opens in 2001. Under the deal, PNC Bank, a financial services company, will pay approximately $1.5 million a year through the 2020 baseball season.

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Field Dimensions

Left Field	Left Center	Center Field	Right Center	Right Field
325'	386'	399'	375'	320'

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Wall Height

Left Field	Center Field	Right Field
6’	10’	21’

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Ground Rules

In addition to adhering to the Universal Ground Rules, PNC Park also employs the following ground rules:

OUTFIELD AREA

Batted ball in flight striking taller wall in left-center field and bounding into left field stands: Home Run.

Batted ball in flight striking base of chain-link bullpen fence and bounding over outfield wall: Two Bases.

Batted ball in flight striking padding on taller wall in right-center field and bounding into right-center field stands: Home Run.

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Trivia

With 38,127 seats PNC Park is the smallest in the majors next to Fenway Park.
Site of the 2006 All-Star game.
Hall of Famer Willie Stargell died only hours before the Pirates officially opened PNC Park on April 9, 2001.
Sean Casey of the Cincinnati Reds, a Pittsburgh native, got the first hit here on April 9, 2001. It was a two-run homer in the top of the first that also accounted for the first two RBIs at the ballpark.

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