PNC Park is beautiful.  PNC Park is amazing.  PNC Park is picturesque.  PNC Park is (insert superlative adjective here, don’t worry, any one will do).   As my brother likes to say, “The only problem with PNC Park is that the Pirates play there”.  Ah, but last night, and for the rest of this weekend, it was not much of a problem.  After all, the Mets were playing there as well.

During my August sojourn to the area approximately a year ago, I had the opportunity to marvel, gawk, and gaze at the beauty that is PNC Park.  I reveled in the open concourses, the reasonably priced refreshments, the perfect sight lines, and the monuments to Pirates heroes past.  Unfortunately, Mother Nature was in a bit of a snit that day and the scheduled game between the Pirates and Reds was rained out.

Last night was a different story.  The weather was perfect, as in it could not possibly get any better perfect.  My brother and I parked at the Convention Center, walked the few blocks to the Roberto Clemente Bridge, and enjoyed a couple of BEvERegeS just outside the ballpark.   We enjoyed a few conversations with natives of the Burg as well as fellow Mets fans (and there were a suprisingly large number of those) before heading inside.

Arriving at our seats on the third base line, even with the edge of the outfield grass, about 16 rows or so from the action, my breath was once again taken away.  My brother had already begun snapping photos for me, checking in every so often to see if there was a particular player he should target.  I scarcely heard him as I looked around in a daze.   I’ve been to a number of ballparks before.  I’ve been to the baseball cathedrals that are Yankee Stadium and Fenway Park.  I’ve been to stunning Oriole Park at Camden Yards.  I’ve been to PNC Park before on a visibility impaired day.  And, of course, Shea Stadium is something of a second home, especially on Sundays this season when the Mets are in town.   I tell you now without reservation that nothing I have seen yet is as beautiful as PNC Park on a high visibility day.  It’s a enough to make one’s baseball soul weep for joy.   As it was, I had to remember that we were in line drive territory as the game began.

I don’t even need to convince myself that my outlook on the ballpark was tinted to a fine shade of rose by the result of the game, as the Mets won 2-1 in an unlikely pitcher’s duel.  Granted, Mets’ win, followed by the Collective Soul mini-concert amidst one of the best fireworks shows I had ever seen, served as a fine punctuation mark to the evening.

I just can’t wait to do it again.  If I’m lucky enough to get a ticket, again will come tonight.

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