Fans say hello to park and goodbye to hero

The fans were not theonly ones moved by the pregame pageantry.
By TOM WILLIAMS
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
PITTSBURGH -- This city's greatest baseball day in more than two decades began with an emotional farewell to the hero of the Pirates' last world championship.
Hours before PNC Park opened Monday for Pittsburgh's first major league game on grass in 31 years, Hall of Famer Willie Stargell, the leader of the Pirates' 1979 World Champions and the club's home-run leader with 475, died of a stroke.
Stargell's death added a touch of poignancy to the 30-minute opening ceremony for PNC Park, the baseball-only facility located several hundred yards east of imploded Three Rivers Stadium.
When the gates opened and the splendid views were revealed, few were missing the Pirates' artificial-turf home. It was Christmas in April for baseball fans longing for real grass and a spectacular view.
Tribute: After introducing the rosters for the Pirates and Cincinnati Reds, emcee Lanny Frattare recalled the "memory of his smile," then asked for a moment of silence for the Pirates hero, affectionately known as "Pops."
A three-minute video of Stargell's career highlights was shown on the left-field scoreboard, spurring a two-minute standing ovation from the sellout crowd of 36,954.
"The tribute before the game was awesome," said Reds first baseman Sean Casey, whose four hits led Cincinnati to an 8-2 victory.
Among those watching near the Pirates' third-base dugout was New Castle's Chuck Tanner, the manager of the Pirates from 1977-85.
What stood out for observers inside the ballpark was how dominant the color green is, from the grass to the outfield walls, and the view of the city, Allegheny River and Roberto Clemente Bridge.
During the pregame pageantry under overcast skies, spectators filled the Clemente Bridge, watching thousands of balloons take flight and jets shock the ballpark during the national anthem.
Excited: Todd Ritchie, Pirates starting pitcher, said he enjoyed the buzz generated by the full house.
"They were very enthused," Ritchie said. "They were excited when they had the Willie Stargell [tribute] on the scoreboard -- it gave me chills as I was warming up in the bullpen.
"I thought it was pretty chilling, with the jets flying over. It was pretty exciting."
Capping the ceremony was the opening pitch thrown to catcher Jason Kendall by Bucs owner Kevin McClatchy, the newspaper publisher who bought the team in 1995 and led the drive for the new ballpark.
McClatchy wore Stargell's number eight on his jersey, and the Pirates wore the number on their ballcaps. A more permanent tribute, probably a uniform patch, will be added.
Best of all, a late afternoon thunderstorm held off until the game ended.