Billboards in Pittsburgh call for owner Bob Nutting to sell the Pirates
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — Pirates fans have had their fair share of complaints about the team's ownership over the years, but one group has taken their message to another level to make sure it is seen and heard.
Four billboards calling for owner Bob Nutting to sell the team were raised around Pittsburgh earlier this week. One is above Ross Street and Boulevard of the Allies in Downtown, another on Saw Mill Run Boulevard, the third is on Smallman Street in the Strip District and the last one is on West Carson Street near the on-ramp for the Fort Pitt Bridge. They read: "Abandon ship, Bob! Sell the team!"
They have also created a website and a GoFundMe page to raise money to fund the billboards. As of Thursday afternoon, they have raised more than $19,000.
One of the organizers, Gabe Mazefsky of Forest Hills, says they plan to keep the billboards up until Nutting sells the team, and they also plan to attend public forums to speak out against ownership.
"Pirates Fest is coming up January 18," said Mazefsky. "We all intend to go there, and we hope Bob shows up. We'd like to have a public dialogue about this."
Mazefsky also attended the most recent meeting of the Sports and Exhibition Authority, and he says the group plans to attend the next meeting in December.
"I just pointed out the track record, both on the field in 23 years of a 30-year lease, and in turn, the economic impact we're missing as taxpayers," he said.
Pirates president Travis Williams issued a statement after the billboards went up, saying the organization appreciates the fans' disappointment, and "in the end, we all want the same thing: to win."
Mazefsky says fans have 23 years of results to draw from, and he feels there is a significant lack of return on the region's investment in PNC Park, as opposed to the Steelers and their relative success at Acrisure Stadium, which was previously known as Heinz Field when it was built at the same time on the North Shore.
The group has made requests to local officials to intervene, and they also hope to involve Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred and Tony Clark, the executive director of the Major League Baseball Players Association. The MLBPA has filed multiple grievances against the Pirates in previous years, claiming the team failed to comply with league rules regarding how teams spend revenue-sharing money.
"We have local elections coming up this year, that's why we're talking about it," Mazefsky said. "The lease is coming due. The Sports and Exhibition Authority appointees are made by the mayor, are made by the county executive. Now's the time to address Bob's lack of stewardship, and it's time to find a new partner for PNC Park and the Pirates."