Results tagged ‘ Frank Coonelly ’
Coonelly out of line with latest flub
As the man in charge of something as prominent as a Major League Baseball franchise, you need to watch what you are saying at all times. For team president Frank Coonley this has been a major problem for him since coming into power in 2008. Last year at Spring Training it was the infamous “next dynasty” speech before the team went on to lose 105 games. Before that it was promising the team would be returning to glory with a return to sleeved jerseys in 2009. He is one of the biggest fuels to the raging fire that is the Pirates in the eyes of local media.
Frank: Today, no but we will be able to support that payroll very soon if our fans believe that we now have a group of players in Pittsburgh and on its way here in the near future that is competitive. We need to take a meaningful step forward in terms of attendance to reach that payroll number while continuing to invest heavily in our future but I am convinced that the attendance will move quickly once we convince our fans that we are on the right track.
Really? The fan support is what is keeping this team from funding a higher payroll?
It wasn’t long after it’s release until others had their say about it. Post Gazette writer Bob Smizik says….
“This is so typical of how the Pirates operate. They should be groveling at the feet of their loyal fan base and not threatening to raise ticket prices, as they’ve done, and not threatening to withhold a good team until more fans pay good money to see a bad team.”
James Krug of isportsweb.com puts it this way... “You could liken it to a car company telling its customers: ‘
We really want to build better cars for you. But before we do, we need you to start buying our lower-quality, underperforming cars in a much higher volume.”
I am usually the last person who will go against the direction this team is going in. However an attack of this sorts is inexcusable. You get fans to watch your product by giving them something to watch, not telling them to come watch crap in order for it to get better. I can understand why people have been avoiding PNC Park and not spending money to go to games. It’s your choice whether or not you want to go.
I’ve made it to roughly 25 games the last few seasons. The last thing I want to be told after doing so is that I have to essentially spend more in the eyes of this team to see a higher payroll.
I don’t feel nearly as comfortable supporting a team that views their fans in that kind of manner.
I don’t feel as comfortable giving money and support to a team that views their fans in such low regard.
Piratefest Preview 2010
Next weekend (January 29-31 to be exact), the David L. Lawrence Convention Center will be transformed into heaven for Pirate fans, as Piratefest 2010 will take place. There is plenty going down, and here is a list of things to watch for.
1. Maz
In 2010 the Pirates will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the 1960 World Series championship. And what better way to kick it off is to have Hall-Of-Famer and Series hero Bill Mazeroski on hand to sign autographs. He will be there on Friday and Saturday to sign. Unfortunately (though not for me) on Friday he will be only available for 30 minutes to the general public as his 4-5:30 signing time is during the Season Ticket Holder early admission time. He will also be signing from 11:30 AM to 1:00 PM on Saturday.
Many current players and other alumni will be on hand throughout the weekend as well. Here is the complete schedule.
PirateFest 2010 Autograph Schedules*
| Time | Player 1 | Player 2 | Player 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4:00 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. | Bill Mazeroski | Steven Pearce | Joel Hanrahan |
| 5:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. | Andrew McCutchen | John Candelaria | Bob Friend |
| 7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. | Paul Maholm | Bobby Crosby | Dick Groat |
| Time | Player 1 | Player 2 | Player 3 | Player 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. | Lastings Milledge | Andy LaRoche | Daniel McCutchen | |
| 11:30 am – 1:00 p.m. | Bill Mazeroski | Zach Duke | Neil Walker | |
| 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. | Garrett Jones | Evan Meek | Kent Tekulve | |
| 2:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. | Bob Friend | ElRoy Face | Steve Blass | |
| 4:00 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. | Paul Maholm | Steven Pearce | John Candelaria | Andrew McCutchen |
| 5:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. | Ryan Doumit | Ross Ohlendorf | Joel Hanrahan |
| Time | Player 1 | Player 2 | Player 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. | Andy LaRoche | ||
| 11:00 am – 12:00 Noon | Lastings Milledge | ||
| 12:00 Noon – 1:30 p.m. | Ryan Doumit | Charlie Morton | ElRoy Face |
| 1:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. | Ross Ohlendorf | Evan Meek | Daniel McCutchen |
| 3:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. | Zach Duke | Neil Walker | Garrett Jones |
2. Single Game Tickets Go On Sale
This is your best chance to get good seats for Opening Day as well as Skyblast dates.
3. Q and A with Front Office
Neil Huntington and Frank Coonelly will be on hand for Q and A sessions with fans throughout the weekend. They have been heated the past few years and this year should be no different.
4. Promotion Previews
The list has already been released, but demos of all of the promos will be on display. Im most curious to see what the Cutch bobblehead, Garrett Jones Action Figure, and Pirate “Fleecie” will look like.
5. Collector’s Place
Last year I counted over 30 different collector tables chock full of cards and other memorbilia. One could spend the whole day exploring all of the treasures up for sale.
6. Pirates’ Charities Hidden Treasures
Area where you can buy game-used jerseys (Who wouldn’t want a game-worn Matt Morris red vest?) A lot of other obscure things can be found here which makes this place worth a visit.
So there you have it, and I hope to see you there Friday and Sunday
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