Funny thing is, though, the team playing on it is still in the bottom fourth of Major League Baseball. Sure, the Pirates moved from the ghetto to Beverly Hills, but the product is still the same once you wipe away all the glitter. Years ago, when Cleveland and Baltimore opened new parks, they became instant successes. In fact, the Indians made it six years before their first game wasn t sold out. The Pirates, on the other hand, made the streak last a whopping one game.
People today believe a new stadium is all it takes to become instant winners.
Then again, people forget that the Pirates upgraded their already horrible team this off-season by bringing in two horrible free agents. Sure, people thought Derek Bell could rejuvenate his career, but that opinion didn t last too long. Bell was booed in only his second home game after starting the season 3 for 31. There s also the thought that new stadiums produce so much revenue because of the large crowds they draw every night. The Pirates do have excuses, but they really aren t good ones.