A new generation of Pirates fans were born with their successful run into the postseason last fall. In 100 Things Pirates Fans Should Know and Do Before They Die, a new book written by Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Sunday sports editor Steve Ziants, assembles various facts, traditions and achievements to educate and entertain true fans, or the new wave of fans jumping onboard. Mr. Ziants was in studio to discuss the “ultimate resource guide for true Pirates fans.”
“This is a history book that isn’t told in chronological order, we tell it from the most important to maybe the most obscure, but still stories that have a good texture to them, or maybe have a nice twist. As I’ve told people before, a lot of things Pirates fans forgot they knew, or maybe forgot they remembered.”
The number one, most important moment of the Pirates history, according to Ziants? Bill Mazeroski’s famous home run to win the 1960 World Series. Ziants says this is number one because even Pittsburghers who aren’t baseball fans know at least a little about Mazeroski’s famous home run.
The book also mentions interesting facts which many die-hard fans would not even be aware of prior to reading. One of Ziants’ favorite, lesser known stories, regards the Pirates and Astros in the mid 70’s, who were rained out in the Astrodome through a leak in the covered stadium during heavy flooding.
“They ended up having a cookout out around second base that night. Imagine that, you’re in this cavernous, ‘eighth wonder of the world’ as it was called then and you’ve turned it into a company picnic shelter where they’re grilling up chicken and steaks and the players are sitting around the second base eating food, and it’s just completely empty.”
Ziants will be signing copies of 100 Things Pirates Fans Should Know and Do Before They Die at 6:30pm, Tuesday in Barnes and Noble at Settler’s Ridge Center Drive.
