Ron Darling: Pirates Fans Have A Unique Ability To Take Over A Big Game
PITTSBURGH (93-7 The Fan) – MLB on TBS analyst Ron Darling joined "The Fan Morning Show" on Tuesday to help the guys preview the NL Wild Card Game between the Pirates and Cubs, which he will be calling on the network.
Darling will call the game with Ernie Johnson, and Cal Ripken, Jr., and he also had the chance to call the 2013 NL Wild Card Game in Pittsburgh, which saw the Pirates take down the Reds.
Darling said that he has never seen fans affect a game like the fans at PNC Park did that night.
"I've never seen a ballpark take over a game like the fans did in Pittsburgh that night," Darling said. "They did rattle Johnny Cueto...I just have never seen a crowd take over a game like that."
In Darling's mind, that demonstrated the way in which PNC Park has become perilous for opposing players.
"The fans are rabid," Darling said. "And these three years of success that [the Pirates] have been on has made them even more rabid...this is not a great environment to come in to play if you're an opposing player."
Darling expects more of the same from Pirates fans tomorrow night.
"I'm sure that the fans are going to be ready to give it to Jake [Arrieta] every chance they get," Darling said.
On top of that, Darling sees another reason for Pirates fans to be spirited entering Wednesday's game - the fact that they'll have Gerrit Cole on the mound, faced with an opportunity to solidify himself as one of the game's great aces.
"This is one of those moments for Gerrit Cole that happens to all aspiring great players," Darling said. "Gerrit is an amazing pitcher. He's on his way to being one of those guys you talk about all the time. Arrieta, he's had a great second half, historically one of the best we've ever seen. But, Gerrit Cole's body of work this year tells you that he can match zeroes with anyone at any time...he can turn his game up from an A game to an A-plus game. Maybe that's what he needs. But he can do it."
The interview can be heard here:
