Fans Line Up Early For Pirates Wild Card Tickets
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - In the rain of the morning they waited at PNC Park. Playoff tickets were available.
And no matter what time you came, you were subject to a lottery.
DJ DeLuica of Mars, by luck ended up first in line.
And 10 a.m. couldn't come soon enough. But when it did, he got what he wanted.
"OK for the wild card section 112, row X, seats five thru eight," said the salesperson
And he got playoff tickets beyond the wild card game believing this three game series with the cardinals is just a formality.
"I think we sweep and win the division," said DeLucia. "We control our own destiny. I think it could happen."
For those just happy to get wild card tickets, they did so just in time.
"Standing room, standing room for the wild card," said Darren Tomlin of Homewood.
"Oh yeah, well worth the wait," he said.
Sharon Morris of Overbrook thinks the Pirates will go farther this year.
"Better than last year yeah," she says. "I had tickets last year and we didn't make it. I think we're going to make it."
Tom Weller of New Castle was in line too, remembering past wildcard games, like that frost wild card agains Cincinnati's pitcher at the time, Johnny Cueto.
"And the first year wild card when they beat Cueto, that was tremendous," he said.
Drew Cloud, who heads the Pirates sales and marketing department says the tickets went fast.
"We sold everything that we had for the pre sale in just about thirty minutes about a half hour."
Ezra Reis of Kennedy Township got there just in time.
"Yeah I did I actually I got standing room for the wild card but everything else I got tickets for," said Reis.
Not so fast, though. The Cardinals series starts an unofficial playoff. And it will determine a lot.
"There are still some seats for the Cardinals available," said Cloud. "We'd love to fill PNC park pack PNC then get everybody down here and get them ready for the playoffs."
Once the playoffs begin, millions come into the region as a result.
"It's been a great season for Pittsburgh in general because of the Pirates winning ways," says Tom Loftus of Visit Pittsburgh. "St. Louis is one of those teams that brings a lot of fans as well as Chicago," he said.
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