The Niles Files

PNC Park Lives Up to the Expectations

2011-06-13T08:55:00.000-07:00

The title is all you need to read to get my review of PNC Park.

Simply, it is a beautiful ballpark with great sight lines, great food, a great atmosphere and an all-around great vibe.

People had told me that PNC Park is one of the best ballparks in Major League Baseball. A few had even said it was the best. I've only been to about half a dozen stadiums around the league, so I can't say if it's the best, but it certainly stands out among the stadiums I've visited.

I went to Sunday's Mets vs. Pirates game with two Pirates fans who had been to PNC Park multiple times. We sat in the upper deck down the right field line, and the seat was great. I could see almost the entire field, save for one little piece of the right field corner. I had a great view of downtown Pittsburgh and the river. It was a beautiful view.

The stadium itself is clean, the walkways are wide and the food options are great. I had a pulled pork sandwich on a pretzel bun with two perogies on top. It was one of the best sandwiches I've had at a ballpark.

PNC Park is also rich with Pittsburgh and Pirates history. There is an area with statues of some of the greatest Negro League players in the history of the city. There are statues outside the ballpark of some of the greatest players in Pirates history. There's even a statue of Ralph Kiner's hands holding a bat, a tribute to one of the greatest home run hitters in Major League history.

The experience at PNC Park is great. Everything about the ballpark is excellent. I'd give it an A. It's a stadium you have to visit.

One-on-One With "The Scrappers Scoop"

2011-06-09T08:44:00.000-07:00

I sat down with the Scrappers official blog, "The Scrappers Scoop," for a one-on-one interview. You can check it out here.

One-on-One with new Scrappers play-by-play announcer Grant Tunkel

The Cast of Characters on Twitter

2011-06-09T07:40:00.000-07:00

Throughout the season, I'll probably be referencing a few people. Here are their Twitter names, if you want to follow them.

Myself - @GTunk
Matt Peaslee - On-Field Host - @pittpeaswv
Stephanie Novak - Promo Team member - @StephanieNovak
Drew LaFollette - Jack of All Trades - @drewlafollette
Chris Miller - Production - @CMill004

Lessons Learned at the Ballpark

2011-06-09T05:55:00.000-07:00

For the first installment of "Lessons Learned at the Ballpark" I have two lessons.

1) If you want to make sure the soda you drink (or in this case, the pop you drink) isn't flat, you have to find a soda machine that has ice in the container at the front. If there isn't ice in that container, the soda will be flat. If there is ice in the container, your soda will not be flat. Very simple.

2) The proper method for hanging outfield signs is as follows. Have one person holding the sign up at each corner at the top and two people in the middle holding the sign up. Start at one of the corners and work your way across the top. Then, screw in the sides. Finally, screw in the bottom. This method will minimize wrinkles and it will go quickly.

This has been "Lessons Learned at the Ballpark."

The Mexican Food Plunge

2011-06-08T13:49:00.000-07:00

Going to school in Los Angeles for four years has a lot of benefits. One of them is the ability to have legitimately authentic Mexican food at any hour of the night in any number of places.

El Cholo, La Barca and Chano's are three of the great establishments around USC. Just typing it out makes me want a plate of blue corn chicken enchiladas, a gigantic burrito or nachos plate.

When you think of real Mexican food, you don't necessarily think of Ohio. But after having dinner at one of the places here last night, I'm re-thinking that thought. After work, I went out with a few of the interns for Mexican food. I ordered a pretty big burrito, and let me tell you, it was pretty good. I really enjoyed the meal.

Was it the same as Mexican food in Los Angeles? No, it was definitely different. But it was a lot better than some of the places that claim to have authentic Mexican food. I would definitely go back.