It was 57 degrees pretty much all through the Pirates' 7-3 cutdown of the Cubs on this crisp Friday night in September, and all around PNC Park the patrons had broken out their hoodies, sweatshirts and windbreakers.
All 35,638 of them. I had mine on, too.
In our little corner of the world, we don't describe fall weather the way they do elsewhere. To us, this is the meteorological phenomenon known as "high school football weather." No temp needed, thanks. This is how it feels when you raise a foam finger at WPIAL and City League stadiums from Aliquippa to Zelienople, where roughly a quarter-million fans at any given time are cheering their children, supporting the bands, buying up the 50/50s.
If you want a far prettier mental picture, here's how Steve Blass described it after this game: "I've flown into Pittsburgh on a Friday night, and it's amazing. It's like a diamond field with all the lights sparkling everywhere. And to think, all those places are packed with people ..."
Right. And to think, they were again. Except, of course, for the exactly 35,638 watching baseball.
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