The Stanley Cup’s tour around Pittsburgh included a stop Tuesday night at PNC Park.
Roughly 48 hours after winning back-to-back championships, a number of players hauled the Cup onto the field, where they were honored before the Pirates took on the Rockies. Captain Sidney Crosby threw out the ceremonial first pitch, a relatively accurate toss which home plate umpire Jerry Meals — a Butler native — called a strike.
Here’s Sidney Crosby, with his teammates behind him and the Stanley Cup at PNC park, throwing a pretty good pitch. pic.twitter.com/hM9fRoEEeO
— Faizal Khamisa (@SNFaizalKhamisa) June 13, 2017
Ump called a strike. Catcher told me it was a ball. Jury's out. Whatever the call, heck of a pitch from 87.
— Nick Bonino (@NickBonino) June 13, 2017
He's warming up. And he's nervous. #Sidfrom60 pic.twitter.com/tnK1YzNr0t
— Nick Bonino (@NickBonino) June 13, 2017
Many of the Penguins wore yellow authentic Shop412 Pirates jerseys with the Pittsburgh area code as the number. Before the team was introduced, a highlight montage was played on the scoreboard, prompting roars from the crowd.
The Penguins also visited the Pirates clubhouse before the first pitch.
“Seeing the Cup never gets old,” Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. “It’ll jazz up the players.”
Hurdle said a few of his players texted him toward the end of Game 6, and they created a running thread while the Penguins’ 2-0 victory unfolded.
Catcher Jacob Stallings, whom the Pirates called up from Class AAA Indianapolis last week, is a Nashville native, which he said created a “pretty interesting dynamic” during the series. Stallings said he wasn’t rooting for one team in particular, but he added his dad, Pitt men’s basketball coach Kevin Stallings, was at Games 1 and 2.
“I could claim either team, whoever won,” Stallings said, laughing. “I honestly couldn’t pick if you had to force me. It was a win-win for me.”
Stallings was not in the majors last year when the Penguins won the franchise’s fourth Stanley Cup, but he said the celebratory atmosphere in the city is “definitely something you feel.”
“We were playing during one of their games the other day and every time they scored a goal our stadium went crazy,” Stallings said. “That’s Pittsburgh. It’s a great sports town.”
“It was dramatic series,” Stallings added, “so it’s going to be cool to have them here.”
The Cup will make its way through Downtown on Wednesday. The Penguins celebratory parade is set to begin at 11 a.m.
Kevin Stankiewicz: kstankiewicz@post-gazette.com and Twitter: @kevin_stank
First Published: June 13, 2017, 11:24 p.m.
