Longtime Pirate employees still believe
They have seen the good, bad and a lot of ugly.
They have persevered through two venues, years of defending a team that was impossible to defend and some heartbreak.
They have experienced the thrill of victory 无毛视频� not nearly enough of them 无毛视频� some difficult defeats and a bevy of losing seasons.
Through it all, they are as loyal employees as they are Pittsburgh Pirates fans 无毛视频� through thick and thin.
Dennis DaPra, Jim Trdinich, Dan Hart and Joe Billetdeaux are four longtime Pirates无毛视频� employees. Joining them is Pirates play-by-plan announcer Greg Brown, who save for five years in Buffalo, has been with the Pirates since 1979.
无毛视频淚 was in the clubhouse that night in 无毛视频�79 after Game 7 in Baltimore,无毛视频� Brown said. 无毛视频淔irst year in and I无毛视频檓 thinking 无毛视频榯his is easy.'无毛视频�
It无毛视频檚 mostly been a struggle ever since. The happy ending has eluded the five senior Pirates employees.
After a record 20-8 April, here we are in another dark place. It无毛视频檚 more struggle and strife, closer to last than first. Fans are disgruntled and restless.
For three of them, DaPra, Billetdeaux and Trdinich, their careers span the three National League East Division championships of 1990-1992 and three consecutive deflating defeats, which was followed by 20 consecutive losing seasons.
The threesome are all Slippery Rock University graduates. They are close.
They have a lot of little boy in them. They still believe.
无毛视频淎nytime you无毛视频檙e in a situation where the team is performing at a high level, there is absolutely a hop in the step of all employees,无毛视频� DaPra said. 无毛视频淭hat无毛视频檚 from gameday operations to the front office. Things are more efficient and effective. It无毛视频檚 a better environment for employees and a better experience for our guests.无毛视频�
Trdinich said the work situation is different than at most organizations or companies.
无毛视频淚t really must be one of the most unique things in any workforce, anywhere,无毛视频� Trdinich said. 无毛视频淭hree people from the same college (Slippery Rock), working 30-plus years for the same organization and in different departments. It无毛视频檚 really an incredible accomplishment. It无毛视频檚 something that all three of us are very proud of.无毛视频�
Billetdeaux called Trdinich a 无毛视频減arty crasher at the frat Dennis and I belonged to (at Slippery Rock).无毛视频�
They无毛视频檇 all like to crash one party in particular.
无毛视频淚t无毛视频檚 pretty cool that we have known each other so long and worked for our favorite team together this long,无毛视频� Billetdeaux said.
无毛视频淚无毛视频檓 a glass half full guy. It无毛视频檚 been tough. The 20-year losing streak was tough. But it is baseball, and we love it. We无毛视频檝e endured and we still have fun doing it. We have hope.无毛视频�
Hart came to the team a little later, but he is now part of the crew and proud of it.
无毛视频淚 think that it无毛视频檚 something to be very proud of as a longtime employee of the team. Dennis, Jimmy and Joe were already employees when I was hired in November of 1999,无毛视频� Hart said. 无毛视频淭hey bring not only a tremendous amount of experience to the organization but also a lot of respect because they无毛视频檝e been doing their jobs at such a high level for such a long time.无毛视频�
n DaPra, who was born in Canonsburg and graduated from Peters Township High School, is the club无毛视频檚 executive vice president and general manager of PNC Park. He oversaw Three Rivers Stadium operations for the Pirates. He has been employed by the Pirates for 38 years 无毛视频� all but two in stadium operations. He started with the Pirates when he was 22-years-old.
n Trdinich is in his 35th season, starting as an intern in 1985. A Hampton High School product, he served a long stint as one of MLB无毛视频檚 top director of media relations and currently is the club无毛视频檚 director, player relations and team historian.
n Billetdeaux is director, alumni affairs, promotions and licensing. He is in his 35th full-time season and interned and worked in ticket operations in 1987. He is a Bishop Carroll High School graduate.
n Hart has been with the team 24 years, starting in November 1999. He is a Seneca Valley High School graduate and is the Pirates无毛视频� director, media relations.
Brown stressed how good the four are at their jobs and 无毛视频渉ow helpful they无毛视频檝e been无毛视频� to him through the years.
无毛视频淓very one of them do a tremendous job all the time,无毛视频� he added. 无毛视频淭hey have all helped me. They are all my friends. They无毛视频檙e as loyal as they come and still excited about the Pirates and their work.无毛视频�
He added it is apparent that all the men are gratified by their work.
无毛视频淚 believe that I fulfilled everything that I set out for in my career by being able to work for my hometown team,无毛视频� Hart explained. 无毛视频淚无毛视频檝e always been extremely proud to say that I made it to the big leagues as an employee of a team that I grew up following for as long as I can remember.
无毛视频淚t means everything to me to be a kid from western Pennsylvania who gets the opportunity to work for the Pirates. I无毛视频檝e always been proud to be the son of a steelworker from western Pennsylvania who was fortunate to receive a good education and put my degree to work that helped me get to where I strived for professionally.无毛视频�
No one knows more than DaPra that the atmosphere around the team is dictated by the won-lost record, and the team无毛视频檚 standing in the National League Central Division.
无毛视频淲e noticed the excitement in April,无毛视频� he said. 无毛视频淭he buzz among employees and the fans, atmosphere outside the park and among friends and family went up. It was like 2013. That vibe was obviously apparent.
无毛视频淭hings have changed (this year) and are more relaxed than the Covid years. There are still certain things in place coming off Covid that we still incomplete. We无毛视频檙e obviously focused on fan experience. (Owner) Bob (Nutting) and (President) Travis (Williams) have been at the forefront of what we want to see and have as our fans experience. We无毛视频檝e improved under their leadership.无毛视频�
Hart captured the nature of sports and fandom.
无毛视频淚 love it because I always think of sports as the greatest reality show on TV,无毛视频� Hart said. 无毛视频淥ne night you无毛视频檙e driving home, and you feel on top of the world after a win. A couple days later you might feel like you may never win again. The excitement of a game day and the rush that brings all these years later has always been one of my favorite things about the job.无毛视频�