PNC Park

A stroll around the stadium in downtown Pittsburgh.

Out of left field: the Company Yes Men Apologists assemble at PNC Park for this year's fantasy baseball draft.

Chicago has some nice steel bridges but I have to agree with this award of merit.

Bill Mazeroski.

If your name is "Pedro Alvarez" this is where the balls you hit end up.

An insider's tour of the ballpark.

Welcome to PNC Park, home of the Pittsburgh Pirates!

I am greeted by Andrew McCutchen adorning the Pirates' 2014 MLB schedule.

The lobby walls held case upon case of baseballs signed by generations of ballplayers.

Congrats to those championship teams from 1909, 1925, 1960, 1971, and 1979.

Before our draft gets started, Bryan Stroh shows us around his office space.

I learned that Stroh played a key role in re-signing McCutchen to his current six-year contract.

The press room has a great view of the ballpark and the city beyond.

The luxury box seat level had plenty to admire.

Voice of the Pirates.

I.C. Light is like the Oldstyle of Pittsburgh.

Who let these guys in here?

Time for a press conference.

I'm not wearing any pants.

“I'm a man, I'm 40!”

Javad adeptly identifies the guy who just farted.

Lloyd lightens the mood with a few jokes.

A quick peek inside Clint's office.

I'm pretty sure Stroh will not be pleased that I included this photo.

On the way out to the field we passed by the "in-game bathroom."

Don't get too comfortable, you've got a game to play!

Will any perfect games be thrown from that mound this year?

Home team dugout.

I would not be surprised to see another flag added to that collection one of these next few years.

Draft day — time to get down to business.

Javad unveils the league trophy to the appropriate backdrop of Alex North's 2001: Space Odyssey theme.

An abbreviated narrative of the Company Yes Men's rich history is enshrined upon the face of the league trophy.

League champions.

Brian Teven enters the year as the defending champion and has won three years straight.

It's time for somebody to put an end to Teven's reign.

Some local flavor to lubricate some of those deep sleeper picks.

Bonus Tour

After the draft Stroh gave us a quick tour of the floor where he works.

Bryan Stroh: Fantasy owner of the Iowa Red Bulls and real life VP & General Counsel for the Pittsburgh Pirates.

His office is just down the hall from...

The Pirate's General Manager.

Judging from the offices around here it was pretty clear these folks love their organization.

On our way out I grab some shots of our league's former champions next to the real thing.

Javad performs a miracle before my eyes.

Truly, Javad is a magical man.

Stroh broke into this league with two consecutive championships.

The Pirates are lucky to have him and so are we.

I did not know Westoff was a lefty. But that explains a few of his picks.

Lloyd Kwak wishes he didn't draft Ike Davis with his first overall pick last year.

But unlike many of us, his name is on the trophy
and that won't stop him from raising the trophy today, or in future years.

The Tevenchise: current defending champion and winner of three straight.

Bonus Footage & Deleted Scenes

Night in Lawrenceville.

Waiting for my flight to Pittsburgh from Chicago, I gave myself an appropriate send-off.

(it was a good 'dog, but I build a better Chicago-Style hotdog myself.)

View of the stadium from my hotel room. Convenience is king.

Our hotel had a bottomless supply of Chupa Chups.

The Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh has 7 floors to explore that includes a bunch of early work I'd never seen.

Also, the Mattress Factory has some really cool exhibits.

I hope to post more photos from this exhibit sometime.

More shots from around the ballpark.

Batting cages. I'm not sure I could even find the interstate from where I'm standing.

It's a nice model, but the real thing is much nicer.

... even when I'm shooting straight into the sunlight.