Pirates Don’t Want to Play Giveaway on the Field, or at Gate

The Pittsburgh Pirates are shifting their promotion emphasis away from giveaway items such as umbrellas, barbecue aprons and sunglasses to stress the fun of attending major league baseball, according to promotions director Steve Greenburg.

The Pirates’ attendance slumped to a National League-low 773,500 in 1984, or slightly more than 10,100 fans per playing date, despite an extensive promotions schedule that included more than 20 giveaway dates.

That schedule reflected the marketing strategy of now-departed Pirates vice president Jack Schrom, who designed the radio and television advertisements which frequently downplayed the Pirates’ on-the-field product to emphasize the promotions.

Schrom also set up the 1985 promotions calendar, which includes giveaways on one-third of the Pirates’ home dates, but the team’s marketing department has started de-emphasizing the handout items in its advertisements. Schrom left the Pirates last month to work for the Circus World amusement park in Orlando, Fla.

On the 25th anniversary of the Pirates’ 1960 world championship team, their motto is “Let’s Go Bucs--Bring It Back.” The team invited 1960 heroes such as Bill Mazeroski and ElRoy Face to take part in opening game ceremonies and between-innings scoreboard triutes have highlighted former stars such as Roberto Clemente, Willie Stargell and Ralph Kiner.

“We are shifting our emphasis,” Greenburg said. “We want fans to realize how much fun it is to come to the game, to enjoy the Pirates and major league baseball. A lot of cities would love to have major league baseball.”

Whether Pittsburgh will continue to have a big league team, as it has since 1876, may well be determined this season, according to General Manager Harding (Pete) Peterson. The Pirates are currently up for sale, and club President Dan Galbreath is disappointed that a local owner who would assure the team won’t relocate has not been found.

If the Galbreath family is forced to sell to out-of-town interests, Dan Galbreath has hinted, new owners are not as likely to accept low attendance without seriously considering moving the club.

The Pirates have already begun promotions that are geared to showing people baseball can be enjoyed in person as well as on television and radio. The Pirates’ local broadcast ratings traditionally are among the highest in baseball, even though they have never drawn more than 1.7 million to the ballpark in a season.

Among these promotions are “buck nights” to be held on selected Wednesdays. Fans will be given $1.50 off the price of any ticket--a $2.50 general admission ticket will cost $1--and a hot dog and a beverage will cost only $1. Parking at stadium lots, normally $3, will be reduced to $1.

Greenburg also said the team and the City of Pittsburgh, aware of frequent complaints that entering and exiting Three Rivers Stadium are difficult, have taken steps to speed up traffic flow.

More policemen have been stationed in streets around the stadium to direct traffic. The Sixth Street Bridge, the closest downtown bridge to the stadium, has been made one-way before and after games, on an experimental basis, to divert traffic from the more heavily traveled Fort Duquesne Bridge.

The Pirates have printed and distributed maps designed to educate fans how to avoid traffic tie-ups caused by highway construction work on both the Penn-Lincoln Parkway and the city’s Northside.

Downtown restaurant owners announced Monday they are launching a “The Bucs Stop Here” promotion. The restaurateurs, in addition to cutting dinner prices by 20% on Tuesdays, will distribute free Pirates tickets. Many downtown parking garages already offer $1 flat rates after 6 p.m.