Pirates owner Bob Nutting said the energy at PNC Park at the team’s home opener Friday “really feels different” after the Pirates pumped up their Opening Day payroll north of $100M for the first time in franchise history with the call-up of SS Konnor Griffin, according to Kevin Gorman of TRIBLIVE.com. Gorman wrote the arrival of Griffin, a 19-year-old shortstop who is baseball’s “consensus No. 1 prospect, gives the Pirates another potential superstar to pair with” P Paul Skenes. A year ago, Nutting “bore the brunt of fan frustration” following six consecutive losing seasons. An offseason that “began with billboards demanding he sell the team became a boiling point, as a plane carrying a banner that read ‘SELL THE TEAM BOB’ circled the ballpark before the home opener.” Nutting said, “I really respect and appreciate the concern last year. People were angry. … If you care enough to get an airplane to fly over the ballpark, you really care deeply about the team. I’ve always cared deeply about the team. … I’ve tried to make the decisions, whether they’re popular or unpopular, that I believe were in the best interest of building a long-term, sustainable winner here in Pittsburgh.” Gorman wrote the team “promised to be aggressive in trade talks and free agency.” Nutting reiterated his stance that the Pirates’ “intention every season is to build a playoff contender” but “insisted that in a small MLB market like Pittsburgh, it is necessary to build a foundation first” (TRIBLIVE.com, 4/3).

NEW BEGINNINGS: In Pittsburgh, Noah Hiles wrote at a time when it is “more difficult than ever to maintain one’s attention, those who attended the home opener weren’t there for the ballpark snacks, intermission entertainment or Instagram photo opportunities,” they “were there to enjoy a baseball game.” The Pirates franchise “finally gave them a product worth watching,” and they “were there to consume the action.” P Mitch Keller said, “I took a moment before the game just to kind of look around, take it all in. It kind of felt like a playoff crowd.” Hiles wrote Pittsburgh has “been begging to fall back in love with its baseball team.” It would “love to have more days like Friday,” but that relationship cannot “be rekindled overnight.” Friday’s home opener “was a fantastic afternoon at the ballpark, but there’s still more work to be done on the Pirates’ end — and they know it” (PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE, 4/4).

GOOD SIGNS: SPORTSNET PITTSBURGH’s Jake Mozarsky wrote whether it is a home run or a well-timed single, the Pirates’ orange traffic cone celebration has “become a signal that things are moving in the right direction for the Bucs.” In mid-March, when Fanatics released a Pirates T-shirt that “likely should have featured the ‘Hoist the Colors’ slogan,” it instead read “Hoist the Cone.” Rather than ignoring the error, the team “brought the meme to life” during a series against the Reds. Pirates OF Jake Mangum asked a Great American Ball Park employee if it “would be possible to obtain a traffic cone, and after a cone was brought to the dugout.” The cone made its debut during a March 31 win against the Reds. The next day, Pittsburgh “got five dominant innings” from Skenes and secured back-to-back victories (SPORTSNET PITTSBURGH, 4/3). In Pittsburgh, Matt Press wrote fans are “completely leaning into the cones.” There were fans who “carried around smaller replicas to hoist in celebration,” while others “opted to wear a cone as a hat” (PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE, 4/3).