Independent investigation reveals Pittsburgh Pirates opted to dispose of Bucco Bricks despite preservation efforts
Updated: 7:35 PM EDT May 15, 2025
A new chapter in the Bucco Bricks saga has been released.Following an independent investigation, it was determined that the Pittsburgh Pirates had the option to preserve or return the bricks, and the organization decided to do neither. The news is leaving fans at a loss for words.”How can you have somebody give you money to do something that’s going to be memorialized, and then you obviously don’t care? You don’t even think about what you’ve done. You’ve destroyed what they’ve invested in, and you just ruin your relations with the fans in Pittsburgh,” Mike McGinley said.In April, the Sports and Exhibition Authority decided to launch an independent investigation into the handling of the Bucco Bricks.The report found that the sidewalk replacement project was approved by the SEA in September 2024 and was paid for using grant money from the Commonwealth Financing Authority and funding from the SEA. It would go on to say when crews started the project they were told not to treat the bricks as construction debris. Instead, the bricks were removed, put on 32 pallets, shrink-wrapped, and given to the Pirates. Crews would complete the project in March.The report would continue saying the SEA played no role in the disposal of the bricks, but took steps to salvage them.Also, the Pirates, not the SEA, contacted and paid a local hauling company to transport the bricks to a recycling facility in Reserve Township.The report says the Pirates had the option to reinstall the bricks or return them to the fans, but instead “rejected both of those options and opted instead to discard them.” “Another fumble by the Pirates. Just, like, a total disregard for the fans,” Lou Fani said. “You’re trying to build something here. You have the most gorgeous ballpark in America, and you continue to make one bad decision after another.””You shouldn’t have done it in the first place. To me, that’s just common sense that you would not do that without notifying people that did the investment,” McGinley said. “Same thing with the Clemente sign. How can you not think about the people that it affects?”Officials with the Pirates released the following statement:”After 25 years, the sidewalks around PNC Park represented a safety risk and were in desperate need of repair, this included the Bucco Bricks. The way in which we communicated and handled the replacement of those bricks was flat our wrong. That has been well documented at this point and something we, the Pirates, take sole and total responsibility for and are working hard to make right. We know how meaningful the messages and tributes are. We are, and always have been, absolutely committed to ensuring these special messages and tributes live on at PNC Park. With this being the third time that we had to replace the bricks due to cracking, wear and tear, and uneven surface areas, it is important that we find a more lasting display. The new permanent display at PNC Park will include all the original messages. We are finalizing those plans and excites to share the plans with our fans later this season. In the meantime, we had about 3,500 fans who previously had their message displayed on a brick at PNC Park the opportunity to receive a complimentary keepsake replica of their original brick. Our hope is that, through our actions, fans will be assured that we appreciate how meaningful these messages and tributes are and are committed to ensuring they live on at PNC Park.”
PITTSBURGH —
A new chapter in the Bucco Bricks saga has been released.
Following an independent investigation, it was determined that the Pittsburgh Pirates had the option to preserve or return the bricks, and the organization decided to do neither. The news is leaving fans at a loss for words.
“How can you have somebody give you money to do something that’s going to be memorialized, and then you obviously don’t care? You don’t even think about what you’ve done. You’ve destroyed what they’ve invested in, and you just ruin your relations with the fans in Pittsburgh,” Mike McGinley said.
In April, the Sports and Exhibition Authority decided to launch an independent investigation into the handling of the Bucco Bricks.
The report found that the sidewalk replacement project was approved by the SEA in September 2024 and was paid for using grant money from the Commonwealth Financing Authority and funding from the SEA.
It would go on to say when crews started the project they were told not to treat the bricks as construction debris. Instead, the bricks were removed, put on 32 pallets, shrink-wrapped, and given to the Pirates. Crews would complete the project in March.
The report would continue saying the SEA played no role in the disposal of the bricks, but took steps to salvage them.
Also, the Pirates, not the SEA, contacted and paid a local hauling company to transport the bricks to a recycling facility in Reserve Township.
The report says the Pirates had the option to reinstall the bricks or return them to the fans, but instead “rejected both of those options and opted instead to discard them.”
“Another fumble by the Pirates. Just, like, a total disregard for the fans,” Lou Fani said. “You’re trying to build something here. You have the most gorgeous ballpark in America, and you continue to make one bad decision after another.”
“You shouldn’t have done it in the first place. To me, that’s just common sense that you would not do that without notifying people that did the investment,” McGinley said. “Same thing with the Clemente sign. How can you not think about the people that it affects?”
Officials with the Pirates released the following statement:
“After 25 years, the sidewalks around PNC Park represented a safety risk and were in desperate need of repair, this included the Bucco Bricks. The way in which we communicated and handled the replacement of those bricks was flat our wrong. That has been well documented at this point and something we, the Pirates, take sole and total responsibility for and are working hard to make right.
We know how meaningful the messages and tributes are. We are, and always have been, absolutely committed to ensuring these special messages and tributes live on at PNC Park. With this being the third time that we had to replace the bricks due to cracking, wear and tear, and uneven surface areas, it is important that we find a more lasting display.
The new permanent display at PNC Park will include all the original messages. We are finalizing those plans and excites to share the plans with our fans later this season.
In the meantime, we had about 3,500 fans who previously had their message displayed on a brick at PNC Park the opportunity to receive a complimentary keepsake replica of their original brick.
Our hope is that, through our actions, fans will be assured that we appreciate how meaningful these messages and tributes are and are committed to ensuring they live on at PNC Park.”