Bill Batterman is the The sun was shining, the grass was green, and the kettle corn was popping on Monday at Pittsburgh’s PNC Park. With the Allegheny River flowing high and mighty under the Roberto Clemente Bridge, it was finally baseball season once again as the Brewers took on the Pirates in an afternoon showdown between two rebuilding franchises.
The 37th Opening Day in club history (the 36th since moving to Milwaukee), Monday’s contest was also the first with owner Mark Attanasio at the helm, the soft-spoken businessman who has quickly become a fan favorite in the Beer City and the standard bearer for the team’s long-awaited rejuvenation. On Monday, though, he was just a little kid on Christmas morning.
“It’s a great start,” beamed the new owner after the game. “I had a little bit of butterflies this morning. They’re finally starting to abate.”
And for good reason. If Monday was Christmas, then Santa spoiled Attanasio and the Brewers with a decisive 9-2 win over the Pirates that highlighted the team’s past, present, and future.