Pittsburg, PA
Get new gear for Pittsburgh Pirates Opening Day
There’s something undeniably special about MLB Opening Day. It’s practically the kick-off of Spring and it ushers in an air of hope and optimism for a new season.
This is obviously true for Pittsburgh Pirates fans, who have been anxiously waiting for the games to actually matter.
But before we see the first pitch, you need to gear up with some new items for a new season. Here are some of our favorites. And hit the jump below the gear to see some incredible factoids about MLB Opening Day.
The First Opening Day: On April 22, 1876, the National League played its first-ever games, marking the inaugural Opening Day in MLB history. The Cincinnati Red Stockings defeated the St. Louis Brown Stockings 2-1 in the first game ever played.
President Taft’s Tradition: In 1910, President William Howard Taft threw out the ceremonial first pitch on Opening Day for the Washington Senators. This tradition became a staple of Opening Day festivities and continues to this day with the President or a designated representative.
Babe Ruth’s Record-Setting Home Run: On Opening Day in 1932, Babe Ruth made history by hitting the first home run ever at the newly constructed Yankee Stadium. Ruth’s towering blast in the fifth inning against the Boston Red Sox solidified his legendary status and added another chapter to his storied career.
Jackie Robinson’s Debut: On April 15, 1947, Jackie Robinson made history as the first African American to play in MLB’s modern era when he debuted for the Brooklyn Dodgers on Opening Day. Robinson’s groundbreaking achievement paved the way for racial integration in baseball and beyond.
The First Night Game: On April 18, 1950, the St. Louis Cardinals and the Milwaukee Braves played the first-ever MLB night game on Opening Day. This historic game, played at Sportsman’s Park in St. Louis, marked a significant moment in baseball history and paved the way for the widespread adoption of night games.
Ernie Banks’ Enthusiasm: Hall of Famer Ernie Banks, known as “Mr. Cub,” famously exclaimed, “Let’s play two!” on Opening Day in 1956. This enthusiastic declaration captured Banks’ love for the game and became one of his most enduring phrases.
The Perfect Game: On April 4, 1969, New York Mets pitcher Tom Seaver threw a perfect game against the San Diego Padres on Opening Day. Seaver’s flawless performance remains one of the most memorable moments in Opening Day history.
Roberto Clemente’s Final Opening Day: In 1972, Pittsburgh Pirates legend Roberto Clemente played in his final Opening Day game before tragically passing away later that year. Clemente’s legacy as a humanitarian and baseball icon continues to inspire fans around the world, making his final Opening Day appearance a poignant moment in baseball history.
Cal Ripken Jr.’s Streak: Cal Ripken Jr. began his record-breaking streak of consecutive games played on Opening Day in 1982. Ripken went on to play in 2,632 consecutive games, surpassing Lou Gehrig’s previous record and solidifying his place in baseball history.
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Pittsburg, PA
NASA astronaut from Western Pa. returns to Pittsburgh for 1st time since suffering unprecedented medical event in space
This time, the warm-up was brief. After getting off to one of the chilliest starts (tied for 2nd coldest first 3 days when it comes to daily average temperature) on record in May, we saw two above-average days over the past two days.
We won’t make it three with temperatures today cooling down behind widespread morning rain. We’ve already seen our high temperature for today, with Pittsburgh seeing a daily high of around 62 degrees. That was our midnight temperature, but sometimes they adjust it slightly up or down due to the number being sent out technically happening around 8 minutes before the top of the hour.
Temperatures will be in the 50s for the rest of the day. Skies will be mostly cloudy with variable but breezy winds of around 15mph this afternoon.
It’ll be damp and cool. You’ll certainly want long sleeves this afternoon if you are outside for any extended period of time.
When it comes to rain chances, rain will be fairly consistent through around 8 o’clock, then become more scattered for the rest of the morning.
This afternoon is looking dry for pretty much everyone. I can’t totally rule out an isolated shower in the Laurel Highlands.
After today, our next rain chance comes Friday morning with the potential for an isolated shower or storm. There will be a better chance for rain on Saturday, with rain once again confined to the morning hours.
Saturday afternoon is looking dry. Mother’s Day is also looking dry for most of the day, with rain showers arriving after 4 p.m.
Highs will hit the low 70s ahead of the rain chance.
Pittsburg, PA
After all of Pittsburgh area’s Smokey Bones restaurants close, what should consumers do with gift cards?
All three remaining Smokey Bones locations in the Pittsburgh area have closed after the restaurant chain’s parent company filed for bankruptcy.
After the locations in Hempfield, Cranberry and at the Pittsburgh Mills in Frazer closed, people reached out to KDKA asking what to do with their unused gift cards.
Michael Litvak from Beaver County says he’s stuck with $100 worth of Smokey Bones gift cards.
“And the one in Robinson closed about, I guess it was maybe about two weeks ago, they closed it 3 weeks ago, but nothing was said when they closed that that they were closing any other locations,” Litvak said. “And then on April 28, I found out we were going to go to Smokey Bones in Cranberry with friends and our friends said, ‘hey, we just checked their site, we was gonna check the menu, and it says they’re closed.’ So I started looking around, and here they closed all their restaurants on April 28, not even letting anybody know.”
Gift cards are treated as unsecured claims in a bankruptcy. That means you’re in the back of the line, behind the banks and the landlords to get your money back, so the likelihood of recouping your money is slim to none.
What to do with Smokey Bones gift cards
If you bought the gift card with a credit card, that’s your best shot at getting money back. Contact the credit card company and ask for a chargeback for goods and services not received. But you have to ask fast. This works best if you’re only one to four months out from the purchase.
Did you get it from a third party? If you snagged the card on one of those big display sets at a Costco or grocery store, they’ll sometimes refund or exchange gift cards in special situations like this one.
If both fail, decide if it’s worth the hassle of filing a claim.
The Better Business Bureau recommends always checking with the company’s ownership. In this case, it’s FAT Brands. Right now, the BBB says the claim form and filing instructions are on FAT Brand’s website.
Even though FAT Brands owns other restaurants in the area, like Twin Peaks, they said they will not be honoring the Smokey Bones gift cards at those locations.
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