PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — Sunday was the last day of the Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix. 

It was created by late Steelers color commentator Myron Cope 42 years ago. The event benefits charities that help people with autism, which Myron’s son, Daniel has.

Cope’s daughter, Elizabeth, thought about how her father started all of it over four decades ago.

“He goes, ‘The only way I can get wealthy people possibly to get involved and give money is if it has something to do with cars,’” she said.

Cope says her father didn’t like cars, plenty of people in Schenley Park Sunday do.

Brian Blain is one of them. He came here from Visalia, California.

“You know, we’ve read about it for decades and always wanted to come,” he said. “But this is the first time I’ve been able to make it happen.”

Blain’s vintage Indy car is over a century old. It’s from 1911, and he said it ran in the first Indianapolis 500.

Riding in Schenley Park was a scenic change from the dry, hot racetracks back home in the Golden State.

“Here, it’s so green and beautiful,” Blain said. “It’s quite a treat to be racing through a park and the shade of trees.”

Between the park and the shade of trees, there are a lot of prized possessions.

For many, it’s worth the time and money, sometimes hundreds of thousands of dollars.

“You end up with a piece of rolling art,” VintageIndy president Michael Lashmett said.

For the many who volunteer at the Vintage Grand Prix, it’s also worth their time; they keep coming back.

“We even awarded a patch to volunteers who’ve been here 25 years or longer,” Dan Delbianco, the Grand Prix’s executive director, said. “We gave out 210 patches this year.”

Forty-two years later, it’s people that power this huge event – the baby of Myron Cope.

“You know, [it] makes me feel proud, and he would be happy,” Elizabeth Cope said.

Andrew McCutchen is not in the Pittsburgh Pirates’ lineup against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Sunday, per manager Derek Shelton’s official lineup card.

McCutchen left Saturday night’s contest with left left quadriceps tightness following a leadoff single in the bottom of the sixth inning. He was replaced by Ji Hwan Bae, who stayed in as the designated hitter for the rest of the contest.

Joey Bart is starting at designated hitter in McCutchen’s place on Sunday. As for his usual role as the leadoff hitter, that role is being filled by second baseman Isiah Kiner-Falefa, who the Pirates acquired from the Toronto Blue Jays ahead of last week’s trade deadline.

McCutchen extended his hitting streak to five games before getting banged up on Saturday. He has recorded 17 hits in his last 17 games, anchoring the lineup for a Pirates team that went 11-6 in that span.

On the whole this season, McCutchen is batting .228 with 13 home runs, 31 RBI, a .712 OPS and a 0.7 WAR.

While the 37-year-old veteran clearly isn’t the same five-time All-Star, four-time Silver Slugger and NL MVP he was a decade ago, his batting average and OPS have dropped 28 points and 64 points, respectively, compared to last season. Still, the longtime face of the franchise is doing his best to lift Pittsburgh back to the postseason, even if he says this won’t be his final year in the big leagues.

Here is the full lineup the Pirates are using in Sunday’s rubber match against the Diamondbacks:

1. Isiah Kiner-Falefa, 2B
2. Bryan Reynolds, LF
3. Oneil Cruz, SS
4. Bryan De La Cruz, RF
5. Rowdy Tellez, 1B
6. Joey Bart, DH
7. Ji Hwan Bae, CF
8. Jared Triolo, 3B
9. Yasmani Grandal, C
SP: Paul Skenes, RHP

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