Pirates Discarded Bucco Bricks, Despite Salvage Plans
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PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates caused a recent controversy with the way they handled the Bucco Bricks and a new report shows their culpability throughout the entire process.
The Sports & Exhibition Authority of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County SEA) released a report on their investigation of Bucco Bricks, titled "Investigative Report of the Excavation and Disposition of Commemorative Pavers at PNC Park."
The Pirates started the "Bucco Bricks" program in 1999, which allowed fans of the team the opportunity to buy personalized bricks that would go on the main terrace of PNC Park, which they built in 2001 in place of Three Rivers Stadium.
Fans bought approximately 10,000 bricks, many of which they used to honor their family members and friends, as well as themselves.
The bricks sat near the home plate gate where the Honus Wagner statue sits and also near the Willie Stargell Statue near the left field gate. They cost around $75 (4x8 bricks) and $150 (8x8bricks), which costs around $143.97 and $287.93 if purchase in 2025, according to usinflationcalculator.com.
The Pirates said over the winter that they would remove the Bucco Bricks, the third time doing so, as they wanted to replace them do to their deteriorating condition.
Fans came to PNC Park on opening day on April 4, and were surprised that, where the Bucco Bricks were previously located, they instead found paved cement.
Those fans, curious as to where the Bucco Bricks went, found out that they landed at a recycling center.
Pirates owner Bob Nutting sent out an apology and team president Travis Williams put out a statement for fans that bought a Bucco Brick to get "a complimentary commemorative replica of their brick" and that they are looking at a new location for the original messages at PNC Park.
There are currently almost 3,500 requests for the replica, which the Pirates will honor in the future.
The SEA released their investigation, which they started on April 10, to see why and how this could've occurred. They own PNC Park and lease it out to the Pirates and began discussions with them on removing the Bucco Bricks as early as May 2022.
Both the Pirates and the SEA agreed that public funding was the best option for the removal and the SEA applied for a grant through the Multimodal Transportation Fund (MTF) on July 31, 2023.
The Commonwealth Financing Authority approved the Grant Application on April 17, 2024 with $950,000 granted on May 28, 2024.
The grant stipulated that the SEA had to secure the consultants and contractors for the project and that it also required, "matching funds equal to no less than 30% of the grant amount."
The Pirates agreed to pay for 75% of the project and the SEA at 25%, which the SEA agreed to because they had the understanding that they were "responsible for certain deteriorated sidewalk slabs, but that it was not responsible for the areas with commemorative bricks or areas of sidewalk exhibiting no visible damage."
The SEA issued a Request for Proposal for the Design, Engineering, and Inspection of Concrete Sidewalk Replacement Around PNC Park (RFP) on May 10, 2024, where they stated consistently throughout that they would save the Bucco Bricks, by removing them, relocating them and offer to give them back to the fans who bought them.
The SEA and Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates, Inc. (“WJE”), the project design engineer, agreed to this on June 17, 2024, which would have them take out the Bucco Bricks and repave with concrete, save the Bucco Bricks and then figure out storage.
Pavers received instruction for the Bucco Bricks, which they would excavate them, place them on a pallet according to year and then hand them off to the Pirates.
P.J. Dick, the contractor for the project, didn't receive instruction for moving the excavated Bucco Bricks off site, only to palletize them. P.J. Dick agreed to these terms on Sept. 24, 2024 in exchange for $13,500.
The SEA provided pictures in the report of the excavation and palletization of the Bucco Bricks.
P.J. Dick, after the palletization of the Bucco Bricks, which they then shrink-wrapped, worked with the Pirates to transport the bricks. Pirates' employees moved the pallets with the Bucco Bricks from the sidewalk to the nearest gate and then inside PNC Park.
There were 32 pallets of Bucco Bricks in total and P.J. Dick, following their coordination with the Pirates, did nothing with the bricks after this.
The SEA then said that the Pirates, not anyone else, chose to dispose of the bricks. The Pirates worked with Michael Brothers, a local hauling and recycling company, "to pick up, transport and dispose of the pavers at its recycling facility in Reserve Township." This process took place over three days, March 31, April 1 and April 2.
They further reported that while the Pirates claimed they never said they were going to return the bricks to their owners, the Pirates did consider it and communicated it to the SEA.
The SEA wrapped up their report stating that they never intended to destroy the Bucco Bricks and took many steps to ensure their preservation for whatever the Pirates chose to do with them.
Dominic writes for Pittsburgh Pirates On SI, Pittsburgh Panthers Pn SI and also, Pittsburgh Steelers On SI. A Pittsburgh native, Dominic grew up watching Pittsburgh Sports and wrote for The Pitt News as an undergraduate at the University of Pittsburgh, covering Pitt Athletics. He would write for Pittsburgh Sports Now after college and has years of experience covering sports across Pittsburgh.