Pirates Fans Fly Plane Demanding Sale of Team
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PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates will host their home opener at PNC Park, with fans still displeased with ownership and the poor results on the field in recent years.
A group of Pirates fans hired a plane to fly a sign reading, "Sell the Team Bob" and also put in the website, ourteamnothis.com. around PNC Park before the Pirates home opener against the New York Yankees.
they’re finding biblical ways to bully bob nutting from the sky above pnc park pic.twitter.com/X1VoYsXMWb
— yassified aloy (@singeddryad) April 4, 2025
The plane cost a reported $4,000, according to Dejan Kovacevic of DK Pittsburgh Sports for the group of fans, as they hired a private plane operator to do this around Downtown and on the North Shore.
The "Our Team, Not His" fan group has held protests, demanding Pirates owner Bob Nutting sell the team.
They held a protest Downtown that went to PNC Park back in October and also had one at PiratesFest at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center in January. Kovacevic also reported that the group will host a protest at Federal Street before the game.
The Pirates have struggled greatly for more than 30 years, with many rebuilds and little success for a fan base desperate for it.
Pittsburgh endured the longest consecutive streak of seasons below .500 from 1993-2012, 20 seasons long. They also have had just four winning seasons during that time as well, with an NLDS appearance in 2013 and Wild Card appearances in 2014 and 2015.
Bob Nutting has owned the Pirates since 2007 and the franchise holds a 1285-1534 win-loss record (.455) in his 19th season.
The Pirates had a projected Opening Day payroll of $89,975,500, per Cot's Contracts, which is $20 million lower than the next divisional opponent in the National League Central in the Milwaukee Brewers, at $109,141,136.
It was also the fourth lowest in baseball, with only the Miami Marlins at $68.9 million, Chicago White Sox at $74 million, the Athletics at 78.2 million and the Tampa Bay Rays at $82.9 million ranking lower than the Pirates.
Kovacevic released a report that found that the Pirates had a loss of $2.2 million, or the difference between operating revenues and expenses.
The Pirates are currently 2-5, as they lost three of their four games to the Marlins, all coming on walk-offs, and lost two of three against the Rays.
National media members have also suggested that Nutting sell the team, including Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports and The Athletic and Pittsburgh native Pat McAfee.
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.