(Credit for Photo: Photo Courtesy of WTAE TV Pittsburgh, Posted on Facebook on March 30th, 2026)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Pittsburgh, PA) The “Bucco Bricks,” which are personalized bricks that Pittsburgh Pirates fans can purchase and customize to honor someone with a message, returned to PNC Park this week just in time for the team’s home opener on Friday. The plaques are located on the north part of the park on West General Robinson Street, between Federal Street and Bill Mazeroski Way. The Pirates announced following the 2024 season that they would replace the bricks over the winter for the third time as they had deteriorated because of years of exposure to the elements and wear and tear from fans walking over them. Upset fans found them gone with paved cement over them at PNC Park in April of last year, and they were recycled to be destroyed. Pirates team president Travis Williams and owner Bob Nutting apologized for this incident and also gave fans a chance to get a free commemorative replica of their “Bucco Bricks.” The Sports & Exhibition Authority of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County would release their own investigation into this matter, and it showed that after excavating all the bricks, the Pirates wrapped them up on wooden pallets to give back to fans. It also found out that the team then sent those pallets out to be destroyed, instead of giving the bricks back to the fans if they wanted them.