Pirates Turnaround Even Includes Their Paul Skenes Bobblehead Giveaway

Eventually, after the public relations nightmare made waves on social media, the team announced that any fan with a ticket to the game would receive a voucher for a Skenes bobblehead to pick up at a later date. While the team did follow through on this, the whole ordeal felt like it could have been avoided by doing exactly what they did this year – order enough bobbleheads for every fan.

What Was Different This Year?

This year, the Sieberts waited 15 minutes.

“It was a lot more organized,” Dan said. “Last year there were no set lines. It was kind of every man for themselves. This year, you knew you were going to get one.”

The Pirates distributed almost 40,000 bobbleheads this time around – nearly double last year’s supply. But the organization’s fix wasn’t just numerical. It was philosophical, matching the positive moves that the front office made over the off-season. This newfound sense of doing the right thing has apparently spread across the entire organization.

“After last year started, they really stumbled,” said Michael Rossi of Greensburg. “They took that Clemente thing down off the wall, then the bricks – it was one negative thing after another. This year, it’s almost been one positive after another.”

A Winning Cure

That positivity comes with a winning record and a team that feels like they could compete for a playoff spot.

“Watching them come off the field winning, everybody’s got big smiles on their faces. Lock Griffin and Skenes up for five or ten years, make this a place people want to come and play. It’s been purgatory [for players]," said Rossi.

For Siebert, the improved fan experience mirrors the team’s on-field turnaround. The Pirates are in first place. The pitching staff, anchored by Skenes, Mitch Keller, and emerging young arms like Bubba Chandler, has gone from promising to potent. And for the first time in years, the offense is keeping pace.

“They’ve spent a little more money and gotten better players,” Siebert said. “By this time last year, I didn’t care much at all. But if you put a decent product on the field, people are going to come to these games in Pittsburgh.”

That, fans say, is the real difference. The Pirates are no longer going through the motions. And the city has responded.

“It’s a good sports town if you’re winning,” Rossi said. “If you’re losing? Not so much. But I’m not fair-weather – win, lose, or draw. Fans just saw the lack of effort from the team. Why should we care if you don’t?”

Now, with a legitimate shot at ending a playoff drought that stretches back to 2015, the sense around the ballpark has shifted.

“Winning cures everything,” Siebert said.

And for one afternoon at least, so did a bobblehead, handed out with a smile, not a scrum. The Pirates haven’t won anything yet. But for fans who lived through the chaos of last year’s giveaway and the emptiness of losing seasons, this year feels different. The lines are shorter. The vibes are better. And for the first time in a long time, Pittsburgh is having fun again.