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Pittsburgh Post-Gazette — Wed., June 14, 2006 — Page 8C
Pirates fans enjoy preview of FanFest
By Michael Phillips
A group of children gathered around Federal Street as city officials sang the praises of the upcoming All-Star FanFest, but Allegheny County Chief Executive Dan Onorato knew the crowd wasn't for him.
"These kids are here to see Jason Bay," he said, his remarks punctuated by a "Yeah!" from the kids.
Bay was there alongside Bill Mazeroski as the two were named the official All-Star spokesmen. The announcement was part of the All-Star FanFest Sneak Preview, which took place on Federal Street before the Pirates' game last night.
Along with speeches from Bay and Mazeroski, fans also were able to experience three of the attractions that will be at FanFest, an event Mazeroski said was lacking during his time.
"All we did was show up for the game and play," he said. "I'd love to play in this era and have something like this to go to."
FanFest will run from Friday, July 7 to Tuesday, July 11 at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center. Tickers are $20 for adults and $15 for seniors and children.
Marla Miller, Major League Baseball's senior vice president of special events, said that 50,000 tickets had been purchased. Organizers hope 90,000 people visit FanFest in that span.
Mayor Bob O'Connor said it provided a chance for everyone in the city to celebrate baseball's big event.
"There are only 38,000 seats in the ballpark, but 2 million people want to attend," he said.
This year marks the first time FanFest has made a repeat appearance in a city, as it also came to Pittsburgh as part of the 1994 All-Star Game. The 2006 edition will take up twice as much floor space in the convention center, totaling 400,000 square feet.
The exhibits that were previewed last night included the "Steal Home Challenge," where fans are timed as they run from third base to home, and "Batting Practice," where fans put on a helmet and step into the batting cage.
Also on display was the self-proclaimed "World's Largest Baseball."
Bay and Mazeroski signed the ball, which will be on display at the FanFest.
"Major League Baseball does a terrific job with this, and I think you'll see it's a first-class event," Pirates CEO Kevin McClatchy said.
He thanked the 1,400 people who signed up to volunteer. Some of the volunteers will help run FanFest activities.
McClatchy also joined the other officials in encouraging the crowd to "vote early and vote often" for Bay to start on the National League team.
After being introduced as the official All-Star spokesman, Bay said how rare it is to play for a team that plays host to the game.
"You're lucky if you get it once in a career, and I would love to play in it in any capacity," he said. "To start would be a dream."