Bucco Bricks investigation reveals Pirates "opted to discard them," Pittsburgh Sports & Exhibition authority finds
An independent investigation into the ongoing saga surrounding Bucco Bricks, PNC Park, and the Pittsburgh Pirates found the team was given options for saving the commemorative bricks, but chose instead to get rid of them.
The Pittsburgh Sports and Exhibition Authority released its findings Thursday, saying in part that a plan was presented to the team with options to either keep the bricks or give them back to fans, but the team declined.
"Rather than being treated as construction debris, careful steps were taken and project funds were expended to salvage and preserve the Bucco Bricks either for reinstallation or for a return of them to the fans who had purchased them," . "The Pirates rejected both of those options and opted instead to discard them."
A team spokesperson admitted Thursday that course of action was, "flat out wrong."
What are Bucco Bricks?
Prior to the opening of PNC Park in 2001, the Pirates offered fans the opportunity to purchase commemorative, personalized bricks that were laid outside of the stadium's home plate entrance.
In September 2024, the Pittsburgh Sports and Exhibition Authority approved a sidewalk replacement project outside of PNC Park.
During the project, the construction company P.J. Dick removed the bricks, with instructions not to treat them as construction debris. The Bucco Bricks were set aside, then shrink-wrapped on a pallet. In total, 32 pallets of bricks were handed over to the Pirates, and the construction company continued with the sidewalk replacement project, the report stated.
When the project was completed in March of this year, fans started asking questions about their missing Bucco Bricks.
Bucco Bricks spotted at recycling facility
Then, last month, the bricks were found at a recycling facility. Pictures and videos sent to KDKA-TV showed Bucco Bricks being brought to facilities, including one in Reserve Township, where building materials are brought to be recycled.
It was the conclusion of a long push by fans demanding answers to where their cherished keepsakes had gone.
"Unbelievable. That's unbelievable," said fan Mark Robinson. "We bought those bricks. That's my brick. I mean, my daughter's name is literally on the brick. It's mine, and they just got rid of it. It's awful."
Pirates owner Bob Nutting apologizes to fan
As the story continued to unfold, one fan told KDKA-TV he received a personal email from team owner Bob Nutting, apologizing for the way the situation was handled.
"I think he took it as a shock, just like everyone else did," Brian Carothers said. "It was an apology email, saying he was embarrassed by how the situation was handled with the Bucco Bricks."
In the email, Nutting said he saw Carothers' interview with KDKA-TV and wanted to reach out to him. He added he would have supported selling the bricks to him if possible. Nutting said the images of the bricks "carelessly tossed aside" were a mistake, disrespectful, and offered his apologies.
In response, the team has now offered free replica bricks to fans as a sign of goodwill.
"I know how meaningful the messages and tributes are. We respect that. We appreciate that," Pirates President Travis Williams wrote in a letter. "We are, and have always been, absolutely committed to ensuring these special messages and tributes live on permanently at PNC Park."
Bucco Bricks investigation launched
At the April 10 board meeting of the Pittsburgh Sports and Exhibition Authority, it was decided that an independent investigation would be conducted into the removal and disposal of the bricks.
The report, released Thursday, detailed how the bricks came to be disposed of.
"The Pirates have stated that reinstalling the pavers was not a viable long-term option because, over time, they would become a tripping hazard and would need to be replaced again," the report read.
It also found that no public funds were used to dispose of the commemorative bricks.
"The only expenditure of project funds was to salvage and preserve the bricks," it said. "Specifically, P.J. Dick was paid $13,500 for performing that service."
In total, the investigation found that contract documents and specifications of the project were prepared on the Pittsburgh Sports and Exhibition Authority's behalf to "salvage, preserve, and deliver the Bucco Bricks to the Pirates."
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The Pirates provided KDKA-TV with a statement from Brian Warecki, the team's SVP of Communications, which you can read in full below.
"After 25 years, the sidewalks around PNC Park represented a safety risk and were in desperate need of repair, this included the Bucco Bricks. The way in which we communicated and handled the replacement of those bricks was flat out wrong. That has been well documented at this point and something we, the Pirates, take sole and total responsibility for and are working hard to make it right.
We know how meaningful the messages and tributes are. We are, and always have been, absolutely committed to ensuring these special messages and tributes live on at PNC Park. With this being the third time that we had to replace the bricks due to cracking, wear and tear, and uneven surface areas, it is important that we find a more lasting display.
The new permanent display at PNC Park will include all the original messages. We are finalizing those plans and excited to share the plans with our fans later this season.
In the meantime, we had about 3,500 fans who previously had their message displayed on a brick at PNC Park, the opportunity to receive a complimentary keepsake replica of their original brick.
Our hope is that, through our actions, fans will be assured that we appreciate how meaningful these messages and tributes are and are committed to ensuring they live on at PNC Park."
