The Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday unveiled a series of commemorative bronze displays outside PNC Park designed to preserve more than 10,000 fan messages previously displayed on so-called “Bucco Bricks” around the ballpark.
The 60 panels, installed along the stadium facade on West General Robinson Street and Mazeroski Way, replace the original sidewalk bricks, which had required repeated repairs since the park opened in 2001.
Team officials said in a news release that the new vertical displays make the messages easier for fans to find, read, and photograph while providing a more durable and sustainable solution.
“We know how much these messages and memories mean to our fans,” team president Travis Williams said in a statement. “By moving to a vertical bronze display, we are preserving the spirit of the original program in a way that is easier to experience and built to last.”
Harrison Barden / Pittsburgh Pirates 
Each panel stands about 5 feet tall and 6 feet wide, weighs roughly 300 pounds, and contains about 170 etched messages, taking more than 90 hours each to complete, the team said. The design also preserves the original layout and font of the messages, which date back to the ballpark’s opening.
The project was developed in collaboration with architect Janet Marie Smith and her team, the Sports and Exhibition Authority of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County, and the City of Pittsburgh’s Art Commission.
Permanent display replaces removed bricks
Bucco Bricks were removed from the sidewalks around PNC Park last winter during renovations, leaving fans to wonder what happened to mementos adorned with family names and messages.
A further investigation found that the bricks were dumped at recycling centers around the Pittsburgh area, sparking backlash from the fan base, and a statement from the Pirates saying the team would eventually create a display to honor the bricks.
Replica bricks were also mailed to fans who requested them last summer, with about 3,000 people requesting their brick.
Fans who have messages from the original display will be able to locate their message by year in the same manner as the original program. There are now several bronze QR code plaques added to the facade to make locating the original fan messages easier.
In addition, fans can visit this link on the Pirates’ website to easily locate their messages along the outside of PNC Park.
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