Even if it did happen 8 years ago, AJ Burnett parking in Bob Nutting's parking spot before his scheduled start might be the best thing I've read about the Pirates this year.
Bob (Nutting) and I had a chat before the COVID came. I was going to sneak up to Pittsburgh and toss out a first pitch and try to be around the team a lot more. It just didn’t work out. When Bob first called me, I missed his call and … wait, that reminds me. Did you ever hear the parking space story?
The parking space story? Do tell.
(Laughs) Back in 2012, I pulled into the parking garage (at PNC Park) on my start day and the first five spots on the left were empty. It was like 4 o’clock and I saw those empty spots and I was like. “What’s going on here? It’s my start day, so I’ll park here.”
Now, it’s like 5:30 p.m. and I’m getting my pants buckled up and this dude comes up to me and asks for my keys. I said, “What?” He says, “I need your keys. I have to move your car.” I said, “I’m getting ready to pitch a big league game and you need my keys? Do me a favor, go get the head of security.” He said, kinda quiet, “I am the head of security.” (Laughs) I told him, “My keys are hanging right here. You want to move my car, go ahead.”
The next day, I get to the garage and there is that yellow caution tape going from pillar to pillars around those four spots. I was like, “OK, OK. Don’t get mad.”
On the day of my next start, I got to the garage, cut the yellow caution tape, backed my Dodge Challenger in there, tied up the tape and went and pitched my ballgame.
About two weeks later, Bob shows up at a game. He’s in the dugout, just as I’m going onto the field, like at 7:01 p.m. I’m like, “Get out of my way. It’s time to go to war.” He was just standing there with a grin on his face from ear to ear and his hand sticking out. I’m like, “What do I do?”
I didn’t smile or anything, I just shook his hand and tried to brush by him. I didn’t know Bob at the time. I had no idea who he was. He patted me on the shoulder and said, “We’ll talk about that parking spot later.”
I was like, “Parking spot? Who is this guy?”
They told me after the game that it was the owner and I’m like, “Oh, my God!” That was the last time I parked in that spot.
So, when I called him back after I missed his call (last winter), the first thing I said was, “Bob, it’s not me in your parking spot. I haven’t even been to Pittsburgh in five years.” He got a kick out of that and was laughing about it.
He told me he wanted to get some guys who can make an impact on the team, get some younger instructors. I’m sure we’ll touch base again soon. If they want me to come down there and help out a little bit, not step on anybody’s toes, I’d be all for it.
https://theathletic.com/2204184/2020/11 ... b-nutting/
