Pirates surprise – Pittsburgh Pirates players Konnor Griffin, Jared Jones and Nick Gonzales turned a Sheetz stop in Cranberry Township into a pre-game moment for workers and fans, signing items, handing out gift cards and taking photos ahead of Friday night’s matchup.
For fans driving by at the wrong moment, the Pirate Parrot was the kind of distraction that makes you pull into the parking lot.
On Friday, Pittsburgh Pirates players Konnor Griffin, Jared Jones and Nick Gonzales traded the dugout for Sheetz on Route 228 in Cranberry Township—an all-star stop that brought them face-to-face with workers and fans ahead of Friday night’s game.
“It’s super important,” Gonzales said, explaining that fans show up to support the team after work and that he wanted to meet them in a place they already go. “Obviously, they come support us after work or whatever it may be, and I can come do this before my job.”
The surprise wasn’t limited to a quick hello. Players helped prepare food, signed balls, handed out gift cards and posed for photo ops. Fans who had just expected a normal run for snacks found themselves caught in something closer to a celebration than a routine stop.
Josh Neurohr was watching when it happened. “This is really cool,” he told KDKA-TV. “Did not expect this to happen today.”
Others described how the sight of the mascot pulled them in. Tyler Yaskula said he was in the area, drove past the Sheetz and saw the Pirate Parrot outside. “I was actually just in the area and drove past Sheetz and saw the Pirate Parrot outside. and I’m like. ‘I gotta go check this out. ’ and came in and there’s multiple Pirate players in here. so it’s pretty cool. ” Yaskula said.
Sheetz framed the collaboration as more than a publicity moment—something designed to make the day feel different. “We just want to make someone’s day and have some fun while doing it,” said Sheetz brand publicist Caroline Constantine.
The players echoed that goal in their own way. Griffin said the point was connection, plain and simple. “We try to tell everybody we’re normal people, too,” Griffin said. “Yeah. we play baseball for the Pirates. but we get to come and do things like this and just enjoy getting to interact with the fans.”.
Before Friday night’s game. the message was delivered in the most familiar setting possible: a Sheetz where the usual hustle met a team arriving with signatures. gift cards and a whole lot of excitement from both directions. And as the Pirate Parrot and Pierogies helped hype the crowd, the surprise kept landing—one fan at a time.
Pittsburgh Pirates Sheetz Cranberry Township Konnor Griffin Jared Jones Nick Gonzales Pirate Parrot Pierogies Route 228