The Pittsburgh Pirates on Thursday fired Andrew Kurtz, 24, of New Brighton. Kurtz was one of the racing pierogi’s for the Pirates popular pierogi race after the 5th inning of every game.
The dismissal has caught headlines because Kurtz was fired over remarks he made on facebook about Pirates management.
Dan Majors of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports that Kurtz posted the following message on his facebook:
“Coonelly extended the contracts of Russell and Huntington through the 2011 season. That means a 19-straight losing streak. Way to go Pirates.”
Kurtz told the Post-Gazette that less than four hours later he received a call from his boss, Dan Millar the Pirates mascot coordinator.
Millar and upper management did not take the comments lightly and told Kurtz to immediately turn his uniform in.
“He {Millar} called as the game was going on,” Kurtz told the PG. “He wanted to know what was up with my Facebook message. I told him I didn’t mean anything by it, and he was like, ‘Well, why’d you put it up?’ I said, it was just an opinion. But he took it negative and talked to his boss. And then they wanted me to turn my uniform in.”
Source: Post-Gazette
Pirates management has some insecurities when it comes to negativity about the team. The team has been known to have a spy in the press box this season to monitor negative things being said about the team by press members.
In fact, according to multiple press members, things got heated last month between a few members of the media and the employee acting as a spy who works for a Pirates based website ran by the Nuttings.