Jun 16, 2002 4 min read

By Steve Ferris Herald-Standard

Colleen Watson is living proof that baseball is not an exclusively male sport.

“I’m a baseball person. I’ve gotten over the stereotype thing,” Watson said. “It’s a baseball knowledge thing.”

For the last 13 years, she’s been working with the various youth baseball leagues at Bailey Park. Watson has been the city’s baseball manager for the last five years and she is also treasurer of the Bailey Park Baseball Boosters Club.

On Wednesday, July 3, she will be a spectator.

Watson and hundreds of other area residents will cheer for the Pirates when they play the Milwaukee Brewers on Uniontown Night at PNC Park along Pittsburgh’s North Shore. A fireworks display is scheduled for after the game.

“We’ve doing this for at least the last 20 years,” she said. “This is the first year we’re on the Pirate’s pocket schedule. It lists Uniontown Night. That’s because this community has a lot of (Pirates) supporters and season ticket holders.”

The ball game could be city residents’ best chance to see fireworks because Uniontown is not planning its own July 4th celebration, Watson noted.

Notoriously prompt, Watson said Edenfield Stages buses will depart from Bailey Park at 4 p.m. and about 200 of 550 discount priced tickets are still available.

“At 4:01 you’ll be following the buses down Route 51,” she warned.

The Pirates give $4 per ticket discounts to groups when they buy 550 tickets.

Residents can buy outfield seats, which usually cost $14, for $10 and seats in section 131, which normally cost $24, for $20.

A $10 bus ticket is good for a seat on an air-conditioned coach bus and $5 will buy a seat on a school bus.

Tickets can be purchased from Watson at A&L Locksmith, 38 North Gallatin Ave. from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. Monday through Friday and at the Bailey Park concession stand behind the Midget League field from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.

Buses will arrive at the stadium well before the scheduled 7:05 p.m. start of the game so residents can enjoy the pre-game festivities that will feature Uniontown youth.

Dante O’Connell, son of Dan and Paula O’Connell and grandson of Patsy and Sara Petro and Jack and Esther O’Connell, will throw out the first ceremonial pitch. Dante is in the third grade at Ben Franklin School. He plays third base for the H.A.R.C. Brewers, FCCBL basketball for St. Therese’s Gold Team and hockey for the Fayette Firebirds. He is in Cub Scout Troop 608 at Third Presbyterian Church, a member of the St. Therese Youth Choir and plays piano.

Blair Howarth, son of Ron and Pam Howarth and grandson of Vincent and Loretta Grote and Charles and Marsha Howarth, will catch the pitch. Blair is in the sixth grade at Menallen School. He plays baseball for the Moose team in the Midget League and football for the Cowboys of the Fayette Football League. He is a Boy Scout in Troop 608 at Third Presbyterian Church and a 4H member.

“Forever,” a group of five Uniontown Area High School students, will sing the national anthem. Group members are Mike Rosinski, son of Michael and Peggy Rosinski of Perryopolis, Steve Kovach, son of Steve and Natalie Kovach of New Salem, Chris Nguyen, son of Viet and Hai Nguyen of Uniontown, Ron Milne, son of George and Kathy Milne of Uniontown and Jarred Volek, son of Tom and Sharon Volek of Uniontown. Kovach, Rosinski and Volek graduated this year.

Tickets are selling fast as several groups, including the Uniontown Kiwanis Club, Uniontown Lions Club, St. Therese’s youth group and the Circle Club, have already purchased their tickets.

Watson said she loves attending Pirates games because they provide adults a chance to act like kids if only for a few hours.

“I’m probably one of the biggest kids of all,” she said. “I just look forward to going. When you see a kid going after a ball (in the stands), the kid turns out to a 45-year-old man. You just have to sit back and wonder who the bigger kid is.”