Kevin Garinger
I asked Kevin Garinger a question that probably sounded dumb: how does a guy from northern Saskatchewan fall in love with Major League Baseball? But his answer? It blew me away. This conversation covers everything from fast-pitch softball to Willie Stargell to a foul ball that nearly took his ear off. But at its core, it’s about how a ballpark—especially PNC Park—can feel like home. A place of peace. A place that helps you heal. We started off talking baseball, but what we got into was something way bigger: connection, memory, and the sacred spaces where we gather to feel alive.
Do you remember the first time you walked into PNC Park, and what was your reaction?
PNC Park is, in my view, the most beautiful park in the entire United States. I’ve only been to nineteen of them, but it’s number one. You’ve got the Clemente Bridge, the Clemente Wall, and the people that make up PNC. When I walked in, it was like I finally got home.
Pittsburgh reminds me of home. There are only 350,000 people in the city. I spent a lot of time in Saskatoon, which is a city of bridges in Canada—Pittsburgh is a city of bridges in the U.S. That connection, and being there with your team, surrounded by people who share the same passion for the Pirates—it was surreal. It really felt like coming home.
You were the president of the Humboldt Broncos when that tragic bus crash happened. Sixteen people passed away. And yet, through all of that, we became friends—through baseball. What does that say about the game?
The tragedy impacted people across the globe. As president, I became a very public figure. I was doing interviews with the New York Times, Sportsnet, CNN. You would trade it all in a second to have those people back. But we can’t go back. What we can do is be grateful for what has happened since.
Sometimes I felt like I didn’t deserve the good that came out of it—like meeting you, Robby. But in Pittsburgh, through the Pirates, I found connection. And that friendship means so much to me. I’d trade all of it for one more second with those boys. But since I can’t, I hold on to what I can. You’ve been part of that.
So how great is it to have baseball as an outlet? You’ve been through an unthinkable tragedy. And yet the game helps, even just a little.
Yeah. Baseball has always been a passion of mine. And being in Pittsburgh, at PNC, around people I care about—it brings me to a calm place. It doesn’t heal you, not completely. But it helps you deal with the holes that are left in your heart.
We both know what it’s like to lose people. I don’t think you ever really “get through” that. But you find ways to survive. For me, baseball—being in that stadium—is one of those ways. It’s where I can feel at peace again. That ballpark has become my good place.
What’s it like for a northern Canadian guy to tour nineteen Major League stadiums?
It’s about baseball. Most of the time, I go because the Pirates are playing. But I also go to see the ballparks. Each one is amazing. They all have their own nuances and uniquenesses. Camden Yards. Citizens Bank Park. I haven’t been to all thirty yet, but I will. And I’ll probably see the Pirates when I do.
It’s not something a lot of people from Saskatchewan do. But because of my passion for the Pirates and for baseball in general, I’ve had the chance. And I plan to keep going.
If there are fellow Canadians wondering what a Major League game is really like, what would you tell them?
There’s a reason it’s called the greatest pastime. You get to watch the best athletes in the world, but you’re also able to relax. You don’t have to be locked in every second. You can talk, be with people you care about, and then suddenly—boom—something amazing happens.
Some people I’ve taken to ballgames didn’t really understand baseball until they got there. Then it clicks. They feel it. They see the vastness of the stadium, the uniqueness of each park. They get caught up in the magic of it.
I remember one time I brought a friend to Pittsburgh. She was sitting in the front row, and it started raining. She got up to leave, but I was like, “No—we don’t leave when it rains!” I turned around to take a selfie, and this lady behind me says, “I’ll take it for you.” Right then, I feel a tick on my ear—it was a line-drive foul ball. It hit her in the leg and landed at my feet. I picked it up. We saw it later on the game broadcast.
It’s those kinds of things—the connections. Maybe you meet the mascot. Maybe you catch a ball. Maybe you talk to a stranger who becomes a friend. That’s what people don’t understand until they go. It’s more than a game.
Baseball lets you be relaxed, lets you talk, lets you feel. And then, just like that, it lifts you out of wherever you were. It’s an incredible experience. And PNC, for me, has been that sacred place.
NOTE: The above was edited for clarity and length.
You can read the full transcript here.