The plan is to have thousands of fans, equally disgusted that the Pirates are on their way to a 15th consecutive losing season, get up from their seats after the third inning of Saturday night's game against the Washington Nationals at PNC Park and either stand in the concourse or go home.
A sellout crowd is expected, not because there is a great interest in the lowly Pirates, but because there is curiosity about the walkout.
Oh, and it's Bob Walk Bobblehead Night.
Unless you are at the game, it's unlikely you will be aware the walkout is taking place. The Pirates have asked their announcers to not mention it and Fox Sports Pittsburgh, which televises Pirates games, will not show the mass exodus, if there is one.
It's uncertain whether the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network, which televises the Nationals' games, will show the walkout.
Fan protests are not new in sports or for Pittsburgh. Thanks to the Internet, it is a lot easier to make their feelings known and to organize a wide-reaching effort such as this one.
And there is much for Pirates fans to be angry about.
Consider:
• Since 2002, the Pirates have selected at or near the top of the draft but do not have a position player from the first round in their starting lineup.
• General manager Dave Littlefield has selected pitchers with five of the last seven first-round picks but none has developed into a No. 1 starter. Who can forget his description of Paul Maholm, the eighth choice in the 2003 draft, as a future No. 3 starter?
• The Pirates are inept in the field, making stupid mistakes, getting picked off bases, throwing to the wrong place and running into outs. The talent level is barely above a Triple-A team.
• The top acquisition this season, first baseman Adam LaRoche, is a bust. Thought to be a 30-homer, 100-RBI left-handed power hitter the Pirates so desperately needed, LaRoche is on pace for 16 home runs, 84 RBI and a .210 batting average. But he does walk a lot.
• Bob Nutting, principal owner of the Pirates, claimed money will not determine who was drafted with the fourth pick in the June draft. Then, they pass on Georgia Tech catcher Matt Wieters, believed to be the most talented player, and select Daniel Moskos, who was rated by one service as the fifth-best pitcher in the draft.
Is it any wonder the fans are protesting?
Unfortunately, these stunts do little to help the situation. The Pirates, and in particular the Nutting family, can't be embarrassed into improving the team. Thanks to the league's revenue sharing, they are making a sizable profit and they don't feel the need to put it into salaries. The Pirates are 27th out of 30 teams with a payroll of $38.6 million.
In an odd way, the protest actually helps the Pirates. Fans have to purchase tickets to get into PNC Park and that improves the financial condition of the team.
But, hey, they get to take home a neat bobblehead.
Assistant sports editor Joe Tuscano can be reached at jtuscano@observer-reporter.com