Douglas Battista grew up as a fan of his hometown team, the Pittsburgh Pirates. Since his teen years, Battista has attended opening day every year with his father. The Pirates were formerly known as the Pittsburgh Alleghenys. The team acquired their current moniker after being accused of piratical actions when they picked up Lou Bierbauer from the Philadelphia Athletics in what many considered a rather shady transaction. Douglas Battista says despite this and the fact that the Pirates haven’t had a winning season since 1992, he remains a loyal fan. Growing up, one of his fondest memories was attending the games in the inexpensive seats at Three Rivers Stadium.