New York's Mayor Took A Field Trip On Saturday To Drink And Watch Baseball In Pittsburgh
After discovering he had a slow day on Saturday, de Blasio headed to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with a top staffer to drink beers at a baseball game and party with a Johnny Cash cover band late into the night.
According to a New York Times report published Sunday, de Blasio launched the 24-hour "impromptu mayoral excursion" this past weekend. It began with the mayor reaching out to his press secretary, Phil Walzak. With his family out of town, de Blasio reportedly asked Walzak if he was down for some fun.
"You want to do this?" the mayor asked.
"I already packed my bags," Walzak replied.
They then launched a six-hour drive to PNC Park, to see the Pittsburgh Pirates take on Walzak's preferred baseball team, the Milwaukee Brewers. De Blasio, a Boston Red Sox fan, reportedly participated in conference calls and other mayoral duties along the way.
Once in Pennsylvania, de Blasio dined on cheesesteak and went on at least one "beer run." Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto joined them:
De Blasio, Walzak, and Peduto next trekked to a charity event with a packed bar:
However, the evening didn't stop there for the group. At about midnight, de Blasio went to "a former firehouse filled with Roberto Clemente memorabilia and a basement winery." They didn't return to their room at a Comfort Inn hotel until past 1 a.m on Sunday. Walzak claimed de Blasio reportedly woke up at 6 a.m. and was back in New York by noon for a major climate change march.
The Times labeled the journey "Bill and Phil's Excellent Adventure."
Walzak did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider on how often these mayoral adventures occur and if this was his first one.