Pirate Spring Training Notes

Last Updated 13 June 2001

I've been lucky enough to get to Bradenton the last few years for spring training. They were my first trips to Bradenton in my 30-some years of Pirate fan-dom.
Bradenton is about 40 minutes south of Tampa on Florida's Gulf Coast. The town is fairly easy to get around once you break the code on how the streets are laid out. The north/south streets are numbered, as well as the east/west avenues. The town also has streets numbered as 9th Street East or 9th Street West. As long as you pay attention to the street/avenue designation and the east/west description, you should get around town fine. Some major north/south streets are 14th Street West (US 41), and Route 301. East/West Arteries include Mantee Avenue on the northern end of town (at 5th Avenue) and Cortez Avenue (at 44th Avenue, but a busy, light filled route), and 53rd Avenue.
The Pirates have two homes on the Gulf Coast: Other Grapefruit League Sites | Places to Eat in Bradenton | Former Pirate Spring Training Sites |
McKechnie Field
If you have never been to McKechnie Field, then you are in for a wonderful and fun experience. There has been a ballpark on this site for over 70 years (1923), but don't expect any run down facility in Bradenton; McKechnie Field got a complete make-over in 1992-1993. The ballpark is named for Hall of Fame manager (and long-time Bradenton resident) Bill McKechnie who led the Bucs to the 1925 World Series Championship. See my Hall of Fame page for more info on the ballpark's namesake. The Pirates have trained in Bradenton since 1969 (they moved from Fort Myers that spring - see the list below for other former Bucco spring training sites).
McKechnie Field is located at the corner of 9th Street West and 17th Avenue. It hugs 9th Street, and foul balls routinely land in the street (where enterprising individuals collect them for sale). The outside facade has a white Spanish Mission look to it; the prominent color inside the park is green. Just a few rows of box seats are closest to the field, then behind a wide walkway, covered Reserved seats run from 3rd base around to 1st base. Open Grandstands line both the Left and Right Field lines. As I sat in the LF grandstands, and looked past the third base covered stands, it reminded me slightly of the old grand stands in Forbes Field. The ballpark seats 6,562. The field dimensions are symetrical; 335 ft down the lines, 370' to the power alleys, and 400' to center.
The outfield walls display a series of championship pennants from the team's rich history. These pennants on flag poles trace the Pirates' history from their 1901 NL Championship through the 1992 Eastern Division flag. Pirate logo flags and modified Jolly Rogers fly from other flag poles. The scoreboard is simple with electric lights showing the line score, balls, strikes, outs, and the batter's number. It is a simple scoreboard that you might find at low minor league parks or even at a high school ball field. A few graceful palm trees sway in the Florida breeze at even intervals beyond the wall. The ballpark is simple, traditional, yet also modern in many ways.
I was impressed with how close I could get to the right field area batting cages. I arrived at the game about an hour early, and stood about 10 feet away while the Pirate regulars (and not so regulars) went through their pre-game hitting drills in the cage. The Pirate bullpen was easy to see as I leaned against the waist high fence and closely watched the Bucco hurlers warm up. If you want to get close to the action, then spring training is the place to be. You can also run into most of the Pirate front office personnel around McKechnie Field. It is common to see owner Kevin McClatchy, GM Cam Bonifay, or Special Assistant to the GM (and former Bucco slugger) Willie Stargell among other Pirate executives. The Right Field corner is the place to be for pre-game action at McKechnie. I saw all the Bucs go by as they headed back to the clubhouse after their infield/outfield warm-ups. The gates open early at McKechnie (about 11:00 for the standard 1:05 game). Get to the park early and enjoy the pre-game atmosphere at spring training.
Bradenton has a Pirate radio affiliate on 1490 AM. Not every game is broadcast on the spring schedule, but the Media Guide should have a list of which games are on the air. The Pirate broadcast team and local Pittsburgh media members are also very accessible in Bradenton. Say hello to Lanny and the gang as they pass by.
In 1998, there was a new clubhouse store near the main gate at McKechnie. It is well stocked, and has all the Bucco caps, shirts, jersies, and jackets to satisfy most fans.
McKechnie also has a nice picnic area behind the first base stands. It is a wonderful place to relax before the game for a bite to eat, but during the game, be on the look-out for foul balls here. There are numerous picnic tables to use, grass under your feet, and palm trees and blue Florida sky above you.
If you are new to the spring training scene, you might be surprised when you see players running in the Outfield on the warning track during the game. It is a common spring training sight (but odd the first time you see it). The starters will be taken out of many games by the 6th inning and head to the outfield for their running. After they get their work done, the players will many times stop to sign autographs.
Parking is readily available in the local neighborhood. The local folks/businesses renting out their yards as parking lots might remind the older fans of going to a game at old Forbes Field. The parking charge in 2000 was $4 (but you might be able to negotiate a cheaper rate if you are there for a week).
Other McKechnie observations: there are no lights in this park, so day games are the only option (ahhhhhhh). Also, as soon as the crowd departed the LF grandstands, the seagulls moved in as the clean-up crew. I think soft pretzels are a McKechnie seagull favorite.
At the end of the game on Sundays, kids get to run the bases at McKechnie. It was fun to see all the little guys sprinting around the diamond. Towards the end of the session, there were some "not so young" fans getting their lap around the sacks in also.
Ballpark Food: The best concessions may be tucked behind the homeplate grandstand. Subway sandwiches, Little Caesar's Pizza, and TCBY seem to put out a better product than some of the regular ballpark stands. A 6 inch sub runs $3.50. You can get white or wheat bread (unlike Sarasota where white bread is the only choice), and they make the sandwich to your specifications (unlike Sarasota's pre-made sandwiches). One exception to the bland ballpark fare is the $3 foot-long hot dog with sauerkraut sold down the leftfield line. Beer: Bud and Bud Light are found around the ballpark, but you can find some microbrews and imports under the homeplate stands. The posted rule says no outside food is allowed in McKechnie Field, but no one has checked my bag going into McKechnie Field.

Recent improvements to McKechnie include: Elevator (1993), Batting Cage (1994), Marque (1996), Clubhouse renovation (1997-1998).
For spring training ticket information call 941-748-4610. One piece of advice for weekend games, be sure you order tickets early, or you'll be left down the lines in the bleachers. If you want to use a credit card, you'll have to call TicketMaster - and pay their surcharge. McKechnie offers three types of seats: Box, Reserved, and General Admission. Box Seats include the seats closest to the field, plus the stands behind home plate. The Reserved seats provide overhead cover from the Florida sun and spring showers; the Reserved seats stretch along the baselines. The General Admission seats are listed as "reserved" GA - you do get assigned a certain part of the bench, but during the week, you can stretch out in the bleachers.
Pirate City:
Pirate City is in another part of town. It is out in the orange groves next to Mixon's Fruit Farm, about 5 miles from McKechnie Field. You might have your spouse drop you off at Pirate City, while she/he goes back to browse the citrus gift shop at Mixon's. Pirate City is a training facility for all levels of the organization at 1701 27th Street East. The facility has a 2-level motel-like dorm, with 4 practice fields that have their backstops near each other. The four fields are named:
You can catch Pirate workouts, intra-squad games, minor league practices, and minor league games at Pirate City. Minor League games usually start about mid-March. See the team office at Pirate City for details or watch the Sarasota and Bradenton papers for scheduling of any B games. They usually start at 10 AM, and go 5 innings. Minor League games against other franchise's minor league teams usually start at 1:00.
Pirate City is very fan friendly, with the opportunity to get very close to players throughout the Pirate system. There is plenty of free parking at Pirate City.
In March 1998, the city of Bradenton committed $3.5M to the renovation of Pirate City; the team contributed $1.5M. The renovation included: a larger clubhouse, a fifth playing field and a 1/2 practice field, the additon of eight batting tunnels, expanded office spaces, and extensive renovations to the player's dorm. The facility was badly in need of repair. It was originally built on a landfill, and had sunk over the last 30 years. The clubhouse was small and cramped, forcing the players to dress in shifts whenever the full minor league complement of players was in camp. The renovations were completed in spring-1999, and will keep the Pirates in Bradenton at least until the year 2012.
Other Grapefruit League Ballparks: Here are a few quick notes on various Florida Spring Training parks I've visited:

Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota (visited in 1997, 1998) is home to the Reds (as of 1998). It is more of a "stadium" than McKechnie (more poured concrete). It was built in 1989; I saw the White Sox there in 1997. The Outfield dimesions are 340' to the corners, 375 to the alley, and 400 straight away to Center Field. Ed Smith is nice, clean, but generic, and has blue as a primary color. There is no real neighborhood to speak of here; it is kind of out by itself, with few businesses near-by. Lots of parking is available across the street. At the gate, they went through my game bag looking for "Food or water". I don't recall any memorable concessions in Sarasota. Ed Smith Stadium is also Home to the Florida State League Sarasota Red Sox. The stadium has a seating capacity of 7,500, and surrounding parking areas can accommodate 2,000 cars.

Legends Field in Tampa (1997 visit) is home to the Yankees, and it is a nice facility. It is a new park (1996) and is surrounded by practice fields. As I walked up, I saw the Yankee fans watching the Bombers warm up on an adjacent field.
Legends Field has a nice display of their retired uniform numbers in a small green space out front - stop by for a peek when you visit.
The ticket for the Yanks seemed to be in high demand in FL; the game was sold out (a Sunday game) at least 2 weeks prior. I did get lucky and found a season ticket holder in the parking lot who couldn't attend the game - I got good seats at face value ($10). I was on the 3B side, up in the second section but low, and inside the 3B coaches box. Nice view.
Legends Field is right across from the Tampa Bay Buc (NFL) stadium and right along a freeway. I think that takes away some from the attractivness of the ballpark.
Legends Field is also the home to the Florida State League Tampa Yankees.

Joker Marchant Stadium in Lakeland (1999 visit) is in Tiger Town. The ballpark looks older than is listed; it was opened in 1966. There is lots of parking around the ballpark. The walk up area is unpretentious with a simple box office, wire fence, and turnstile area. A wide concourse features food and souvenier stands. The seating area stops near the first base bag on one side of the field; the home clubhouse with a luxury suite on top is located behind the RF bullpen. The Reserved seats are partly covered. Along the left field line, there is a double decked Grandstand. The lower section has bench seats, arm rests, and backs. The upper level of the grandstand has backless bleacher seats. I had a third base box seat in the front row. I talked to a few of the Pirate players as they came by. One note: the front railing is too tall (or the seats are too low); I'm 6' 2", and I could see just over the railing, while others had to look through the fence. The outfield wall has blue padding and no advertisements. There is a palm tree backdrop and a simple right field scoreboard. Joker Marchant is an intimate ballpark that rivals McKechnie, but is far better, in my opinion, than Legends Field. There is a lot of hitting room here; center field is 420 feet, the power alleys are 375 feet, and the foul poles are 340 feet down the lines.
Joker (Marcus Thigpen) Marchant was Lakeland's recreation director who convinced the city to build this park to replace the Tigers former facility. This ballpark holds 7,100 fans, and the Tigers have been in Lakeland since 1933. The park was renovated in the '70s with the LF bleachers added in 1988. This is also the home of the Florida State League Lakeland Tigers.

Hammond Stadium at Lee County Sports Complex in Ft Myers (2000 visit) is home to the Twins. It took me 1 1/2 to 2 hours to drive down I-95 to Ft Myers. The ballpark is fairly easy to find. The complex hosts all the Twins Minor League teams (with numerous practice fields). There is a lot of parking available here. The parking lanes are named for the great Twins players/figures: Puckett, Allison, Battey, Blylevan, Carew, Grant, Hrbeck, Kaat, Kelly, Killabrew, Mauch, Oliva, Pohlad, and Perry.
There is a palm-lined walkway that leads you to an extensive fountain display near the homeplate entrance. Built in 1991, the park looks fairly new. Once through the turnstile, you walk up a set of stairs to the main concourse - then you walk through the tunnel and down to the box seats. There are 15 rows of green box seats, a walking concourse, then 16 rows of aluminum bench style (with backs) Reserved Seats. The Press and Luxury Boxes are raised behind the home plate area. The seating bowl only extends to just past the 1st and 3rd base bags. A shade canopy provides a respite from the Florida sun over each side of the park. There is a single row of advertisements along the outfield wall. The wall hides the parkway (from field level) with a Florida treeline adding greenery to the ballpark backdrop. The ballpark dimensions are symetrical: 330 feet down the lines, and 405 straight away.
During the 2000 season, tickets cost $12 (box seats) and $9 (Reserved). Parking cost me $3. I sat in the box seats, 5th row, inside the 3B dugout, near the Twins on-deck circle. Hammond Stadium had the best beer deal on the Gulf Coast: a 32 ounce draft for $5. I had a less-than-average bratwurst from a local organization on the main concourse. The ballpark capacity is 7,500. Hammond Stadium is also home to the Flordia State League (Class A) Ft Myer Miracle.

Jack Russell Memorial Stadium in Clearwater (2000 visit) has been home to the Philles since it opened in 1955. It is about an hour's drive north of Bradenton. I found parking right at the ballpark. I picked up a $12 box seat from a season ticket holder for his cost of $10. He was right by the box office along the LF line, so I'll look for him again on my next trip. He said that selling his extra tickets gives him his "beer money" for the day. I was in the 2nd row of box seats right by the Bucco on-deck circle and the line-up of Pirate coaches sitting on folding chairs outside the dugout. My seat was a folding aluminum chair with a red back. I had the most knee room I've had in any ballpark. There are 10 rows of box seats, a walking concourse, and a series of bench style aluminum Reserve seats with backs. There is significant shade cover for the reserve seat section. Open bleachers with backs are located down the lines here. There were multiple ped pennants above the grandstands. There is a full display of a single row of advertisements along the outfield wall. Clearwater is home to the original Hooters, so there is a large owl sign in the leftfield power alley with holes for eyes (a home run through the eyes earns a prize). A couple young Hooters girls serve as ball girls down each line during the spring games. It is 340 feet down the lines and 400 feet to Center Field. There are lots of trees in the ballpark backdrop. Capacity here is 6,942. Of course, I had to sample a Philly Cheesesteak here (it was sufficient, but not very memorable). There were soft pretzels available too, but I didn't sample them (this time).
The stadium is named in honor of the late Jack Russell, who, as a City Commissioner from 1951-55, was the driving force behind the stadium. The Philadelphia Phillies have trained in Clearwater since 1947, the second longest tenure of any Grapefruit League team. Jack Russell Stadium is also home to the Flordia State League (Class A) Clearwater Phillies.

Space Coast Stadium in Viera (1999 visit) is home to the Marlins. I didn't see the Pirates here on the Atlantic coast, but there is a Bucco tie-in; the surrounding complex is named for former Pirate (and Marlin) executive Carl Barger. I talked to Carl's brother in the gift shop. He is a snowbird from mid-Pennsylvania (Lewistown) who spends his winters in Florida. He noticed my Pirate cap and starting talking about the Bucs and was looking forward to the new AA team in Altoona. Parking is plentiful here and cost me $3 (in 1999). There is a Mighty Casey statue as you walk up to the park. Casey must be 10-12 feet tall on a 4 foot raised base. There is a NASA space shuttle model also on display here. You have to climb a set of steps to enter the ballpark and the main concourse (much like Hammond Stadium above, though I visited Space Coast a year earlier). You walk through the tunnel and onto the walking concourse near the seats. There are 9 rows of teal-colored box seats (with orange railings) below you and 15 rows of Reserve seats above the walking concourse. There are 2 decks of luxury suites raised behind home plate, and grandstands down both the left and right field lines. There is a grass seating berm beyond the left field fence, and a hand operated scoreboard. Right Field has a two-tiered advertisements display. It is 340 feet down the lines and 404 to center field.
Space Coast Stadium seems to face in an odd direction (toward the southeast). The park was built in 1993 and has a capacity 8,100. I saw a Marlins-Orioles two-game series here, and talked to former Bucco pitcher Bruce Kison during his stint with the O's.
Space Coast Stadium is named in honor of NASA's achievements over the past three plus decades, and this theme is echoed in every corner of the ballpark. A large digital clock hangs on the ramp to the stadium and counts down the hours, minutes and seconds until game time, just like similar clocks existing at the nearby Kennedy Space Center. When a Manatee player hits a home run, smoke spews from a baseball rising above the scoreboard like a rocket lifting off to space. Space Coast Stadium is also home to the Flordia State League (Class A) Brevard County Manatees. The mascot is named "Hugh Manatee" (think about it).
Places to eat in Bradenton:
Popi's: For a good breakfast, eat right next to the main gate of McKechnie Field. They have good Belgian Waffles, and if you arrive early enough, you might eat with some of the players or Pirate announcers (or so I've been told).
Anna Maria Oyster Bar: a short drive from Bradenton. Watching the pelicans and looking for dolphins is free. The food is good and reasonably priced. It was closed on my 2000 trip.
Rod and Reel Pier: the next pier down from the place above; this is my preferred place to eat. Great quality - very reasonable prices. For Happy Hour, I enjoyed a 75 cent beer while I sat on the pier and read books and magazines from my ballpark bag. I ate here (again) on two of the four nights I had in town (in 2000).
Sarasota Brewing Company: good food, beer, service, and atmosphere. If you are headed to Ed Smith Stadium for a game, then this is a good post-game stop-off.

Places to stay: see the links to Chamber of Commerce web sites on my main Pirates page.

Former Pirate Spring Training Sites:
1900 Thomasville, GA 1901-1914 Hot Springs, AK
1915-1917 Dawson Springs, KY 1918 Jacksonville, Fl
1919 Birmingham, AL 1920-1923 Hot Springs, AK
1924-1934 Paso Robles, CA 1935 San Bernardino, CA
1936 San Antonio, TX 1937-1942 San Bernardino, CA
1943-1945 Muncie, IN 1946 San Bernardino, CA
1947 Miami Beach, FL 1948 Hollywood, CA
1949-1952 San Bernardino, CA 1953 Havana, Cuba
1954 Fort Pierce, IL 1955-1968 Fort Myers, FL
1969-present Bradenton, FL
For more Pirate Spring Training notes (and pictures), see Jim Houston's Spring Training 2000 web site.
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