McKechnie Field
Encyclopedia
McKechnie Field is a baseball
field located in Bradenton, Florida
. It is the spring training home of the Pittsburgh Pirates
and is named for Bradenton resident and baseball great, Bill McKechnie
, who led the Pirates in 1925
, the Cincinnati Reds
in 1940
and the Cleveland Indians
in 1948
to World Series titles. Several notable members of the Baseball Hall of Fame such as, Roberto Clemente
, Willie Stargell
, Bill Mazeroski
, Babe Ruth
, Ted Williams
and Mike Schmidt
have played at McKechnie Field during their careers. The stadium also hosts minor league baseball
games for the Bradenton Marauders
, the Pirates' high-single A club in the Florida State League
.
McKechnie's nostalgic charms in its city neighborhood appeal to many baseball traditionalists and ballpark enthusiasts, and some consider the facility to be Florida's version of Fenway Park
. It's built in a Florida Spanish Mission style, with white stucco on the main grandstand and cover bleachers over the reserved seating section. The Pirates and the City of Bradenton celebrated their 40th anniversary together during the 2008 spring training season, which included an agreement between the city and the Pirates to continue their partnership for another 30 years.
. Since its opening, the stadium has hosted the Cardinals, Philadelphia Phillies
, Boston Red Sox
, Milwaukee/Atlanta Braves
and the Kansas City/Oakland Athletics
. In 1969 the Pittsburgh Pirates moved from Terry Park
, their spring training home for 14 years, located in Fort Myers
, to McKechnie Field.
In 1993
it was decided that the aging stadium was in need of a massive renovation. L.D. Astorino Companies
, a Pittsburgh-based firm, was put in charge of renovating the ballpark. After extensive interviews and months of work, an intimate park was recommended with new grounds, wide access ramps, concession stands, kiosks, improved sight lines, while maintaining a ballpark's classic ambiance. McKechnie's old metal chairs that served as box seats, the wooden bleachers were also removed, in favor of more modern stadium seating. The grandstand seen today at McKechnie was built as part of the 1993 renovation and holds 6,602 people. The stadium's remodeling was applauded highly by Pulitzer Prize
-winning author and essayist George Will
for keeping the vintage baseball park look. The renovation to the Spanish mission-style ballpark preserved the intimate, old-time atmosphere so well that led USA Today
dubbed it the “Fenway Park” of spring training stadiums. Renovations prior to the 2008 spring training season included a new visitor’s clubhouse, a new press lounge and lights. McKechnie Field hosted its first night game in history on March 19. Improvements also included a renovation of Pirate City, the team’s southern headquarters, with new offices, player dormitories and a fifth practice field.
The stadium is also host to an annual charity game between the Pirates and the State College of Florida, Manatee–Sarasota. The ballpark's improvements are also made possible through the efforts of the Bradenton Boosters, a volunteer club of local residents that not only raises funds for ballpark improvements,but also operate McKechnie Field on game day. Since 1979, members of the Boosters have volunteered as the Pirates spring training game-day staff. The booster club's 120 members serve as ushers, program sellers, security personnel, merchandise sellers, and press box attendants. McKechnie Field is currently the oldest stadium in the Grapefruit League and the second-oldest in the Florida State League (behind Jackie Robinson Ballpark, built in 1914).
but the game was rained out. Instead the ballpark's first night game was pushed back to March 19, 2008. The game resulted in a Pirates loss to the New York Yankees
by the score of 12-9.
The installation of lights was made possible after the city of Bradenton received a $15 million grant from the state of Florida to upgrade the Pirates' Spring Training facilities. Besides the lights, the grant money paid for a new visitors' clubhouse and an expanded home clubhouse. A lighted McKechnie Field will allow for night baseball and other events, enabling the city to use the ballpark as a catalyst in an area where officials envision an entertainment district.
in Lakeland, Florida
(65 years), and the Philadelphia Phillies
in Clearwater, Florida
(64 years) have been in their spring training locations longer.
In 2008, to celebrate the Pirates 40 seasons in Bradenton, the team unveiled a commemorative logo celebrating their 40th anniversary of hosting Spring Training in Bradenton, Florida. The logo was symbolic of the club's long-term relationship with the city. The patch displayed classic Pirates "P" onto the historical façade outline of McKechnie Field. The Pirates displayed the logo throughout Spring Training on a large billboard just behind the right-center field wall at McKechnie, as well as on the Pirates Spring Training jerseys.
, in 1923 until 1924 and again in 1926. While the off-season Bradenton Explorers
of the Senior Professional Baseball Association
also played here in 1989 and 1990, the stadium did not host a minor league team from 1926 until 2010. The Pirates Rookie Level minor League
affiliate Gulf Coast Pirates, formerly the Bradenton Pirates, play their games at the Pirates training facility in Bradenton's Pirate City complex. However baseball officials voted on November 10, 2009 to allow the Pirates to purchase and uproot the Cincinnati Reds' Class A affiliate, the Sarasota Reds. The team was renamed the Bradenton Marauders and played all of its home games at McKechnie Field. In return the Red received the Pirates Class A team, the Lynchburg Hillcats
. The new Bradenton team began play on April 7, 2010. The inaugural game ended in 18-3 Bradenton victory over the Fort Myers Miracle
.
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
field located in Bradenton, Florida
Bradenton, Florida
Bradenton is a city in Manatee County, Florida, United States. The U.S. Census Bureau estimated the city's 2007 population to be 53,471. Bradenton is the largest Principal City of the Bradenton-Sarasota-Venice, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had a 2007 estimated population of 682,833...
. It is the spring training home of the Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
and is named for Bradenton resident and baseball great, Bill McKechnie
Bill McKechnie
William Boyd McKechnie was an American third baseman, manager and coach in Major League Baseball. He was the first manager to win World Series titles with two different teams , and remains one of only two managers to win pennants with three teams, also capturing the National League title in 1928...
, who led the Pirates in 1925
1925 World Series
In the 1925 World Series, the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the defending champion Washington Senators in seven games.In a reversal of fortune on all counts from the previous 1924 World Series, when Washington's Walter Johnson had come back from two losses to win the seventh and deciding game, Johnson...
, the Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
in 1940
1940 World Series
The 1940 World Series matched the Cincinnati Reds against the Detroit Tigers, with the Reds winning the Series in seven games for their second championship, their first since the scandal-tainted victory in...
and the Cleveland Indians
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...
in 1948
1948 World Series
The 1948 World Series matched the Cleveland Indians against the Boston Braves. The Braves had won the National League pennant for the first time since the "Miracle Braves" team of . The Indians spoiled a chance for the only all-Boston World Series by winning a one-game playoff against the Boston...
to World Series titles. Several notable members of the Baseball Hall of Fame such as, Roberto Clemente
Roberto Clemente
Roberto Clemente Walker was a Puerto Rican Major League Baseball right fielder. He was born in Carolina, Puerto Rico, the youngest of seven children. Clemente played his entire 18-year baseball career with the Pittsburgh Pirates . He was awarded the National League's Most Valuable Player Award in...
, Willie Stargell
Willie Stargell
Wilver Dornell "Willie" Stargell , nicknamed "Pops" in the later years of his career, was a Major League Baseball left fielder and first baseman. He played his entire 21-year baseball career with the Pittsburgh Pirates...
, Bill Mazeroski
Bill Mazeroski
William Stanley Mazeroski , nicknamed "Maz", is a former Major League Baseball player who spent his entire career with the Pittsburgh Pirates...
, Babe Ruth
Babe Ruth
George Herman Ruth, Jr. , best known as "Babe" Ruth and nicknamed "the Bambino" and "the Sultan of Swat", was an American Major League baseball player from 1914–1935...
, Ted Williams
Ted Williams
Theodore Samuel "Ted" Williams was an American professional baseball player and manager. He played his entire 21-year Major League Baseball career as the left fielder for the Boston Red Sox...
and Mike Schmidt
Mike Schmidt
Michael Jack Schmidt is a Hall of Fame third baseman popularly considered among the greatest third basemen in the history of Major League Baseball. He played his entire career for the Philadelphia Phillies....
have played at McKechnie Field during their careers. The stadium also hosts minor league baseball
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
games for the Bradenton Marauders
Bradenton Marauders
The Bradenton Marauders are a minor league baseball team based in Bradenton, Florida that plays in the Florida State League. The Marauders are the Class A-Advanced affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Their home games are played at McKechnie Field, which also serves as the Pirates' spring training...
, the Pirates' high-single A club in the Florida State League
Florida State League
The Florida State League is a Class A-Advanced minor league baseball league operating in the state of Florida. They are one of three leagues currently operating in Class A-Advanced, the third highest of six classifications of minor leagues...
.
McKechnie's nostalgic charms in its city neighborhood appeal to many baseball traditionalists and ballpark enthusiasts, and some consider the facility to be Florida's version of Fenway Park
Fenway Park
Fenway Park is a baseball park near Kenmore Square in Boston, Massachusetts. Located at 4 Yawkey Way, it has served as the home ballpark of the Boston Red Sox baseball club since it opened in 1912, and is the oldest Major League Baseball stadium currently in use. It is one of two "classic"...
. It's built in a Florida Spanish Mission style, with white stucco on the main grandstand and cover bleachers over the reserved seating section. The Pirates and the City of Bradenton celebrated their 40th anniversary together during the 2008 spring training season, which included an agreement between the city and the Pirates to continue their partnership for another 30 years.
History
The stadium was originally built in 1923 for the St. Louis CardinalsSt. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
. Since its opening, the stadium has hosted the Cardinals, Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
, Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
, Milwaukee/Atlanta Braves
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
and the Kansas City/Oakland Athletics
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
. In 1969 the Pittsburgh Pirates moved from Terry Park
Terry Park Ballfield
The Terry Park Ballfield is a historic site in Fort Myers, Florida, United States. The park is named after the family that donated the land in the 1920s. For years the stadium has hosted Major League Baseball spring training as well as a dozen years of Florida State League baseball...
, their spring training home for 14 years, located in Fort Myers
Fort Myers, Florida
Fort Myers is the county seat and commercial center of Lee County, Florida, United States. Its population was 62,298 in the 2010 census, a 29.23 percent increase over the 2000 figure....
, to McKechnie Field.
In 1993
1993 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: Toronto Blue Jays over Philadelphia Phillies ; Paul Molitor, MVP*American League Championship Series MVP: Dave Stewart*National League Championship Series MVP: Curt Schilling...
it was decided that the aging stadium was in need of a massive renovation. L.D. Astorino Companies
Louis D. Astorino
Louis D. Astorino is an architect in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania who was architect of several high profile buildings in his hometown and is the first American architect to design a building in the Vatican....
, a Pittsburgh-based firm, was put in charge of renovating the ballpark. After extensive interviews and months of work, an intimate park was recommended with new grounds, wide access ramps, concession stands, kiosks, improved sight lines, while maintaining a ballpark's classic ambiance. McKechnie's old metal chairs that served as box seats, the wooden bleachers were also removed, in favor of more modern stadium seating. The grandstand seen today at McKechnie was built as part of the 1993 renovation and holds 6,602 people. The stadium's remodeling was applauded highly by Pulitzer Prize
Pulitzer Prize
The Pulitzer Prize is a U.S. award for achievements in newspaper and online journalism, literature and musical composition. It was established by American publisher Joseph Pulitzer and is administered by Columbia University in New York City...
-winning author and essayist George Will
George Will
George Frederick Will is an American newspaper columnist, journalist, and author. He is a Pulitzer Prize-winner best known for his conservative commentary on politics...
for keeping the vintage baseball park look. The renovation to the Spanish mission-style ballpark preserved the intimate, old-time atmosphere so well that led USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
dubbed it the “Fenway Park” of spring training stadiums. Renovations prior to the 2008 spring training season included a new visitor’s clubhouse, a new press lounge and lights. McKechnie Field hosted its first night game in history on March 19. Improvements also included a renovation of Pirate City, the team’s southern headquarters, with new offices, player dormitories and a fifth practice field.
The stadium is also host to an annual charity game between the Pirates and the State College of Florida, Manatee–Sarasota. The ballpark's improvements are also made possible through the efforts of the Bradenton Boosters, a volunteer club of local residents that not only raises funds for ballpark improvements,but also operate McKechnie Field on game day. Since 1979, members of the Boosters have volunteered as the Pirates spring training game-day staff. The booster club's 120 members serve as ushers, program sellers, security personnel, merchandise sellers, and press box attendants. McKechnie Field is currently the oldest stadium in the Grapefruit League and the second-oldest in the Florida State League (behind Jackie Robinson Ballpark, built in 1914).
Night games
Originally, no night games were played at the ballpark for the first 85 years in the stadium's history. However, lights were installed and the stadium hosted its first night game in 2008. The first night game at McKechnie was originally scheduled for March 7 as the Pirates took on the Cincinnati RedsCincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
but the game was rained out. Instead the ballpark's first night game was pushed back to March 19, 2008. The game resulted in a Pirates loss to the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
by the score of 12-9.
The installation of lights was made possible after the city of Bradenton received a $15 million grant from the state of Florida to upgrade the Pirates' Spring Training facilities. Besides the lights, the grant money paid for a new visitors' clubhouse and an expanded home clubhouse. A lighted McKechnie Field will allow for night baseball and other events, enabling the city to use the ballpark as a catalyst in an area where officials envision an entertainment district.
Pirates lease
Because of the impending improvements, the Pirates signed a new 30-year lease that went into effect on February 1, 2008. The team is now guaranteed to play at McKechnie Field through 2037, and after playing two night games in Bradenton in 2008 the Pirates will have many more opportunities to play under the lights over the next few decades. The Pirates tenure in Bradenton (41 years) ranks third in longevity among teams that currently hold spring training in Florida. Only the Detroit TigersDetroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
in Lakeland, Florida
Lakeland, Florida
Lakeland is a city in Polk County, Florida, United States, located approximately midway between Tampa and Orlando along Interstate 4. According to the 2008 U.S. Census Bureau estimate, the city had a population of 94,406...
(65 years), and the Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
in Clearwater, Florida
Clearwater, Florida
Clearwater is a city located in Pinellas County, Florida, US, nearly due west of Tampa and northwest of St. Petersburg. In the west of Clearwater lies the Gulf of Mexico and in the east lies Tampa Bay. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 108,787. It is the county seat of...
(64 years) have been in their spring training locations longer.
40th Anniversary
Minor League use
The stadium also has a short history of minor league use as the home of the Bradenton Growers of the Class D Florida State LeagueFlorida State League
The Florida State League is a Class A-Advanced minor league baseball league operating in the state of Florida. They are one of three leagues currently operating in Class A-Advanced, the third highest of six classifications of minor leagues...
, in 1923 until 1924 and again in 1926. While the off-season Bradenton Explorers
Bradenton Explorers
The Bradenton Explorers were one of the eight original franchises that began play in the Senior Professional Baseball Association in . That season, the club complied a record of 38-34 and finished in second place in the league's Northern Division, narrowly holding off the Orlando Juice. Jim...
of the Senior Professional Baseball Association
Senior Professional Baseball Association
The Senior Professional Baseball Association was a winter baseball league based in Florida for players age 35 and over . The league began play in 1989 and had eight teams in two divisions and a 72 game schedule...
also played here in 1989 and 1990, the stadium did not host a minor league team from 1926 until 2010. The Pirates Rookie Level minor League
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
affiliate Gulf Coast Pirates, formerly the Bradenton Pirates, play their games at the Pirates training facility in Bradenton's Pirate City complex. However baseball officials voted on November 10, 2009 to allow the Pirates to purchase and uproot the Cincinnati Reds' Class A affiliate, the Sarasota Reds. The team was renamed the Bradenton Marauders and played all of its home games at McKechnie Field. In return the Red received the Pirates Class A team, the Lynchburg Hillcats
Lynchburg Hillcats
The Lynchburg Hillcats are a minor league baseball team in Lynchburg, Virginia. They are a Class High-A team in the Carolina League, and currently are a farm team of the Atlanta Braves. They had been a farm team of the Pittsburgh Pirates since 1995, with the Cincinnati Reds fulfilling the final...
. The new Bradenton team began play on April 7, 2010. The inaugural game ended in 18-3 Bradenton victory over the Fort Myers Miracle
Fort Myers Miracle
The Fort Myers Miracle is the Class A Advanced minor league baseball affiliate of the Minnesota Twins Major League Baseball club, currently managed by Jake Mauer. Home games are played at the Lee County Sports Complex in Hammond Stadium, which has a capacity of 7,500, and opened in...
.