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Pittsburgh Pirates


McKechnie Field
17th Avenue West & Ninth Street
Bradenton, FL 34206
Ticket Information: (941) 748-4610

2008 Individual Ticket Prices
Red Level Games (11):  Box Seats $16; Reserved $15; Grandstand $8
Gold Level Games (5):  Box Seats $18; Reserved 17; Grandstand $10


2008 Pirates Spring Training - By the Numbers

2008 Record:  13-17

Pirates Leaders

At Bats

 69, Nyjer Morgan

Games

10, Tyler Yates

Hits

  21, Luis Rivas

Innings Pitched

24.2, Matt Morris

Runs

  13, Nate McLouth

Wins

2, Ian Snell, Zack Duke, Paul Maholm

Home Runs

  4, Steve Pearce

Strikeouts

16, Ian Snell

RBI

  10, Five different players

ERA (min 10 IP)

0.90, Sean Burnett (10 IP)

Batting Average
 (min 40 ab)

  .368, Luis Rivas
          (57 ab)

 

 

2008 Attendance Figures
15 games (one cancellation); 81,067 total attendance; 5,404 average per game
Largest crowd: 6,106 vs. Detroit Tigers, Wednesday, March 26


Directions to McKechnie Field
From St. Petersburg -- Go over Skyway Bridge to Exit 2 (19 South); continue on 41 South (Bradenton/Sarasota); make right turn on 17th Avenue West to park.

From Sarasota -- Take Route 41 north to 17th Avenue West; make right and continue to park.

From north or south on I-75 -- Exit at Route 64; go west on Route 64 to Ninth Street West; turn left to stadium.

Stadium Information
Parking: Neighborhood parking, prices vary
Stadium built in 1923 and renovated in 1992
Dimensions: 335 feet right and left field lines and 400 feet to center
Seating Capacity: 6,562
Pirates 37th Spring Training at this location.
 

Pittsburgh Pirates Spring Training Location History
1918 Jacksonville
1947 Miami Beach
1954 Fort Pierce
1955-68 Fort Myers (Terry Park)
1969-2008 Bradenton (McKechnie Field)

Attending a Game at McKechnie Field

Bradenton’s McKechnie Field, built in 1922, is one of the oldest spring training stadiums in Florida’s Grapefruit League. McKechnie Field has been home to spring training baseball since 1923.

The ballpark’s current tenant, the Pittsburgh Pirates, have called McKechnie Field home since 1969. The Pirates and Bradenton celebrated their 40th anniversary together during the 2008 spring training season, which included an agreement between the City of Bradenton and the Pirates to continue this partnership for another 30 years.

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.

This marked McKechnie Field’s second major renovation. In 1993, the Spanish mission-style ballpark was renovated with careful attention to preserving the intimate, old -time atmosphere that led USA Today to dub it the “Fenway Park” of spring training stadiums. 

McKechnie Field is located at 1611 Ninth Street West near bustling downtown Bradenton, home to the South Florida Museum, Manatee Players Theatre, ArtCenter Manatee and more. The ballpark sits directly east of the nationally-acclaimed Village of the Arts, a growing neighborhood of galleries and studios where artists and artisans of various types create and sell their wares.

Members of the Grapefruit League and the Pittsburgh Pirates have experienced escalating attendance each year since 2003 thanks to the cozy, close-to-the-action atmosphere McKechnie Field offers. About one-third of the 6,602 seats are covered by an overhang, but every seat provides an open view to the action.

Ticket prices at McKechnie Field have perennially been one of the lowest in the Grapefruit League. For regularly priced games, grandstand tickets can be had for $9 while premium” box seats cost $16.

McKechnie Field is named after Pittsburgh native, former Bradenton resident and Hall of Fame manager Bill McKechnie.


Pirates Spring Training Attendance (2000-2008)
 
. 20002001 2002 20032004 2005 2006 2007 2008
Total Attendance 60,718 50,612 59,348 64,064 73,233 68,562 79,542 81,967 81,067
Number of Games 1311 1414 1614 16 16 15
Average Attendance 4,671 4,601 4,239 4,271 4,577 4,897 4,971 4,940 5,404

Area Information
Bradenton Area Convention & Visitors Bureau, (941) 729-9177 or www.flagulfislands.com


Official Pittsburgh Pirates Web Site