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Pittsburgh Pirates


McKechnie Field
17th Avenue West & Ninth Street
Bradenton, FL 34205
Ticket Information: (941) 747-3031

CLICK HERE for a McKechnie Field seating Diagram

2010 Individual Ticket Prices
Red Level Games (9):  Box Seats $17; Reserved $16; Grandstand $10
Gold Level Games (6):  Box Seats $19; Reserved 18; Grandstand $11

Games against the Phillies, Red Sox and Yankees are Gold Level games. All other games are considered Red Level games.

Individual game tickets are currently on sale.  CLICK HERE
for Pirates Spring Training ticket purchase opportunities.

Pitchers and catchers report on February 17 and first workout is February 18.  Position players report on February 22 and first full squad workout is February 23.


2010 Pirates Spring Training Schedule

Schedule subject to change - Home games in all caps - All times local

DAY DATE OPPONENT SITE TIME
Tues March 2 STATE COLLEGE OF FLA - MANATEE BRADENTON 12:05 p.m.
Wed March 3 New York Yankees Tampa 1:05 p.m.
Thur March 4 Atlanta Braves Lake Buena Vista 1:05 p.m.
Fri March 5 Baltimore Orioles Sarasota 7:05 p.m.
Sat March 6 PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES BRADENTON 1:05 p.m.
Sun March 7 MINNESOTA TWINS BRADENTON 1:05 p.m.
Mon March 8 NEW YORK YANKEES BRADENTON 1:05 p.m.
Mon March 8 Tampa Bay Rays Port Charlotte 1:05 p.m.
Tues March 9 New York Yankees Tampa 1:05 p.m.
Wed March 10 BALTIMORE ORIOLES BRADENTON 7:05 p.m.
Thur March 11 TAMPA BAY RAYS BRADENTON 1:05 p.m.
Fri March 12 Atlanta Braves Lake Buena Vista 1:05 p.m.
Sat March 13 Boston Red Sox Fort Myers 1:05 p.m.
Sun March 14 NEW YORK YANKEES BRADENTON 1:05 p.m.
Mon March 15 PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES BRADENTON 1:05 p.m.
Tues March 16 Off Day
Wed March 17 DETROIT TIGERS BRADENTON 1:05 p.m.
Thur March 18 Minnesota Twins Fort Myers 1:05 p.m.
Fri March 19 BOSTON RED SOX BRADENTON 1:05 p.m.
Sat March 20 Baltimore Orioles Sarasota 1:05 p.m.
Sun March 21 TAMPA BAY RAYS BRADENTON 1:05 p.m.
Mon March 22 Off Day
Tues March 23 HOUSTON ASTROS BRADENTON 1:05 p.m.
Wed March 24 BOSTON RED SOX BRADENTON 1:05 p.m.
Thur March 25 ATLANTA BRAVES BRADENTON 1:05 p.m.
Fri March 26 Houston Astros Kissimmee 1:05 p.m.
Sat March 27 TORONTO BLUE JAYS BRADENTON 1:05 p.m.
Sun March 28 Tampa Bay Rays Port Charlotte 1:05 p.m.
Sun March 28 Philadelphia Phillies Clearwater 1:05 p.m.
Mon March 29 HOUSTON ASTROS BRADENTON 1:05 p.m.
Tues March 30 Minnesota Twins Fort Myers 1:05 p.m.
Wed March 31 Detroit Tigers Lakeland 1:05 p.m.
Thur April 1 Philadelphia Phillies Clearwater 1:05 p.m.


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 220 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 42nd 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)
1969-2010 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 $10 while premium” box seats cost $19.

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


Pirates Spring Training Attendance (2000-2009)
 
. 20002001 2002 20032004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
Total Attendance 60,718 50,612 59,348 64,064 73,233 68,562 79,542 81,967 81,067 87,195
Number of Games 1311 1414 1614 16 16 15 19
Average Attendance 4,671 4,601 4,239 4,271 4,577 4,897 4,971 4,940 5,404 4,589

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


Other nearby Spring Training sites
Ed Smith Stadium, Sarasota, Home of the Baltimore Orioles - 13 miles to the South
Bright House Field, Clearwater, Home of the Philadelphia Phillies - 43 miles to the North
Steinbrenner Field,
Tampa, Home of the New York Yankees, 46 miles to the North
Dunedin Stadium,
Dunedin, Home of the Toronto Blue Jays, 50 miles to the North
Charlotte Sports Park,
Port Charlotte, Home of the Tampa Bay Rays - 50 miles to the South
Joker Marchant Stadium, Lakeland, Home of the Detroit Tigers, 68 miles to the Northeast


Official Pittsburgh Pirates Web Site