City to host baseball pep rally

BRADENTON — Ready for baseball season at McKechnie Field?

Then circle Feb. 25 on your calendars.

The city of Bradenton, the Pittsburgh Pirates and the new Bradenton Marauders will hold a pep rally at 6 p.m. Feb. 25 on Old Main Street.

The Pirates are entering their 42nd year with McKechnie Field as their spring training home, while the Marauders will begin their first season at McKechnie as the Pirates’ Florida State League affiliate.

Mayor Wayne Poston can’t wait. “We’re excited,” he said. “We want this pep rally to show how proud Bradenton is to be the southern home of the Pittsburgh Pirates and how much it’s going to mean to have the Marauders represent Bradenton around the state.”

“I think Bradenton is ready to embrace it,” said Dan Wolfert, the Marauders general manager who also will oversee McKechnie’s field operations. “They’ve had the Pirates for 42 years and now they have a team to call their own for the first time in 86 years.”

He meant the 1924 FSL Bradenton Growers.

The Pirates play March 2 against the State College of Florida and begin Grapefruit League play March 3 in Tampa against 2009 World Series Champion New York Yankees.

The Pirates first home game is March 6 against the 2009 National League Champion Philadelphia Phillies.

The Marauders’ inaugural game is April 8 at McKechnie.

Players, coaches and front office members of both ballclubs will join Poston on stage at the pep rally, which will last until 10 p.m.

Team officials will also unveil the Marauders’ uniforms.

“They’re reminiscent of the Pirates but they’ll definitely be unique to Bradenton,” said Trevor Gooby, the Pirates’s senior director of Florida operations.

Councilmember Marianne Barnebey will sing the national anthem.

The rally will feature games for kids, mascots mingling with the crowd, baseball trivia with chances to win autographed Pirates memorabilia and music throughout the night.

Along with ball game food and beer vendors from Mattison’s, sponsors include the Bradenton Downtown Development Authority, Manatee Memorial Hospital, the Bradenton Herald, Bright House and the Pirates.

For more information, call Rachelle Madrigal at 747-3031, ext. 4003 or e-mail Rachelle.Madrigal@pirates.com.

Or call Anna Pohl at 704-4366, or e-mail annap@realizebradenton.com