BRADENTON — Minor league baseball is officially coming to downtown Bradenton.
The Pittsburgh Pirates announced Tuesday they have purchased the high Single-A Florida State League team in Sarasota and will move it to McKechnie Field. The transaction was approved Tuesday afternoon in Daytona Beach during a meeting of the FSL’s team owners.
“We’re excited and we’re fired up,” said Mayor Wayne Poston. “We can’t wait to have this happen.”
Poston’s wait will end April 8, when the team will play its first home game under the lights at McKechnie Field, with a fireworks display to follow.
“This will allow our baseball operations staff to take further advantage of our world-class facilities at Pirate City, as well as allow for the increased usage of our spring training home of McKechnie Field,” said Bob Nutting, the Pirates’ chairman of the board, in a news release by the team. “Thanks to the leadership of Mayor Wayne Poston and the members of the city council, this also deepens our commitment to Bradenton, increases the impact we can have in the community and brings even more entertainment options to the city.”
The team will play a 140-game schedule, which will be announced shortly. Season tickets will cost $210 for reserved seats, and $25 deposits are being accepted now by calling 747-3031. Those who already have Pirates’ spring training season tickets will have the first opportunity to purchase those same seats for FSL games.
“This was an investment that our general manager, Neal Huntington, and director of player development, Kyle Stark, believed would further enhance the development of our minor league players,” Pirates president Frank Coonelly said in the release. “The move of our high-A team to Bradenton allows us to have rehabbing major league players begin their return to work in Bradenton, where we have our rehab coordinator and rehab facilities.”
McKechnie Field has been the spring training home of the Pirates for 41 years, and was equipped with lights in August 2007.
Trevor Gooby, the Pirates’ director of Florida operations, said the team will host a ceremony when they decide on uniform colors and a name for the minor-league squad. There is no definite timetable on when that will happen, Gooby said, but he hopes it will be in the next few weeks.
“Now more than ever before, Bradenton is truly the Pirates’ home in the South,” Nutting said. “A great tradition of Pirates spring training baseball has taken place for decades, and now we are pleased to have a much greater presence in the community on a year-round basis.”
“We’ll get through spring training first,” Poston said, “and then we’ll begin.”
John Lembo, Herald sports writer, can be reached at 745-7080, ext. 2097
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