Fans cheer Bradenton Marauders in home season opener.
BRADENTON -- A festive crowd was on hand to welcome the Bradenton Marauders in their home opener Saturday night at McKechnie Field.
Many were lured by their love for baseball and prices they can't find anywhere else within driving distance for a professional baseball game. And there were those who find the High Class A Florida State League more appetizing than Major League Baseball.
"It's more convenient here than at the Trop (Tropicana Field, home of the Tampa Bay Rays) and it's more reasonably priced," said Donald Samuelson, 72, who was wearing a Pirates jersey with the number 63.
"We are season-ticket holders for the Marauders and for spring training and have also been boosters for the Pirates for the last eight or nine years," Samuelson said. "We go to about 30 Marauders games a year and just got done going to 17 Pirates games."
Donald Samuelson and his wife, Jane, are both from
South Dakota so they admit the weather in Bradenton is very special to them.
"I like the big umbrellas that provide shade and they are going to have sprinklers for the summer to cool us off when it gets hot," Jane, 62, said. "It's a light mist. Two years ago the Pirates added the boardwalk and you can walk all the way around the park."
The quaint surroundings of McKechnie Field, which dates to 1923 and has been home for the Pittsburgh Pirates since 1969, has not lost its charm with many fans, who remain enamored by the $10 million renovation project the stadium underwent in 2013.
"I love to come to McKechnie Field. It's so nice. You can eat and have a cold drink," said Kathy Sherbeck, 66, from Michigan, who lives in Bradenton about seven months out of the year. "It's family friendly and you get to see all those young players. It's easy to get in and out and the food prices are reasonable compared to Tiger Stadium (in Detroit), which I love but is so expensive."
One of the new things the Marauders have done this year was move the kids zone behind the left field bleachers and expand its options. The move gives the kids more freedom to enjoy the amenities.
The zone includes a pingpong table, pitching cage, which records how fast a youngster is throwing the baseball, and other things that many parents welcomed.
"It's great entertainment for the kids and not overly crowded, which is nice," said Vickie Deters, 35, who was there with her two sons, Tyler 8, and Aiden 6. "We are Cardinal fans by trade and have been here for two years. I am enjoying minor league baseball because it's family oriented and is smaller and quaint and very much less expensive."
The Cool Today Lounge at the east end of the fan plaza is a popular hangout where people can get a cool drink and food and just hang out.
The Marauders have offered new all you can eat ticket packages, which proved popular. There are three plans and each covers five games. Plan A started opening night and includes all you can hot dogs and hamburgers that cost from $55 to $75 depending on where you sit.
But for fans like Mike Clement, 65, from Ohio, the lure is all about baseball and the minor leagues have a special aura of innocence that he says you can't find on the big league level.
"These guys seem to have more fun. They seem to be trying harder to make it while the big leaguers have already made it," Clement said.
Ryan Philpot, 40, from Bradenton, also goes to Tampa Bay Rays game, but likes McKechnie Field better than indoor Tropicana Field.
"I love outdoor baseball and this time of year the weather is great," Philpot said. "The parking is easy and it's a great opportunity for our kids to see a good game."
The happiest fan at McKechnie Field Saturday night arguably had to be Mary Suchy. Her son Mike, a graduate of Southeast High, started for the Marauders. For the family it was a dream come true.
"I am excited to have him playing locally and excited to be able to go to all his home games. We never thought this would happen when he signed with Pittsburgh." she said.
Alan Dell, Herald sports columnist/writer, can be reached at 941-745-7056. Follow him on Twitter @ADellSports
This story was originally published April 9, 2016 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Fans cheer Bradenton Marauders in home season opener. ."