Nearly 3,000 fans fill LECOM Park for Pittsburgh Pirates’ spring opener in Bradenton
Clear skies, sunshine and excited fans painted the scene for the Pittsburgh Pirates Spring training opener at LECOM Park in Bradenton on Friday.
With an estimated 3,000 fans in the stands, the Pirates played their first scheduled Grapefruit League game in a midday showcase against the New York Yankees, whose spring home is in Tampa.
Mayor Gene Brown tossed the ceremonial first pitch, and Bradenton city council member Marianne Barnebey sang the national anthem.
As fans filed into the ballpark, many said they live out of state and travel to Bradenton just to watch the spring game and visit with the players at Pirate City, adding that the lockout ended just in time.
“We were getting a little anxious because we leave to go back to Pennsylvania tomorrow,” Tony Reynolds, 40, said, as he and his son and daughter, Vinny, 10, and Cece, 6, waited for players to take the field.
“We have been to Pirate City a couple of days to watch them practice, and Vinny got to play catch with a player over the fence,” Reynolds said.
Howie Lewis, 58, a Pirates fan, and his wife Terri, 62, an Orioles fan, have been traveling to Florida from Maryland to watch baseball for 18 years but haven’t been to a Major League spring game since COVID-19 halted the 2020 season.
The couple plans to spends three weeks in Manatee and Sarasota counties supporting both teams.
“I’m happy to be back and love the Bucs,” Howie said. “My wife is the Oriole fan and I’m for the Pirates, so whoever loses has to sleep on the couch.”
Frank Piccio, a Yankees fan since his childhood in New Jersey, now lives in Lakewood Ranch.
“It’s good to have baseball back. Baseball has always been my favorite sport. One of my earliest memories is going to the old Yankees Stadium with my dad,” Piccio said.
The Oriole’s camp is held in Sarasota. They will host the Pirates at Ed Smith Stadium on March 22.
Jim Jones contributed to this story.
