New Pittsburgh Pirates clubhouse draws raves at grand opening

BRADENTON -- As a former Bradenton Marauder and aspiring Pittsburgh Pirate, pitcher Casey Sadler has spent plenty of time at McKechnie Field.

So his reaction to the team's sparkling new clubhouse was among the most watched Tuesday at a grand-opening ceremony.

It did not disappoint.

"As soon as I walked in, I was just 'This is ridiculous,'" Sadler said. "It's nice to have the room. It's nice to have a place to hang out with the guys. We didn't really have that. It was kinda cramped.

"This is awesome, to have it all in one spot, the facilities and the equipment. I've got chills just talking about it."

Team personnel and local dignitaries toured the 22,500-square-foot clubhouse, which stands beyond the boardwalk in the right-field corner of McKechnie Field.

The biggest attraction was the 65-locker, black and gold players area featuring expanded lockers, black leather chairs, eight wide-screen televisions and a large Pirates "P" logo in the middle. The clubhouse also includes a new strength-and-conditioning room, athletic training room, equipment room, kitchen and dining hall, classroom, offices and a press-conference room.

A coaches room -- there had been only a closet for coaches in the old clubhouse -- will become the locker room for the Single-A Bradenton Marauders this summer.

The Pirates paid attention to aesthetics. There are several nods to the tradition of the five-time world champions, including a huge photo of PNC Park, the Pittsburgh home of the Pirates, and a Hall of Fame Wall featuring large photos of every Pirates hall of famer. The top of a wall in the locker room is adorned with a quote from legendary player Roberto Clemente: "When I put on the uniform, I feel I am the proudest man on Earth."

"This is fantastic," Bradenton Mayor Wayne Poston said. "We're very excited about the partnership between Bradenton and the Pirates. It cannot be overexaggerated. It's really, really terrific. We saw around here that Major League Baseball, whether it's in Florida or Arizona, has Bradenton envy."

The Pirates paid for the $6.5 million project, which was completed by local firms Fawley Bryant and NDC Construction. The city contributed land that previously belonged to the Sanitation Department.

Last week, the Pirates showed off a 12,240-square-foot performance center at Pirate City, the teams's east Bradenton training facility. That $1.5 million project also was paid for by the team.

"This is the latest illustration ... of our long-term commitment and investment to the city of Bradenton, the county of Manatee and, of course, the state of Florida. We're all in. We're here to stay," Pirates President Frank Coonelly said.

Tuesday's ceremony was hosted by Pirates play-by-play announcer Greg Brown, who said reactions to the unveiling reminded him of the 2001 opening of PNC Park.

Pirates manager Clint Hurdle purposely didn't visit the clubhouse until it was finished. He still hadn't seen anything but the locker facilities after the grand opening.

"At the age of 57, there aren't many surprises left in my life. This is one of them. ... It's a major league-class facility," Hurdle said. "We're putting ourselves on the map because our overall program now in spring training, from Pirate City over to here, the ballpark, the field, the facilities, we have as good of facilities as anyone in the game."

This is the third major upgrade of the franchise's Bradenton facilities since 2008. That year, with help from the city and state, the Pirates added lights to McKechnie Field, spruced up the visitors clubhouse and renovated Pirate City. In 2013, McKechnie Field got a $10 million overhaul, which was named the Best Ballpark Renovation of the year by Baseball Digest. The upgrades included a boardwalk, tiki bar, concession stand, party deck and new flip-up chairs.

This story was originally published February 24, 2015 at 12:00 AM with the headline "New Pittsburgh Pirates clubhouse draws raves at grand opening."