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Ballpark Visit: McKechnie Field, the spring home of the Pittsburgh Pirates

The next stop on our spring-training tour: McKechnie Field, the spring home of the Pittsburgh Pirates. McKechnie Field is authentically old, without the faux sheen of retro features so prevalent in new spring-training complexes these days. Built in 1923 for the St. Louis Cardinals and still known by many oldtimers as the former spring home of the Milwaukee Braves and Atlanta Braves, McKechnie Field is basically the same ballpark where Roberto Clemente gracefully patrolled the outfield, where Willie Stargell engaged the fans, and where Henry Aaron awed onlookers with his sheer power and determination. It's not the gaudiest of ballparks and the Pittsburgh Pirates aren't exactly crammed with superstars these days, but spring-training aficionados know McKechnie Field is a throwback to how spring training used to be: an intimate affair played in a neighborhood ballpark.

The next stop on our spring-training tour: McKechnie Field, the spring home of the Pittsburgh Pirates. McKechnie Field is authentically old, without the faux sheen of retro features so prevalent in new spring-training complexes these days. Built in 1923 for the St. Louis Cardinals and still known by many oldtimers as the former spring home of the Milwaukee Braves and Atlanta Braves, McKechnie Field is basically the same ballpark where Roberto Clemente gracefully patrolled the outfield, where Willie Stargell engaged the fans, and where Henry Aaron awed onlookers with his sheer power and determination. It's not the gaudiest of ballparks and the Pittsburgh Pirates aren't exactly crammed with superstars these days, but spring-training aficionados know McKechnie Field is a throwback to how spring training used to be: an intimate affair played in a neighborhood ballpark.

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