We have a new attendance record for spring training, as MLB teams attracted 8,078 fans per game over 447 games played, surpassing a record set in 2008. In fact, attendance in 2014 pretty much shattered the old record of 7,793 fans per game and far outpaced last year’s total of 7,527 fans per game. The […]
Tag Archives | pittsburgh pirates
In memoriam: Ralph Kiner
Ralph Kiner, the Pittsburgh Pirates Hall of Famer who gained wider fame as a New York Mets broadcaster for more than 50 years, passed away today. He was 91. Kiner first gained fame with the Pirates as a home-run hitter whose favorite target in Forbes Field became known as Kiner’s Korner, notching 51 round-trippers in […]
2013 Best Ballpark Renovation Over $1M: McKechnie Field
The oldest ballpark in spring training received a dramatic facelift for 2013 that benefited both the Pittsburgh Pirates and Bradenton Marauders, earning recognition from Ballpark Digest for Best Renovation (Over $1 Million) of the season. It’s the most historic venue in spring training, a place where Roberto Clemente worked his way into shape, Henry Aaron […]
Pirates enter new affiliation with Bristol
You can expect a new team name and branding, as the Bristol Sox (rookie; Appalachian League) entered into a new player-development contract (PDC) with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Bristol joins the organization’s system as a ninth MiLB affiliate for the 2014 season. It becomes the Bucs’ second rookie-level team, with the Gulf Coast Pirates. The agreement […]
Measuring MLB’s winners and losers in costs per win
Every year we attempt to measure how well MLB teams did in spending money to procure wins. Here’s this year’s ranking, and, to no one’s surprise, Oakland excels. With the 2013 season completed, it’s time to look at how well MLB team did in translating payroll to wins. Despite what many fans think, there’s not […]
Craft brewer lands Pirates naming-rights deal
Nice addition to PNC Park: local craft brewer Rivertowne Brewing Company has purchased naming rights to the Pirates’ Hall of Fame Club, with brews available there on tap. “The Pirates continually strive to use local vendors at PNC Park when possible and this is another great example of the success the team has had in […]
A quartet of baseball stories
The days after the season ends, the weather is suddenly grayer and bleaker than it was not too long ago — or, if you’re in an area beset by Sandy, windier, rainier, snowier, and hopefully not beset by power outages. To lighten matters, here is a quartet of littler-known baseball stories. Were you aware, for […]
Hamilton calls last game; will return for a single sign-off
Milo Hamilton, one of the great broadcasters in baseball, called his last game for the Houston Astros last night, culminating a 67-year career in baseball. The 85-year-old Hamilton has been behind the Astros mike for the last 28 years, the last stint in a career that began broadcasting minor-league games in the Quad Cities and included stops […]
In memoriam: Tom Saffell
Tom Saffell, a former MLB outfielder who spent 30 years as the president of the rookie Gulf Coast League, has passed away. He was 91. Saffell, who played four seasons in the majors for the Pirates and Athletics and some 17 seasons in the minors, was best known in MiLB as president of the rookie circuit […]
Jammers, Pirates sign PDC
The Jamestown Jammers (short season A; NY-Penn League) and the Pittsburgh Pirates signed a two-year player-development contract (PDC), through the 2014 season. “We’re extremely pleased to align the Jammers with an organization that is widely regarded as having some of the most exciting young players in all of minor league baseball,” said Bob Rich Jr., […]
McKechnie Field renovations expanded
The price tag for renovations at McKechnie Field, the spring home of the Pittsburgh Pirates, has grown by $2.5 million or so after the team added some new improvements to the mix. However, Bradenton’s contribution to the project — $7.5 million — remains the same. The team has indicated it will pick up the additional […]
Blowfish prevail in last game at Cap City Stadium
It was finally the end of an era: the Columbia Blowfish defeated the Fayetteville SwampDogs in the last game ever at historic Capital City Stadium, in the championship round of the Coastal Plain League playoffs. The historic ballpark, built by Hall of Famer Barney Dreyfuss in 1945 as a home for one of his Pittsburgh Pirates farm teams, served as the […]
Expecting a great night at McKechnie Field
You remember the drama last February at McKechnie Field, when Trevor Gooby delivered a baby outside the ballpark gates. In true MiLB form, the Bradenton Marauders are issuing a bobblehead to commemorate the occasion. The story: Gooby, the senior director of Florida operations for the Pittsburgh Pirates in Bradenton and GM of the Bradenton Marauders (High Class […]