Upgrades to McKechnie Field, spring home of the Pittsburgh Pirates and regular-season home of the Bradenton Marauders (High Class A; Florida State League), are set for next season. The upgrades include the addition of a wraparound concourse, outfield tiki bar, upgraded seating and more. (You can see the full details at our sister site, Spring […]
Tag Archives | pittsburgh pirates
Morgantown emerging as potential Bucs farm-team home?
With the State College Spikes (short season A; NY-Penn League) dissatisfied with parent Pittsburgh, a proposed Morgantown (W.Va.) team is emerging as a contender to land the Bucs. No less an authority than Chuck Greenberg, chairman and managing partner of the Spikes, says pro baseball could work in a shared facility. While there are some […]
Kirk: If Spikes want to win, they can control their destiny
If the State College Spikes (short season; NY-Penn League) want to ensure winning teams, argues Peter Kirk, there’s a simple solution: make the leap to independent ball. Our story on the front office of the Spikes showing extreme frustration with parent Pittsburgh Pirates stirred a lot of discussion about the proper role of farm teams […]
The Week That Was: June 10
The return of affiliated ball to Portland, affiliation issues, Dodger Stadium and the launch of the summer-collegiate season were among the most popular stories on Ballpark Digest last week, as measured by page views. By the way, Ballpark Digest hit a milestone yesterday: the 5,000th article in site history was posted. Spikes: We’re ready to […]
Columbia sells Capital City Stadium site
Capital City Stadium, the 1945 ballpark originally built by Hall of Famer Barney Dreyfuss, has been sold by Columbia (SC) to a developer and will likely be torn down to make way for a Wal-Mart. The ballpark, longtime home to Minor League Baseball in Columbia, was built by Dreyfuss in 1945 as the home for one of […]
Spikes: We’re ready to dump Pirates
Tired of fielding losing squads, management of the State College Spikes (short season A; NY-Penn League) say they’re ready to dump their affiliation with the Pittsburgh Pirates. You normally don’t see such frank talk when it comes to player-development contracts and affiliation deals, but Spikes GM Jason Dambach was pretty blunt about his unhappiness with the […]
Indians, Pirates extend PDC through 2014
The Indianapolis Indians (Class AAA; International League) and the Pittsburgh Pirates extended their Player Development Contract (PDC) through the 2014 season. “We are very pleased to be able to extend our relationship with the Indians organization and the City of Indianapolis,” said Pittsburgh Pirates Director of Minor League Operations Larry Broadway. “This is truly a […]
MLB teams plan Earth Day activities
No matter the team colors, many Major League Baseball teams and ballparks are going green this weekend to mark Earth Day. Many teams have already instituted green programs in their ballparks — Target Field is a LEED-certified building, the Giants and Royals installed solar panels at their homes, the Nationals have an elaborate cistern system […]
Curve to host parent Pirates in 2013
We have our first event for Spring Training 2013: the Altoona Curve (Class AA; Eastern League) will host parent Pittsburgh Pirates in an exhibition match. The 2013 exhibition will mark the second time the Pirates have played in Altoona and the first since 2000. The Major League club played the Curve at Blair County Ballpark […]
Approval for McKechnie Field renovations expected this week
An $8-million renovation plan for McKechnie Field, home to the Bradenton Marauders (High Class A; Florida State League) and spring home of the Pittsburgh Pirates, could be approved this week by city and county governments. The redesign of the classic ballpark calls for a reconfiguration of the seating bowl, with two distinctive seating areas replaced […]
Marauders unveil new alternate logo
The Bradenton Marauders (High Class A; Florida State League) unveiled a scary new alternate logo, designed by Dan Simon. “Going in to our third season and still building our own Marauder tradition, we thought this new alternate logo would be a great way to incorporate the history behind the Pirates logo with the new brand […]
McKechnie Field renovation in the works
McKechnie Field, spring home of the Pittsburgh Pirates and regular-season home of the Bradenton Marauders (High Class A; Florida State League), would receive $9 million in improvements under a plan before the city and county. The redesign of the classic ballpark calls for a reconfiguration of the seating bowl, with two distinctive seating areas replaced […]
Future of Columbia baseball in play
Baseball in Columbia, S.C. is apparently at a crossroads: One developer reportedly wants to buy and tear down historic Capital City Stadium, while another says he’s looking at a new ballpark as the center of a larger development. Capital City Stadium dates back to 1945 and was built by former Pittsburgh Pirates owner and Hall […]