Pirates Announce 2017 Spring Training Schedule in Bradenton

BRADENTON, FL – With the 2016 Major League Baseball season ending, many cities around Florida are preparing for the beginning of the 2017 Grapefruit League season.

The Pittsburgh Pirates released their 2017 Spring Training schedule, which opens on Saturday, Feb. 25 with two split-squad games: The home opener at McKechnie Field in Bradenton at 1:05 p.m. against the Baltimore Orioles and a road game at Port Charlotte against the Tampa Bay Rays at 1:05 p.m.

McKechnie Field has been the home of spring training baseball since the 1920s and is the oldest stadium used in the Grapefruit League. The Pirates drew a total of 103,762 fans to 15 Spring Training home dates at the ballpark in 2016. It was the second-highest season attendance behind the club-record 106,038 posted in 2015.

A total of five of the Pirate’s last six Grapefruit League Games are scheduled to be played in Bradenton, which will include back-to-back night games on Monday, March 27 against the Minnesota Twins and Tuesday, March 28 against the Boston Red Sox.

Pittsburgh will also host a World Baseball Classic exhibition game against the Dominican Republic on Wednesday, March 8 as part of its 18-game home schedule.

Prior to the regular season opener against the Red Sox in Boston April 3, the Pirates are scheduled to play two games against the Toronto Blue Jays at Olympic Stadium in Montreal. The games are set for Friday, March 31 at 7:05 p.m. and Saturday, April 1 at 1:05 p.m.

Season tickets will go on sale to the public on Monday, Nov. 28 and individual tickets will go on sale online Wednesday, Jan. 18 and at the McKechnie Field Box office on Saturday, Jan. 21 at 10 a.m. Click here for more information about season, group and individual tickets for the Pittsburgh Pirates’ Grapefruit League season.

McKechnie Field is located at 1611 Ninth St. W. in Bradenton.

The following is the Pittsburgh Pirates’ full Spring Training schedule:

• Saturday, Feb. 25, 1:05 p.m.: Baltimore Orioles (ss)
• Saturday, Feb. 25: at Tampa Bay Rays
• Sunday, Feb. 26: at Baltimore Orioles
• Monday, Feb. 27: at Toronto Blue Jays
• Tuesday, Feb. 28, 1:05 p.m.: Toronto Blue Jays
• Wednesday, March 1: at Minnesota Twins
• Thursday, March 2: at Detroit Tigers
• Friday, March 3, 1:05 p.m.: Baltimore Orioles
• Saturday, March 4, 1:05 p.m.: Boston Red Sox
• Sunday, March 5, 1:05 p.m.: New York Yankees
• Monday, March 6, 1:05 p.m.: New York Yankees
• Tuesday, March 7, 1:05 p.m.: Atlanta Braves
• Wednesday, March 8, 1:05 p.m.: Dominican Republic (WBC)
• Thursday, March 9: at Tampa Bay Rays
• Friday, March 10, 1:05 p.m.: Tampa Bay Rays
• Saturday, March 11: at Baltimore Orioles
• Sunday, March 12, 1:05 p.m.: Minnesota Twins (ss)
• Monday, March 13: at Atlanta Braves
• Tuesday, March 14: Off day
• Wednesday, March 15, 1:05 p.m.: Baltimore Orioles
• Thursday, March 16: at Boston Red Sox
• Friday, March 17, 1:05 p.m.: Baltimore Orioles
• Saturday, March 18: at Philadelphia Phillies
• Sunday, March 19, 1:05 p.m.: Toronto Blue Jays
• Monday, March 20: at Tampa Bay Rays
• Tuesday, March 21, 1:05 p.m.: Tampa Bay Rays
• Wednesday, March 22: Off day
• Thursday, March 23: at Boston Red Sox
• Friday, March 24, 1:05 p.m.: Tampa Bay Rays
• Saturday, March 25, 1:05 p.m.: Detroit Tigers
• Sunday, March 26: at Philadelphia Phillies
• Monday, March 27, 6:05 p.m.: Minnesota Twins
• Tuesday, March 28, 6:05 p.m.: Boston Red Sox
• Wednesday, March 29, 1:05 p.m.: Philadelphia Phillies (ss)
• Thursday, March 30: Off day
• Friday, March 31: Toronto Blue Jays at Montreal
• Saturday, April 1: Toronto Blue Jays at Montreal

(ss) – denotes a split-squad game

Image via slgckgc, Flickr, used under Creative Commons