Pirates Florida Director Delivers Newest Fan

Trevor Gooby, the mild-mannered senior director of Florida operations for the Pittsburgh Pirates and Bradenton Marauders, took on an entirely new role on Tuesday night: He delivered the newest baseball fan at the front gates of .

The tiny fan arrived with his umbilical cord still attached. Gooby was pressed into duty, helping to deliver the baby when a woman went into labor during a "soft opening" night for fans.

"It was definitely an interesting night," Gooby said. "It's an interesting way to start spring training."

Late Tuesday night, mother Latisha Kirk and her newborn son were reportedly doing fine at nearby . And the 5-pound, 2-ounce boy has been named "McKechnie" after the field shared by the Pirates and Marauders.

The Pirates were hosting an event for season-ticket holders, neighborhood fans and other invited guests on Tuesday night. There was no ballgame, but the sound system was being tested, concessions workers were ironing out kinks and mascots were trying out their newest moves.

And then, a worker spotted a pregnant woman in some pain.

Gooby stepped in to make sure that everything was all right when Kirk told him that she thought that she might be having contractions. Gooby immediately put her in a wheelchair and called 9-1-1.

As Gooby wheeled Kirk to McKechnie's front gate, where they were set to meet emergency responders, she told him that the baby was coming.

Gooby reassured her that there was plenty of time and that the ambulance would meet them in just a few minutes.

But Kirk insisted. They had reached the front gate, and Kirk looked at Gooby. "The baby is definitely coming."

He sent a couple of staff members to get towels and gloves just in case.

"And then I looked," Gooby said. "I could see the baby's head."

Gooby, 35, has two children and has been in the delivery room while his wife has been giving birth, but that was the extent of his delivery training up to that point. Though, it seems that Kirk didn't have time to be concerned about his delivery skills.

"She pushed one time, and the baby was out," Gooby said. "We wrapped the baby up in towels. He was crying, and EMS arrived a couple of minutes later and cut the umbilical cord."

Gooby was still in shock as he inspected the field a couple of hours later.

"This was definitely a first for us," he said. He said that Kirk told him that she was also surprised. She was eight-and-a-half months pregnant and had walked to the stadium to join the party. She was feeling fine when she left home.

"She was just as surprised as we were," he said.

Gooby said that Kirk had family members with her at McKechnie Field and that they all went to the hospital. He checked later with Manatee Memorial and discovered that both Mom and baby were doing fine.

He is hoping to visit the pair on Wednesday and to perhaps deliver a few gifts from the Pirates and Marauders as a welcome to their newest fan.

This article originally appeared on the .

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