Hurricane Milton Damages Pirates' Spring Training Facilities
PITTSBURGH -- Hurricane Milton passed through a large part of Florida, including Bradenton, where the Pittsburgh Pirates play their Spring Training at.
LECOM Park and Pirate City both sustained damage due to Hurricane Milton, according to Alex Stumpf of MLB.com. The facilities still stand, but the outfield wall at LECOM Park and the batter’s eye and fencing between fields at Pirate City took some damage.
Pirate City is the first location that the Pirates start at for Spring Training and then eventually go to LECOM Park when the Grapefruit Leagues begins. When the Pirates finish up at LECOM Park, minor league Spring Training starts at Pirate City.
“While we appreciate the curiosity, this pales in comparison to what others are facing in the wake of both Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton,” senior vice president of communications and broadcasting Brian Warecki said in a statement. “We continue to work alongside Bradenton area first responders and willing to help in any way we can.”
Stumpf also reported that Pirates will have both LECOM Park and Pirate City ready for Spring Training, with the first game against the Minnesota Twins on Feb. 23.
LECOM Park opened more than 100 years ago in 1923 and it is the oldest stadium still used for Spring Training. The park has hosted numerous franchises for Spring Training, including the St. Louis Cardinals, Philadelphia Phillies, Boston Red Sox and the Oakland Athletics.
The Pirates took over in 1969 and will play their 67th Spring Training there in 2025. The team signed a 30-year lease in 2008, keeping them at the facility through 2037.
It used to have the name McKechnie Field from 1962-2017, after former Pirates manager Bill McKechnie. The Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine signed a 15-year deal in 2018 to change the name to LECOM.
Hurricane Milton has damaged swaths of the state of Florida, particulary around the Tampa, Orlando and Saratoga areas.
It also tore the roof off of Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, the home of the Tampa Bay Rays. The Rays said that no one was injured it will take weeks to assess damages and costs to their stadium.
Now that the sun is up, here’s a 360-degree view of the damage Hurricane Milton caused to Tropicana Field’s roof and the inside of the ballpark. Absolutely heartbreaking 💔 pic.twitter.com/ZCtPHv6rE9
— Ryan Bass (@Ry_Bass) October 10, 2024
