Always a winner at McKechnie Field

Full confession: Today was my first spring training game of the year at McKechnie Field. I almost missed the entire 2010 pre-season -- heresy!

For the past three years, the Pirates' arrival at McKechnie has been a rite of passage into spring on this blog. And I didn't need a reminder, but the sights, sounds and aromas were phenomenal today. Sure, the Pirates got pounded 11-1, as John Lembo notes here on Facebook, but that didn't change the joy on most folks' faces. Here's a glimpse into that crowd during a classic scramble for a foul ball.

Photographer Grant Jefferies was shooting the game for the Herald, and he captured a wonderful story with this photo of Marilyn Jones-Doxey. That's "Jonesy," one of the players on the Rockford Peaches team in the historic and ground-breaking All-American Girls Professional Baseball League! (Think "A League of Their Own.")

According to the Women's Sports Foundation website, Jonesy was a pitcher and catcher, and helped the Rockford Peaches win the league championship in 1950. She was traded to the Battle Creek Belles in the middle of the next season. But Jonesy had the last laugh when she pitched a no-hit-no-run game against her former teammates. She had a 2.79 lifetime ERA.

Jonesy honored the McKechnie crowd today by throwing out the first pitch (actually, the second, but who's counting?). The ball didn't quite make it to home plate, but her spirit filled the stadium.

Sometime after the first inning, I went to check out my old season-ticket seats, and my longtime seatmates are all up north this year. But the updates and prognoses were all good -- and John and Betty can rest assured. Their pals bought their season tickets to make sure they can return next year.

And I see two season tickets back in my possession next year. What was I thinking?

-- Joan

Ghosts of Bradenton's field of dreams

So who were the Bradentown Growers?

Bradenton Herald columnist Vin Mannix has captured that piece of history in his story today. If you haven't read it yet, and you have that all-American love of baseball, you owe it to yourself to spend 10 minutes to walk through historic memories of the first minor league baseball team to call Bradenton home.

Today, the festivities have started as the Bradenton Marauders get ready for their first official game. The spirits of 90+ years at McKechnie are gathering with pride and nostalgia. We'll have full coverage later this evening and tomorrow -- photos, stories, columns and videos -- here at Bradenton.com and in the Herald.

Back to Vin's tale today. The favorite passages for this St. Louis Cardinals' diehard fan, and newspaper person to boot? Check out the true origins of McKechnie Field, revealed at about 30 inches into the story:

The Growers played at Ninth Street Park, where McKechnie Field was built four years later for the St. Louis Cardinals...

The atmosphere of a Growers’ opening day victory over Lakeland was captured in the April 12, 1923, Manatee River Journal by attorney Dewey A. Dye, who moonlighted as a sports writer:

“The gayety of the afternoon was contributed to by fair attendance, a concert by the Bradentown Band prior to its departure for the April Follies in Jacksonville, and splendid weather conditions. The park was bathed in sunlight and flooded with warmth of the variety that fills the soul of a ball team with delight.”

Sounds familiar, doesn't it?!

-- Joan

Welcome back, Pirates

Be sure to check out reporter Roger Mooney's feature today on the grand history of the Pittsburgh Pirates, who return this week for their 40th season of spring training in Bradenton. (You'll also find the Grapefruit League schedules.)

We can hardly wait for baseball to return to McKechnie Field. Folks up north anxiously await the return of the robins -- the first sure sign of spring. Well, spring comes to us with the sharp crack of the bat. We never get over the excitement of having Major League Baseball in town for a month.

We'll dig out the old glove, slap on a coat of suntan lotion and head out to the ballpark for some games. Say, could you blast some Johnny Cash on the P.A. system this spring? We've missed "Ring of Fire'' with our foot-long hotdogs and ice-cold beer (on days off, of course).

The added attraction this spring is lights -- the Pirates will play their first-ever night game at McKechnie. As exciting as that sounds, we look forward to catching an early burn in the sun-splashed left field bleachers as we wait ... and wait ... and wait ... to glove an elusive foul ball.

Watch for our expanded online coverage of the Pirates at Bradenton.com this spring, in addition to the best print coverage of the Buccos in the Herald.

See you at the ballpark.

Jim

Countdown to opening day at McKechnie

Herald sports writer John Lembo has taken our Florida Spring Training blog out of the mothballs and is blogging today from McKechnie Field. It's a day of intrasquad play, and John's sharing tidbits like this for those of us who are deskbound:

Despite the team names, both squads are wearing gold jerseys. Their pants tell them apart - Team Gold is in grey, Team Black is wearing white.

And for those of you stranded in stormy clime up north, temps in sunny Bradenton are in the mid-80s, skies are blue, and the breeze of baseball is in the air. We send along a glimpse through two of Herald photographer Paul Videla's images from this afternoon.

Boys of spring move on -- Play ball!

I never had mixed feelings about Opening Day before living in Bradenton. That day really was the start of the calendar, growing up in St. Louis. Who needed New Year's Day when you had Cardinals baseball?

But as the National Anthem rings from Yankees Stadium at this writing, I'm feeling that twinge of regret that Spring Training has wrapped up for another year. And it was a glorious March at McKechnie Field, with attendance shattering records as reported by sports writer John Lembo: in his story here, in his Spring Training blog and, of course, on Facebook and Twitter.

We were in the stands Sunday, celebrating the last game of the year and soaking in a perfect day at McKechnie. (Hey, the Pirates even won!) How grand was it? Check out this photo of Vin Mannix, perched in the perfect bleachers spot above us.

Now, on to the 2011 MLB season. The Cards square off with the Padres at 4 p.m. EDT!

Oh, say can you see -- by this great video

Here's a belated plug for one of the more heartwarming annual events in the heart of Bradenton: the national anthem tryouts at McKechnie Field.

Photographer/videographer Paul Videla and Columnist Vin Mannix were there last weekend, and their story and video are great. The results certainly warrant the accompanying headline:

National anthem tryouts fill McKechnie Field | CLICK for the GREAT VIDEO!

Take a few moments to smile -- you can't help it as you watch this video. You might even break out in song...

Live, from spring training!

If you can't make it to all the Pirates and Rays spring training games this year, be sure to check out our live blogs for both teams at Bradenton.com.

We'll do more than keep you up to date with the action on the field. We'll capture the sights, sounds and smells (think: the whiff of Coppertone). You might not be able to actually TASTE those juicy hotdogs, but this Grapefruit League coverage is going to be good -- and fun.

Here are two nuggets from Thursday's Pirates opener at Bright House Networks Field in Clearwater from reporter John Lembo, who was covering the game with Pirates beat reporter Mike Henry:

Top 8th: Pirates at Phillies
The Phillies won a division title last year, right? Where is the hoopla? Nowhere is there a mention of the team winning its first division title in nearly 15 years. Nothing on the scoreboard, on the outfield wall, or anywhere.

There is, however, a framed spring training schedule from 1990 hanging in the press box. It’s autographed by Von Hayes. What's really weird is this stadium is five years old, so someone consciously brought over this old, framed schedule to hang in the new press box. But, hey, it is autographed by Von Hayes. They should probably post a security guard next to it or something.

Bottom 7th: Pirates at Phillies
Here's a great story: Jaret Wright, who nearly pitched the Cleveland Indians to a World Series title 11 years ago, enters the game for the Pirates.

He’s a non-roster invitee whose promising career has been derailed by injuries. Nonetheless, he throws a shutout inning, keeping the Pirates’ lead intact.

The action and insights will be updated each half inning, so you'll be able to stay on top of what's happening.

We're blogging today from the Pirates' home opener at McKechnie Field, and we're also at Ed Smith Stadium for the Rays and Reds. Check them out on our Sports home page and enjoy.

Jim

Win 4 tickets to Pirates-Orioles game

Have you been humming "Take me out to the ballgame" lately? Then we have the contest for you:

Sign up for our sports e-newsletter, and register for a chance to win four tickets to McKechnie Field on March 26. The Pittsburgh Pirates will be squaring off against the Baltimore Orioles.

You can enter if you already have signed up, too. Just click here and either log in or register for the daily sports blast. I get all of ours, of course, including local news, the business report, food and wine, entertainment -- and news of the weird. Each of them provides a great menu of stories to click on.

Hope to see you at the ballgame!

Why bring the Cubs here? Think Cards' red

So we’re in the thick of spring training, and I’m blogging about the Cubs. That is probably the worst case of spring fever I’ve ever had.

This diehard Cardinals fan would never root for the Cubs, right? After all, I do have a T-shirt that says “I root for the Cards and anyone who beats the Cubs.”

But for the past few days, rumors have been swirling about whether the Chicago Cubs will come to their senses and come back to Florida for spring training, leaving the barren turf of Arizona. In today’s story, night metro editor Gary Taylor gets local reaction to the wild possibility that the Cubbies' new owners are looking at Sarasota for the best spring-training deal. Afer all, the Cincinnati Reds are leaving after this season. Both the Chicago Tribune and the Chicago Sun-Times have raised the possibility.

I donned my Cardinals jersey last Thursday for a fabulous vacation day -– the Cards were playing the Tampa Bay Rays in Port Charlotte. Another great stadium! And I do believe there were more Cardinal fans than Rays in those stands -– God bless that sea of red.

That was one of the only times the Cards were playing near Bradenton this season. But just think, if the Cubs were in neighboring Sarasota...

-- Joan

(Don't forget to monitor our live spring training blogs: Roger Mooney on everything Rays, and John Lembo on everything Pirates and McKechnie Field.)

Lunch hour was a home run today

"The temperature in New York: 49 degrees."
"The temperature in Pittsburgh: 42 degrees."
"The temperature here at McKechnie Field? 79 degrees!"

What a glorious day for baseball in Bradenton, and my first game of the season. Business Editor Jennifer Rich (devout Red Sox fan) went with me (maniacal Cards fan) for a few innings of Pirates vs. Yankees. We got there just in time to hear Manatee High's women's ensemble sing the national anthem. If you haven't heard them yet, check out Vin Mannix's preview story and Paul Videla's video capturing their harmonious rendition.

Both teams started with their stars, adding even more electricity to the sold-out crowd. Here's the view from my new seats this year -- totally awesome.
And yes, it was a working ballgame hour for us -- honest. But we managed to wolf down a couple ball dogs and enjoy a few innings before heading back to the newsroom. And we had John Lembo's blog to keep us posted.

That's a winner.

Warming up for spring training

PITCHERS AND CATCHERS!

That's the 1A tease in the Sunday Bradenton Herald's "skybox" -- what we call the teasers at the top of the page each day.

Joyous words, those. As John Lembo tells us in today's story, Pittsburgh’s pitchers and catchers have officially ushered in spring training. So for the next several weeks, the crack of bats, shouts of "Ice cold beer here!" and traffic jams in front of McKechnie Field will be welcome additions to the heart of Bradenton.

The Herald will have its annual crush of coverage for spring training here, with stories, columns, photos and daily blogs. This year, though, the hype is even more exciting, with the return of the local American League champs. As Roger Mooney notes in his column today, the Tampa Bay Rays, who opened their first spring training in Port Charlotte this weekend, fell three wins shy of winning the World Series. And "the Rays, players and management, feel there is some unfinished business."

And my Cards have arrived across the state, as my hometown paper's site proudly boasts. More Rays' baseball means even more good fortune for me: My friend has scored tickets to the Cardinals-Rays game in Port Charlotte next month.

Play ball!

Joan

Readers, thanks for calling to 'Celebrate'

We published our eighth annual edition of "Celebrate Bradenton" this past Sunday, and it's a refreshingly bright magazine, thanks in large part to Features Editor Jana Morreale. Each year she motivates the staff to find the good in Bradenton. And they found plenty this year.

New businesses. New wildlife preserves. New theater. Rejuvenated McKechnie Field, Riverwalk and Village of the Arts. Hey, and the new Bradenton Herald digs at 1111 Third Ave. W.!

I've received several surprising calls about my column in the section -- the biggest surprise was that the callers weren't critical. Each one wanted to share what they celebrate about Bradenton -- especially if I didn't mention it. They all mentioned one that I didn't: South Florida Museum and Snooty, our favorite manatee in Manatee. Their list of favorite restaurants is extensive. Anything outdoors. And what about the beach??

Thanks for taking the time to call, because it made me realize my biggest omission: Our readers. You are absolutely the best reason for us to "Celebrate Bradenton."

Once a baseball fan, always a fan

Rain in Philadelphia beat out our print deadlines this morning, with Game 3 of the World Series lasting well past midnight -- and the dang clocks didn't technically fall back until 2 a.m.

But that didn't stop the Yankees from claiming another win, and our sports desk made sure it was posted to Bradenton.com/sports/ immediately at 12:42 a.m.

And it didn't keep baseball out of the Bradenton Herald, either, as columnist Vin Mannix heralded the news that the Pittsburgh Pirates plan to buy Sarasota’s Florida State League affiliate. That will mean glorious nights all summer long under the lights at Bradenton's own McKechnie Field. Vin summed it up in his column: Outstanding.

The FSL makes the final decision Nov. 10, and you'll find the news first on Bradenton.com.

Meanwhile, Vin is rooting for his Phillies -- a lonely stance, it turns out, in the Herald's newsroom. There are far more Yankees fans (three??), but they can't be missed -- except when one of them takes a whirlwind trip to Yankees Stadium for a game. Page One Editor Jason Bartolone talked a Red Sox fan, Jennifer Rich, and a Mets fan, Brent Conklin, into covering for him so he could catch Game 2. After a lot of pronounced anguish, they relinquished -- and Jason flew into La Guardia Thursday morning and was back in the newsroom Friday night, a win under his belt.

Ya gotta love this game.

-- Joan

Sunshine Sunday: It's your right to know

I was sitting at McKechnie Field this afternoon, soaking in all that is springtime here and loving it -– and the sun finally came out. Baseball, hot dogs, old friends, a sold-out crowd to see the Sox and Pirates -- wow, a perfect spring training day. And a reminder that I should blog on all that sunshine to remind you that it’s Sunshine Sunday here in Florida.

Actually, it’s Sunshine Week around the country, thanks to the leadership of the Florida Society of Newspaper Editors. We launched Sunshine Sunday in 2002, when some Florida legislators tried to create dozens of exceptions to this state’s exemplary open records laws. Their timing? In part, they were capitalizing on our nation’s fears of terrorism after 9-11-2001.

In the next three years alone, Sunshine Sunday efforts by Florida's newspapers, including the Bradenton Herald, and the First Amendment Foundation headed by Barbara Peterson blocked at least 300 exemptions that would have locked away information from every Florida resident.

FSNE picked the Sunday that coincided with James Madison’s birthday on March 16 -- the fourth president of the United States known as the "Father of the Constitution." Now, in large part because of the success in Florida, the American Society of Newspaper Editors expanded the effort into a national initiative to “spotlight the importance of public access to government and freedom of information.”

While journalists spearhead Sunshine Week, the list of participants has grown as the word spreads on the importance to protect our right to know: civic groups, libraries, non-profit organizations, schools, neighborhood organizations and -– yes, many, many elected public officials.

The Bradenton Herald led today’s front page with a Sunshine Sunday story by reporters Nick Azzara and Grace Agostin, who spell out how you can access information from every public entity in Manatee County. Our editorial on Page 10C and on Bradenton.com stresses that “public records are open to everyone. They belong to you.” We also provide you every contact point to obtain those public records in Manatee County at this link.

There’s a great collection of editorials, cartoons and columns from newspapers throughout Florida at FSNE's Sunshine Sunday web site.

Here’s a succinct explanation from FSNE on why access to public records is so important:

“The public’s ability to review public records enables citizens to see how their tax money is being spent and how government decisions are made. It provides the public with another check and balance. There are countless examples where the press or the public used freedom of information laws to bring to light inefficiencies, incompetence and outright corruption.“

Learn more about the national Sunshine Week and your right to know.

And revel in our sunshine. The Pirates won, 6-3!

Joan

Pitchers and catchers report -- on Facebook and Twitter

That's the battle cry for the return of spring in these parts, and we're more than ready. Those chilly temperatures will soon be a distant ill memory as the boys of summer break in the 2010 season at McKechnie Field and other spring training camps throughout Florida and Arizona.

We've launched a few new interactive features this year as the Pittsburgh Pirates take the field here, and we hope you'll join us. On our Facebook page, we're pulling together what the Herald and the rest of the world has to say about the Pirates. On our Twitter site, we'll be sharing the latest hype, breaking news, story teases, scores and more.

As columnist Vin Mannix notes in his feature today, the Pirates' staff is already hard at work getting equipment and facilities ready for Thursday's official return. And it won't be long until we hear that beautiful demand:

"Play ball!"

-- Joan