Pirates Equipment Trucks Leave For Bradenton
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - By most accounts, it has been a very mild winter with temperatures that have been above average and not a lot of snow.
But, it's a lot warmer where the Pittsburgh Pirates are headed next week.
This morning, the Pirates' clubhouse staff and equipment guys loaded up their entire Pittsburgh operation and moved it south for the next two months.
The process started back in November.
"We got ordering and then waiting for the orders to come in and inventorying all the orders and then actually packing it up and then getting it down there," Pirates Equipment/Clubhouse Manager Scott Bonnett said.
Bonnett has been in baseball for nearly three decades. This will be his 15th with the Pirates. He knows there will always be some crazy stuff getting loaded on the truck.
"Believe it or not, golf clubs. This year, we have two 11-foot sized paddleboards. We have strollers. We have playpens. We have toys for the kids that come down -- and everybody's suitcases for personal luggage for the next two months," Bonnett said.
In addition to personal items, there's the baseball stuff, including 6,600 baseballs.
"Probably 550 dozen just for spring. That's just one month and then I have another 550 coming in next month in March for the games," Bonnett said.
Everything the players will wear for practice and games has to go too.
"The jerseys, the new players. I mean, there could be a new player that pops up tomorrow or next week. Maybe not, you have to be prepared for that so we have all that ready," Bonnett said.
When it comes to loading the semi, is there a method to their madness?
"Not really. Whatever fits in a hole, you put it in there," Recker Transport's Chuck Recker said.
As the snow flies in Pittsburgh, the Pirates may be headed south at just the right time.
"Hopefully, the weather is a little bit better even though this winter hasn't been that bad up here. It's, I'm kind of liking the snow coming down before we leave," Bonnett said.
Not to worry - the boys of spring will be back in Pittsburgh in just 53 days to start the season.
Pirates' pitchers and catchers are scheduled to have their first official workout on Friday, Feb. 19. The full squad is set to have their first full workout on Tuesday, Feb. 23.
The Pirates' first Spring Training game of the year is Tuesday, March 1 against the Detroit Tigers.
2016 PITTSBURGH PIRATES SPRING TRAINING SCHEDULE
Day Date Opponent Site Time
Monday Feb. 29 INTRASQUAD GAME BRADENTON 12:00 noon
Tuesday March 1 DETROIT LAKELAND 1:05 p.m.
Wednesday March 2 DETROIT (SS) BRADENTON 1:05 p.m.
Thursday March 3 TORONTO BRADENTON 1:05 p.m.
Friday March 4 MINNESOTA BRADENTON 1:05 p.m.
Saturday March 5 ATLANTA DISNEY 1:05 p.m.
Sunday March 6 HOUSTON (SS) BRADENTON 1:05 p.m.
Monday March 7 PHILADELPHIA BRADENTON 1:05 p.m.
Tuesday March 8 PHILADELPHIA CLEARWATER 1:05 p.m.
Wednesday March 9 BOSTON BRADENTON 1:05 p.m.
Thursday March 10 Tampa Bay PORT CHARLOTTE 1:05 p.m.
Friday March 11 TAMPA BAY BRADENTON 1:05 p.m.
Saturday March 12 DETROIT LAKELAND 1:05 p.m.
Sunday March 13 DETROIT BRADENTON 1:05 p.m.
Monday March 14 BOSTON FORT MYERS 1:05 p.m.
Tuesday March 15 OFF DAY
Wednesday March 16 BALTIMORE SARASOTA 1:05 p.m.
Thursday March 17 NEW YORK BRADENTON 1:05 p.m.
Friday March 18 PHILADELPHIA CLEARWATER 1:05 p.m.
Saturday March 19 MINNESOTA BRADENTON 1 :05 p.m.
Sunday March 20 TORONTO DUNEDIN 1:07 p.m.
Monday March 21 ATLANTA BRADENTON 1:05 p.m.
MINNESOTA FORT MYERS 1:05 p.m.
Tuesday March 22 OFF DAY
Wednesday March 23 BALTIMORE BRADENTON 1:05 p.m.
Thursday March 24 BALTIMORE SARASOTA 1:05 p.m.
Friday March 25 BOSTON FORT MYERS 6:05 p.m.
Saturday March 26 MINNESOTA FORT MYERS 1:05 p.m.
TAMPA BAY BRADENTON 6:05 p.m.
Sunday March 27 BALTIMORE BRADENTON 6:05 p.m.
Monday March 28 MINNESOTA BRADENTON 1:05 p.m.
Tuesday March 29 NEW YORK (SS) TAMPA 1:05 p.m.
Wednesday March 30 BOSTON (SS) BRADENTON 1:05 p.m.
Thursday March 31 TAMPA BAY PORT CHARLOTTE 1:05 p.m.
Friday April 1 OFF DAY
Saturday April 2 CINCINNATI INDIANAPOLIS 1:35 p.m.
