1611 9th St W, Sarasota & Bradenton
941-747-3031
Located just south of downtown Bradenton, newly named LECOM Park has been the spring training home of Major League Baseball's Pittsburgh Pirates since 1969 and has fielded baseball games since 1923. Recently renovated to hold 8500 fans, LECOM Park's nostalgic charms in its city neighborhood appeal to many baseball traditionalists and ballpark enthusiasts, and some consider the facility to be Florida's version of Fenway Park. It is built in a Florida Spanish Mission style, with white stucco on the main grandstand and cover bleachers over the reserved seating section. The Pirates and the City of Bradenton celebrated their 40th anniversary together during the 2008 spring training season, which included an agreement between the city and the Pirates to continue their partnership through 2037.