Pirates release 2013 Spring Training schedule

The Pittsburgh Pirates released their 2013 Spring Training schedule on Thursday. The team will play their home games at McKechnie Field in Bradenton, Florida, which has housed the team since 1969.

The team will play 33 games overall in Florida, and 16 of those games will come at McKechnie Field. Pittsburgh will also play an intrasquad "Black and Gold" game and will host Team Spain of the World Baseball Classic in an exhibition game.

The Pirates will play their first Grapefruit League game on the road on February 23rd against the Tampa Bay Rays in Port Charlotte, Florida. Their first home game of Spring Training will take place February 24th against the Atlanta Braves.

Pittsburgh also updated McKechnie Field to help improve the fan experience when attending baseball games. Their is a new boardwalk that circles the entire ballpark, and the team increased the number of available shaded seats. Their are also more restrooms and concessions stands throughout the ballpark.

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