PITTSBURGH -- The Pirates' southern home is no longer known as McKechnie Field. As part of a 15-year naming rights agreement announced Friday morning, the Bucs' Spring Training ballpark in Bradenton, Fla., is now called LECOM Park.
LECOM stands for Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine, the nation's largest medical college, which has campuses in western Pennsylvania (Erie and Greensburg, Pa.) and Bradenton. The Bucs and LECOM unveiled the rebranding during a press conference at LECOM Park.
"LECOM Park is our organization's southern home, and we are proud to announce this agreement with a respected and established brand that has roots in Western Pennsylvania and has quickly become a leader in education in the Bradenton area," Pirates president Frank Coonelly said in a statement.