Bring on the Bradenton Blackbeards!

Lynchburg keep your lemonade.  Your facility was just not good enough to keep the Carolina League Champion Hillcats and an organization on the rise like the Pittsburgh Pirates.

The Pirates will be, in keeping with tradition of late, moving their team from Lynchburg to Bradenton at it’s highest value.  A year before the development deal is actualized with Lynchburg.

It’s true.  Your Carolina League Champions are pulling out of town. [Baseball America] 

Bradenton gets the team it has coveted for so long.  The Pirates putting up lights was questioned by many throughout Rum Bunter land and most thought the switch would be coming next year.

Certainly the move to Bradenton makes sense for the Pirates.  It is, however, difficult to leave a town where the team has been since 1995, and has had strong fan support.

Also, the Carolina League has been home to the Pirates since the early ’60’s and it is certainly better than the Florida State League on many levels.  The Blackbeards will have some very nice pitcher statistics this season.  Don’t be fooled casual fans.  Pitcher friendly doesn’t even describe the FSL.

Go Blackbeards.  Looking forward to seeing some games this year.