Football chill can't cool out Pirates' rally

How appropriate was it the Pittsburgh Pirates' Old Main Street pep rally had the Manatee High School cheerleaders?

Thursday night's 50ish temperatures was more akin to Hurricane playoff football weather in Bradenton, not baseball.

But the chilly weather did not cool off the ardor at the ballclub's coming out party.

The turnout resembled a Get Down Downtown crowd, with vendors doing a brisk business, not to mention Fisherman Joe's, the O'Brick, Cork's Cigar Bar to name a few Old Main Street establishments.

Instead of Billy Rice or Big Daddy rocking the gathering, however, we heard John Fogerty's wonderful "Centerfield," and a CD of "Take Me Out to the Ballgame," among other baseball classics.

Then came the unveiling of the uniforms to be worn by the new Bradenton Marauders, the Florida State League team that will play at McKechnie Field this season.

The unies were spiffy -- the ballcaps, too -- all bearing attractively designed insignias and letter that will represent Bradenton nicely.

They were amusingly modeled by some of the Marauders players to appreciative applause.

They wear them for real April 8, their FSL home opener at McKechnie.

The crowd's anticipation for the season's start was palpable, even in Thursday's cold.

The autograph table with Pirates players like hometown talent Lastings Milledge had a long line that kept getting longer.

Play ball!