Lecom Park in Bradenton in Manatee County, Florida — The American South (South Atlantic)

William Boyd McKechnie

Photographed by Thomas Smith, March 21, 2026

1. William Boyd McKechnie Marker

Inscription. William Boyd McKechnie, born in Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania, was a Pittsburgh Pirates player and manager in the early 20th century. Following an 11-year playing career, McKechnie managed the Pittsburgh Pirates to a World Series victory over the Washington Senators in 1925. He posted a winning record in all five of his seasons at the helm of the Pirates before moving on to St. Louis, Boston, and Cincinnati, amassing more than 1,800 career victories and a second World Series Championship with the Reds in 1940.

McKechnie finished his managerial career following the 1946 season and retired to Bradenton. He was enshrined in the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962. That same year, the Braves ended their 15-year run hosting spring training in Bradenton. The City of Bradenton decided to honor the newly minted Hall of Famer by renaming Braves Field as McKechnie Field.

Following his death in 1965, McKechnie's baseball legacy came full circle when in 1969 the Pirates made Bradenton and McKechnie Field their spring training home. In 2010, the Pirates extended their partnership with the City by bringing the Florida State League Marauders to Bradenton.

In 2017, the City of Bradenton and the Pirates renamed the venerable Bradenton ballpark LECOM Park but continued to honor the Hall of Fame manager by naming the home clubhouse

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at LECOM Park the Bill McKechnie Clubhouse.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Parks & Recreational Areas • Sports. A significant historical year for this entry is 1925.

Location. 27° 29.106′ N, 82° 34.19′ W. Marker is in Bradenton, Florida, in Manatee County. It is in Lecom Park. It can be reached from the intersection of 9th Street West and 16th Avenue west, on the right when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1611 9th St W Bradenton FL 34205, Bradenton FL 34205, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is on Florida’s Gulf Coast

and on Tampa Bay.

It is also in the American South

and on the Gulf Coast.

Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region,

North America,

a Gulf of Mexico state,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain,

the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Bradenton Nine Devils (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Camp Weatherford (approx. 0.2 miles away); Bradenton Kiwanis Club / Kiwanis Trailer Park (approx. half a mile away); Bradenton General Hospital (approx. half a mile away); Major Adams Cemetery (approx. 0.6 miles away); Lincoln High School (approx. 0.6 miles away); The Honorable R.B. "Chips" Shore Courthouse Grounds (approx. 0.7 miles away); Bradentown Depot (approx. ¾ mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Bradenton.

Photographed by Thomas Smith, March 21, 2026

2. William Boyd McKechnie Marker

Credits. This page was last revised on April 4, 2026. It was originally submitted on April 1, 2026, by Thomas Smith of Waterloo, Ill. This page has been viewed 16 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on April 1, 2026, by Thomas Smith of Waterloo, Ill. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.