Bradenton Baseball Legend Among Game s All-Time Greats

Who is Bill McKechnie, and why is he important to baseball in Bradenton?

Well, he s a member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY  for starters. Voted in by the then Veterans Committee in 1962, McKechnie was joined by Jackie Robinson, Bob Feller, and Edd Roush as the newest members to be enshrined.

McKechnie earned his way into the hallowed hall of baseball immortality as a player and manager. After 11 seasons playing the field, primarily as a third baseman, once calling the shots from the dugout, McKechnie became the first skipper to win pennants with three different National League clubs.

On two occasions, in 1937 and 1940, McKechnie was selected manager of the year.

There are only 22 managers voted into the Hall of Fame. Connie Mack, Joe Torre, Sparky Anderson, and Walter Alston lead the legendary list. Although not as prominently known by today s fans, McKechnie s stamp on the game is every bit as important.

Just about everything baseball historians would want to know about McKechnie is found in the 2022 Baseball Hall of Fame Almanac. Right there, on page 558, sharing the page with fellow manager inductee Wilbert Robinson, is McKechnie s career presented in capsule form.

What isn t included in his official Hall of Fame selection of statistics is McKechnie s connection to Bradenton.

Today, when baseball fans think of Bradenton, in most instances the Pittsburgh Pirates come to mind first.

McKechnie and the Pirates go way back.

In retirement, McKechnie lived in ""The Friendly City until his death in 1965. During his playing days, six of his 11 seasons were with the Pirates. While managing, McKechnie, from 1922-1926, was calling the shots from Pittsburgh s dugout.

Perhaps McKechnie s greatest achievement as the Pirates bench boss came on October 15, 1925  Game 7 of the World Series with the Washington Senators. The come-from-behind 9-7 victory at Forbes Field over the visiting Senators is the most memorable of the half-dozen clubs McKechnie skippered.

A deep dive into McKechnie s career continues to tighten his connection with the Pirates. Until 2017 when the Pirates and Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine entered a 15-year naming agreement for the club s spring training ballpark in Bradenton, the site was known since 1962 as McKechnie Field.

As a player, coach, and manager, success followed McKechnie. His namesake continues with the upgrades to LECOM Park in recent years. Just in time for spring training 2015, the Bill McKechnie clubhouse opened for the Pirates.

The Hall of Famer from Wilkinsburg, PA is more than just a footnote in baseball history. In Bradenton, McKechnie is the ""King of the Diamond."" Perhaps, just perhaps, with his relocation to Bradenton in retirement, an unsuspecting trend had begun of MLB personnel choosing to live in ""The Friendly City.""

Today, current as well as retired players and managers call Bradenton home. Just from today s current MLB rosters, there is a CY Young Award winner, a couple of World Series-winning players, a few home run-hitting specialists, and not to forget a recent Gold Glove Award winner living throughout the city. Plus, a Hall of Fame catcher has residency in Bradenton.

So much of what can be taken for granted with today s thriving baseball scene in Bradenton is because of McKechnie s contributions to the game and community. Next time visiting LECOM Park, be sure to ask to have a look at the wonderful plaque hung outside of the Pirates clubhouse in honor of Bill McKechnie.

You ll feel better about it.