Monday, March 17, 2008

Bicycle Stories' Tour De Spring Training Stops In Bradenton



Today, the Tour de Spring Training pedaled into Bradenton for a St. Patty's Day tilt between the hometown Pitsburgh Pirates and the Toronto Blie Jays, who train in Dunedin. Let's just say there was a certain theme color to today's crowd.


















The Pirates are now the Rays of the National League-- perennial losers. But once there was a time when the Pirates were a feared team, winning two world championships in the 1970s and being a playoff contender back in the early 1990s when Barry Bonds was a Pirate and his head didn't go Michelin Man. This kid is wearing the jersey of maybe the most famous of all the Pirates -- Roberto Clemente.


No bike rack at the Pirates spring stadium, so I locked up the chariot literally within view.


No bike rack, no problem -- This bike is owned by a fan who was allowed to park the bike in the corner of the concourse under the watchful eye of a nearby cop.


That's Big Frank Thomas, as in the famed 500-home run-hitting The Big Hurt waiting on deck.


I'm going out on a limb here and guess that this is not the first time these fans have bellied up to the concessions stand at a ballgame.

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