BRADENTON, Fla. —

For, lo, the winter is past,

The rain is over and gone;

The flowers appear on the earth;

The time of the singing of birds is come,

And the voice of the turtle is heard in our land.

“Voice of the Turtle” was such a simple poem, really, but legendary Tigers broadcaster Ernie Harwell turned that stanza into a rite of spring for so many, including myself, around the baseball world. It was always a sign of new life and new beginnings and, especially, that baseball had returned.

Today, it’s sunny and 54 degrees at Pirate City, and spring training is underway. Pitchers and catchers reported today, with almost every name on the entire 64-person roster accounted for. Not a lot of news yet, but wanted to share a few shots from around campus this morning.

Enjoy!



Behold the entrance to Pirate City. (Stephen J. Nesbitt/Post-Gazette)



Catcher Chris Stewart warms up on the first day of Pirates spring training in Bradenton, Fla. (Stephen J. Nesbitt/Post-Gazette)



Palm trees flank the entrance of Pirate City. (Stephen J. Nesbitt/Post-Gazette)



The Pirates will don a black matte helmet this spring. (Stephen J. Nesbitt/Post-Gazette)

Stephen J. Nesbitt: snesbitt@post-gazette.com and Twitter @stephenjnesbitt.