Pirates and Marlins to Play Two-Game Series in Puerto Rico in 2016

Major League Baseball announced today that the Pittsburgh Pirates will play the Miami Marlins in a two-game series in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on May 30-31, 2016. The announcement was made by Baseball Commissioner Robert D. Manfred, Jr. today at the league's quarterly owners meetings. The series, which will be played at Hiram Bithorn Stadium, will be counted as Marlins home games.

In conjunction with the Pirates visit to San Juan, Major League Baseball will observe Roberto Clemente Day on May 31. Clemente, who spent his entire Hall-of-Fame career as a member of the Pirates, was born in Carolina, Puerto Rico and died tragically on December 31, 1972, along with four others when a plane carrying supplies to earthquake-stricken Nicaragua crashed. In honor of the Puerto Rican-born Clemente, MLB will announce the names of the 30 club nominees for the 2016 Roberto Clemente Award, which recognizes a Major League player who best represents the game of baseball through positive contributions on and off the field, including sportsmanship and community involvement. This year's Clemente Award winner was Pirates five-time All-Star Andrew McCutchen, who became the first Pittsburgh player to take home the award since Willie Stargell in 1974.

"The Pirates are thrilled to return to Puerto Rico in 2016," said Pirates President Frank Coonelly. "Roberto Clemente embodied what it means to be a Pittsburgh Pirate, a player of great determination, grit and skill on the field who also embraced the more weighty obligation to make a difference in the lives of others off the field. We very much look forward to bringing 2015 Roberto Clemente Award-winner Andrew McCutchen and the rest of the 2016 Pirates to Roberto's homeland to take on the Miami Marlins before the passionate baseball fans in Puerto Rico. We greatly appreciate the efforts of Commissioner Rob Manfred, the Major League Baseball Players Association and the Marlins to make this great opportunity possible for our players and fans."

The series will mark Pittsburgh's first games in Puerto Rico since playing a four-game series against the Montreal Expos from July 8-11, 2004. It will also be the first time for Major League Baseball in Puerto Rico since the Marlins and the New York Mets played a three game series at Hiram Bithorn Stadium in June of 2010.