PITTSBURGH -- It felt a little bit like spring Tuesday morning on Mazeroski Way.
There was one sure-fire sign at PNC Park, where the Pirates' equipment truck rumbled out of the ballpark and hit the road for Bradenton, Fla. And it didn't hurt that it was 53 degrees along the north shore of the Allegheny River only a few days after temperatures dipped into the single digits.
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"Especially after last week," said longtime clubhouse manager Scott Bonnett, "this was kind of nice."
Yes, Pirates Spring Training is just around the corner. "Truck Day" was Tuesday, and Pittsburgh's pitchers and catchers must officially report to the Pirate City complex by Monday.
Bonnett and the Pirates' clubhouse staff started loading up the truck around 7 a.m. on Tuesday and finished before 9 a.m., but the process of preparing actually began late last season. In August and September, Bonnett takes orders for equipment from players and makes plans for the offseason.
Those plans can change in a hurry, as Bonnett was reminded on Monday when the Pirates added another player to their Spring Training roster: Francisco Liriano. The veteran left-hander will get his No. 47 jersey back, and non-roster outfielder Patrick Kivlehan will now be wearing No. 46.

The later-than-usual PiratesFest at PNC Park also changed the clubhouse staff's plans. Most years, they unpack and sort shipments in the Pirates' home clubhouse. But that spacious area was put to use during PiratesFest on Jan. 26, so Bonnett and Co. filled the visitors' clubhouse with gear instead. That move had a welcome, if unintended, consequence on Tuesday morning: It's a shorter walk from the visitors' clubhouse to the loading area.
There wasn't anything unusual packed into the Pirates' truck on Tuesday morning -- just the usual haul of uniforms, sweatshirts, shorts, bats, baseballs, weights, training equipment, video gear and, of course, golf clubs. Players, coaches and staff put those clubs to use during the annual Pirates Charities Spring Training Golf Classic -- and whenever else they get a chance.
"Golf clubs are a must," Bonnett said. "We get two days off there, and I will take advantage of those two days off on the course."