Boomerang baseball leader returns to region

Longtime Pittsburgh Pirates executive Jeff Podobnik has been named senior director of Florida and Dominican Republic Operations and will be based in Bradenton, spring training home of the major league baseball team.

Podobnik replaces Trevor Gooby, who served the club as Senior Director of Florida Operations from 2005-2016. Gooby took a position recently with the Seattle Mariners.

Podobnik, in a return to the region, has been with Pirates for 27 years, most recently as senior director of security and contract services at PNC Park in Pittsburgh. He also ran Florida operations for the team in Bradenton from 1991-1998. In his new position he will oversee the Pirate City complex, McKechnie Field and the Pirates' Latin American headquarters in the Dominican Republic.

“We have experienced exceptional growth in Bradenton and the Dominican Republic, with magnificent facilities and passionate fan support for Pirates spring training and the Bradenton Marauders,” Pirates team President Frank Coonelly says in a statement. “Jeff Podobnik is an experienced leader in our organization who will work with our tremendous staff in Bradenton to continue to improve our industry-leading operations in Bradenton.”

The Pirates have held spring training in Bradenton since 1969.