Forbes Field
"The House of Thrills"
Location	Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Broke ground	March 1, 1909
Opened	June 30, 1909
Closed	June 28, 1970
Demolished	July 28, 1971
Owner	Pittsburgh Pirates (1909-1958) University of Pittsburgh (1958-1971)
Surface	Grass
Construction cost	$1 million USD
Architect	Osborn Engineering
Tenants	Pittsburgh Pirates (NL) (1909-1970) Pittsburgh Americans (AFL) (1936-1937) Homestead Grays (Negro Leagues) (1939-1948) Pittsburgh Steelers (NFL) (1933-1963) Pittsburgh Phantoms (NPSL) (1967) University of Pittsburgh (NCAA) (1909-1924)
Capacity	25,000 (1909) 35,000 (1938)
Field dimensions	(Final) Left Field - 365 ft Left-Center - 406 ft Deep L. Events 86 BC - Lucius Cornelius Sulla, at the head of a Roman Republic army enters in Athens, removing the Tyrant Year 1909 ( MCMIX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting Events 350 - Roman usurper Nepotianus, of the Constantinian dynasty, is defeated and killed by troops of the Usurper Year 1909 ( MCMIX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting Events 1098 - Fighters of the First Crusade defeat Kerbogha of Mosul. Year 1970 ( MCMLXX) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link shows full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1540 - Thomas Cromwell is executed at the order of Henry VIII of England on charges of Treason. Year 1971 ( MCMLXXI) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the 1971 Gregorian calendar. Year 1909 ( MCMIX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting Year 1958 ( MCMLVIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Year 1958 ( MCMLVIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Year 1971 ( MCMLXXI) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the 1971 Gregorian calendar. The United States dollar ( sign: $; code: USD) is the unit of Currency of the United States; it has also been The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the National League ( NL) is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball Year 1909 ( MCMIX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting Year 1970 ( MCMLXX) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link shows full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Year 1936 ( MCMXXXVI) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Year 1937 ( MCMXXXVII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Homestead Grays were a professional Baseball team that played in the Negro Leagues in the United States. Part of the History of baseball in the United States series The Negro leagues were American professional Baseball leagues Year 1939 ( MCMXXXIX) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Year 1948 ( MCMXLVIII) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the 1948 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The National Football League ( NFL) is the largest professional American football league. Year 1933 ( MCMXXXIII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Year 1963 ( MCMLXIII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Pittsburgh Phantoms were a Soccer team based out of Pittsburgh Pennsylvania that played in the non- FIFA sanctioned National Professional The National Professional Soccer League (NPSL was a former professional soccer league featuring teams from the United States and Canada. Year 1967 ( MCMLXVII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the 1967 Gregorian calendar. The University of Pittsburgh, commonly referred to as Pitt, is a non-sectarian coeducational independent state-related, "public" research University The National Collegiate Athletic Association ( NCAA, often pronounced "N-C-Double-A" is a voluntary association of about 1200 institutions conferences organizations Year 1909 ( MCMIX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting Year 1924 ( MCMXXIV) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Year 1909 ( MCMIX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting Year 1938 ( MCMXXXVIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. C. - 457 ft Center Field - Dreyfuss Monument, no sign Deep R. C. - 436 ft Right-Center - 375 ft Right Field - 300 ft Backstop - 75 ft

Forbes Field was a Major League Baseball park in the Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. A modern stadium (plural stadiums or stadia in English is a place or venue for (mostly outdoor Sports Concerts or other events consisting Oakland is the academic cultural and healthcare center of Pittsburgh and is Pennsylvania's third largest " Downtown " The United States of America —commonly referred to as the When it opened June 30, 1909, it became Major League Baseball's second steel-and-concrete stadium (Shibe Park being the first). Events 350 - Roman usurper Nepotianus, of the Constantinian dynasty, is defeated and killed by troops of the Usurper Year 1909 ( MCMIX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting Shibe Park, known for the last one-third of its existence as Connie Mack Stadium, was a Major League Baseball park in Philadelphia, Forbes Field's innovations included elevators, ramps, electric lights, telephones and trolley lines. ^[1]

It served as the home of the Pittsburgh Pirates of the National League from mid-1909 to mid-1970. The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the National League ( NL) is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball Baseball World Series - Pittsburgh Pirates defeat Detroit Tigers, 4 games to 3 Boxing June 19 Artistic Gymnastics World Artistic Gymnastics Championships: Men's all-around champion Eizo Kenmotsu, Japan It was also the home field of the Homestead Grays of the Negro Leagues from 1939 to 1948. The Homestead Grays were a professional Baseball team that played in the Negro Leagues in the United States. Part of the History of baseball in the United States series The Negro leagues were American professional Baseball leagues Many sporting events did not take place because of World War II. Athletics Marathon December 5 &mdash Fukuoka Marathon, Japan Men's Winner Saburo The Pittsburgh Steelers of the NFL (who were initially also called the "Pirates") used the stadium from 1933 to 1963, when they moved to nearby Pitt Stadium. The National Football League ( NFL) is the largest professional American football league. Baseball New York Giants defeat Washington Senators in the World Series, 4-1 Athletics Marathon May 4 &mdash Pan American Games Marathon, Sao Paulo Brazil Men's Pitt Stadium was a stadium in the Oakland section of Pittsburgh Pennsylvania that hosted football, Track and field, and other events starting The Pittsburgh Americans of the second American Football League also called Forbes Field throughout its two year existence (1936 and 1937). Year 1936 ( MCMXXXVI) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Year 1937 ( MCMXXXVII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The University of Pittsburgh Panthers football team also used the stadium as their home field from October 16, 1909^[2] until the opening of Pitt Stadium in 1925, winning several national championships, including three under legendary head coach Glenn Scobey "Pop" Warner. The University of Pittsburgh, commonly referred to as Pitt, is a non-sectarian coeducational independent state-related, "public" research University The Pittsburgh Panthers, commonly referred to as the Pitt Panthers are the athletic teams of University of Pittsburgh. Events 456 - Magister militum Ricimer defeats the Emperor Avitus at Piacenza and becomes master of the western Baseball World Series - Pittsburgh Pirates defeat Detroit Tigers, 4 games to 3 Boxing June 19 Pitt Stadium was a stadium in the Oakland section of Pittsburgh Pennsylvania that hosted football, Track and field, and other events starting Baseball (Major League Pittsburgh Pirates def Washington Senators in the World Series Baseball (Negro Glenn Scobey Warner ( April 5, 1871 &ndash September 7, 1954) was an American football coach also known as Pop Warner.

History

Forbes Field was built under the direction of Pirates owner Barney Dreyfuss. Bernhard "Barney" Dreyfuss (February 23 1865 – February 5 1932 was a German- Jewish -American executive in Major League Baseball who owned the Pittsburgh It was named for General John Forbes, and is the only major league baseball park named for an officer in the French and Indian War. The French and Indian War (1754&ndash1763 was the North American chapter of the Seven Years' War. Forbes' contribution to the area was having captured Fort Duquesne, building the larger Fort Pitt on the site, and naming the settlement around it Pittsburgh, after British statesman William Pitt the Elder. Fort Duquesne (originally called Fort Du Quesne) was a Fort established by the French in 1754, at the junction of the Allegheny William Pitt 1st Earl of Chatham PC (15 November 1708 &ndash 11 May 1778 was a British Whig Statesman who achieved his greatest fame as

Forbes Field replaced the wooden Exposition Park, and was one of the first steel-and-concrete baseball parks. Exposition Park was a Baseball park that formerly stood in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. It is the only home the Pirates have had that was not on the west bank of the Allegheny River, and is also by far their longest-lived, at parts of 62 seasons. The Allegheny River is a principal Tributary of the Ohio River and is located in the Eastern United States. It was in an attractive setting, with Schenley Park and a large ravine, Junction Hollow, beyond the outfield area. Schenley Park is a large municipal park located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA between the neighborhoods of Oakland, Greenfield, Junction Hollow is a small wooded valley bordering the west flanks of Schenley Park and the campus of Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania In its later years, the tall Cathedral of Learning on the nearby University of Pittsburgh campus afforded a breathtaking view of the ballpark. The Cathedral of Learning, a local and national landmark is the centerpiece of the University of Pittsburgh 's main campus in the Oakland neighborhood of The University of Pittsburgh, commonly referred to as Pitt, is a non-sectarian coeducational independent state-related, "public" research University It is from that tower that many "aerial" photos of the ballpark were taken.

On May 25, 1935, the first home run was hit over the double-deck grandstand in right field, which, coincidentally, was Babe Ruth's 714th and final career home run. George Herman Ruth Jr (February 6 1895 &ndash August 16 1948 also popularly known as " Babe " " The Bambino " and " The Sultan of That was a target that Willie Stargell would breach a number of times early in his career with the Bucs. Wilver Dornell "Willie" Stargell ( March 6, 1940 &ndash April 9, 2001) nicknamed " Pops " in the later years of However, the most famous homer hit in Forbes Field was undoubtedly Bill Mazeroski's walkoff home run to win the 1960 World Series for the Pirates. William Stanley Mazeroski (born September 5 1936 in Wheeling West Virginia) nicknamed "Maz" is a former Major League Baseball player who spent his entire In Baseball, a walk-off home run is a Home run that ends the game The 1960 World Series was played between the Pittsburgh Pirates (NL and New York Yankees (AL from October 5 to October 13, 1960

The flagpole and a portion of the left and center field walls still exist near Posvar Hall (formerly Forbes Quadrangle) on the campus of the University of Pittsburgh. Wesley W Posvar Hall (WWPH formerly known as Forbes Quadrangle is a landmark building on the campus of the University of Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania The University of Pittsburgh, commonly referred to as Pitt, is a non-sectarian coeducational independent state-related, "public" research University A bronze plaque indicates the portion over which Mazeroski's 1960 blast traveled. Home plate is preserved under plexiglas in a hallway in Posvar Hall, which occupies much of the site; however, it is a few feet away from its original location, currently occupied by a women's restroom. On every October 13 (the anniversary of Game 7 of the 1960 World Series), local fans gather at the site and listen to a tape of the broadcast. Events 54 - Nero ascends to the Roman throne 409 - Vandals and Alans crossed the Pyrenees Many diehard Pirates fans view this as one of the greatest moments in Bucs history. The portions of the wall that still stand are also still covered in the same ivy that decorated its left and center field walls for decades.

One artifact no longer there is the statue of John Peter "Honus" Wagner, the first great Pirates star and one of the five original inductees to the Baseball Hall of Fame. Johannes Peter "Honus" Wagner (ˈhɑnəs ˈwæɡnɚ February 24 1874 &ndash December 6 1955) nicknamed " The Flying Dutchman That statue, which shows Wagner at bat, completing his swing, was moved to the entrance to Three Rivers Stadium and later to the entrance to PNC Park. Three Rivers Stadium was a Multi-purpose stadium located in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania from 1970 to 2000 PNC Park is a Baseball park located in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania.

Forbes Field had an exceptionally large outfield, and during its 61-year history it never witnessed a no-hitter. In Baseball, a no-hitter (also known as a no-hit game, or colloquially a no-no) refers to a game in which one of the teams prevented the other from getting After the extension of the right field stands into the outfield during the mid-1920s, the dimensions were pretty well set for most of the next 50 years, except during 1947-1953 when an inner fence reduced the left field area by 30 feet, to assist Pirates sluggers like Hank Greenberg ("Greenberg Gardens") and Ralph Kiner ("Kiner's Korner"). Henry Benjamin "Hank" Greenberg ( January 1, 1911, New York New York – September 4, 1986) nicknamed "Hammerin' Ralph McPherran Kiner (born October 27, 1922) is an American former Major League Baseball player and current Announcer. The distance from home plate to the backstop was originally 110 feet (about 31 meters) but was eventually shorted to 75 1/2 feet (about 22 1/2 meters). Backstop is the name of several fictional characters in the Transformers universe. The outfield of Forbes Field was unusual in that the bases of the light towers in the outfield were in play, as was the batting cage, and often the groundskeeping equipment. Balls hit into the batting cage or the groundskeeping equipment were ground rule doubles. In Baseball, a ground rule double is any award of two bases from the Time of pitch to the batter the base runners are pushed by the previous runner

Forbes Field hosted four World Series (1909, 1925, 1927, 1960) and two All-Star Games (1944, 1959). For other events named "World Series" see World Series (disambiguation. The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also popularly known as the "Midsummer Classic" is an annual Baseball game between players from the National League

The ballpark was featured prominently in the 1951 film Angels in the Outfield. Angels in the Outfield is a 1951 Black-and-white film starring Paul Douglas and Janet Leigh, directed by Clarence Brown For students of ballpark history, the left field area at that time was 335 feet and left centere was 376 feet, with the "Kiner's Korner" inner fence still in place at the time of filming.

Forbes Field flagpole and 457 ft marker, June 6, 1993

References

• Lowry, Philip J. (1992). Green Cathedrals: The Ultimate Celebration of All 271 Major League and Negro League Ballparks Past and Present. Reading: Addison-Wesley. ISBN 0-201-56777-6.  

External links

• Pittsburgh Pirates official website
• Pirates ballparks website
• Ballparks.com - Forbes Field
• USGS aerial photo of Forbes Quadrangle
• Pittsburgh Press newstory on 1909 opening day at Forbes Field

Gallery

State historical marker dedicated to Barney Dreyfuss near the Forbes Field wall remnant. The University of Pittsburgh's Cathedral of Learning looms in the background. The University of Pittsburgh, commonly referred to as Pitt, is a non-sectarian coeducational independent state-related, "public" research University The Cathedral of Learning, a local and national landmark is the centerpiece of the University of Pittsburgh 's main campus in the Oakland neighborhood of

Plaque located in the University of Pittsburgh's Posvar Hall commemorates Forbes Field and the 1960 World Series. The University of Pittsburgh, commonly referred to as Pitt, is a non-sectarian coeducational independent state-related, "public" research University Wesley W Posvar Hall (WWPH formerly known as Forbes Quadrangle is a landmark building on the campus of the University of Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania The 1960 World Series was played between the Pittsburgh Pirates (NL and New York Yankees (AL from October 5 to October 13, 1960