Forbes Field

For the airport formerly known as Forbes Field, see Topeka Regional Airport.

Forbes Field
"The House of Thrills"[1]
"The Old Lady of Schenley Park"[2]
"The Oakland Orchard"[3]
Map
Location230 South Bouquet St. in Oakland, adjacent to Schenley Park
Capacity23,000 (1909)
41,000 (1925)
35,000 (1970)
Field size1954–1970:
Left field—365 feet (111 m)
Left center—406 feet (124 m)
Center field—457 feet (139 m)
Right center—408 feet (124 m)
Right field—375 feet (114 m)[5]
SurfaceGrass
ScoreboardHand-operated
Construction
Broke groundMarch 1, 1909
BuiltMarch–June 1909
OpenedJune 30, 1909
ClosedJune 28, 1970
Demolished1971
Construction costEstimated US$1–2 million
($33.9 million – $67.8 million in 2023 dollars[4])
ArchitectCharles Leavitt Jr.
General contractorNicola Building Company
Tenants
Pittsburgh Pirates (MLB) (1909–1970)
Pittsburgh Steelers (NFL) (1933–1963)
Philadelphia–Pittsburgh "Steagles" (NFL) (1943)
"Card-Pitt" (NFL) (1944)
Pittsburgh Panthers (NCAA) (1909–1924)
Carnegie Tech Tartans (NCAA) (1922-1928)
Duquesne Dukes (NCAA) (1933–1942, 1947–1950)
Homestead Grays (Negro leagues) (1922–1939)
Pittsburgh Americans (AFL) (1936–1937)
Pittsburgh Phantoms (NPSL) (1967)
DesignatedJuly 7, 2006[6]
Official nameForbes Field wall: remnant
Designated1977[7]

Forbes Field was a baseball park in the Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, from 1909 to June 28, 1970. It was the third home of the Pittsburgh Pirates, the city's Major League Baseball (MLB) team, and the first home of the Pittsburgh Steelers, the city's National Football League (NFL) franchise. From 1909 to 1924, the stadium also served as the home football field for the University of Pittsburgh "Pitt" Panthers. The stadium sat on Forbes Avenue, named for British general John Forbes, who fought in the French and Indian War and named the city in 1758.

The US$1 million ($33.9 million today) project was launched by Pittsburgh Pirates' owner Barney Dreyfuss to replace his franchise's second home, Exposition Park. The stadium was made of concrete and steel, the first such stadium in the National League and third in Major League Baseball, in a bid to be more durable than wooden ballparks. The Pirates opened Forbes Field on June 30, 1909, against the Chicago Cubs, and played the final game against the Cubs on June 28, 1970. The field itself featured a large playing surface, with the batting cage placed in the deepest part of center field during games. Seating was altered multiple times throughout the stadium's life; at times fans were permitted to sit on the grass in the outfield during overflow crowds. The Pirates won three World Series while at Forbes Field; the Pittsburgh Panthers football team had five undefeated seasons before moving in 1924. In 1958, broadcaster Bob Prince dubbed Forbes Field "The House of Thrills" for the then-resurgent Pirates and several games that saw late-inning heroics.[8][9][10][11][1][12]

Some remnants of the ballpark still stand, surrounded by the campus of the University of Pittsburgh. Fans gather on the site annually on the anniversary of Bill Mazeroski's World Series winning home run, in what author Jim O'Brien writes is "one of the most unique expressions of a love of the game to be found in a major league city".[13]

  1. ^ a b Keck, Harry (April 18, 1960). "Same Exciting Script Being Used in House of Thrills". Pittsburgh Sun-Telegraph. p. 16. Retrieved November 24, 2021.
  2. ^ Gershman, Michael (1993). Diamonds: The Evolution of the Ballpark. Houghton Mifflin. p. 224. ISBN 9780395612125.
  3. ^ Biederman, Lester (June 5, 1938). "Forbes Field Rated Tops . . . . . . . . Gets Perfect Ball Park Tag". The Pittsburgh Press. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. p. 3 (Sports). Retrieved April 11, 2016.
  4. ^ 1634–1699: McCusker, J. J. (1997). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1700–1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved February 29, 2024.
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference ZZAlm was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ "PHMC Historical Markers Search". Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Archived from the original (Searchable database) on 2016-03-21. Retrieved 2014-01-25.
  7. ^ Historic Landmark Plaques 1968–2009 (PDF). Pittsburgh: Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation. 2010. Retrieved 2010-07-02.
  8. ^ Keck, Harry (August 13, 1958). "Enthusiasm of the Fans Rubbing Off on the Pirates". Pittsburgh Sun-Telegraph. p. 37. Retrieved November 24, 2021.
  9. ^ Leonard, Vincent (August 12, 1959). "Sports Vignettes: The Big Return; As If For the Championship". The Daily Republican. Retrieved June 26, 2020.
  10. ^ Leonard, Vince (August 31, 1959). "Sports Vignettes: Buc Thrillers". The Daily Republican. Retrieved June 25, 2020.
  11. ^ "Back the Bucs in '60". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. April 12, 1960. Retrieved June 26, 2020.
  12. ^ Cernkovic, Rudy (June 7, 1960). "Blood Pressure of Buc Fans Return to Normal (During Road Trip)". The Weirton Daily Times. Retrieved June 25, 2020.
  13. ^ Cite error: The named reference FF150 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).