Behind the University of Pittsburgh's Wesley W. Posvar Hall stands an old brick wall from a glorious era, an era when America truly embraced the beauty of sport. For 61 years, Forbes Field stood as the city grew from a glorified steel mill into a blooming metropolis. In that time period, its main tenant, the Pirates, won three world championships while the ballpark hosted countless memories that will live for as long as baseball resides in America's vernacular. This is the story of Forbes Field.
The Conception
Barney Dreyfuss wanted a new ballpark. For years, his Pittsburgh Pirates had toiled just off the banks of the Allegheny River in 16,00 seat Exposition Park, forever fearful of flooding. Although he knew that the move might mean moving away from the bustling business sector of town, he was ready to start anew.
Steel magnate Andrew Carnegie helped him purchase seven acres of Mary Schenley's estate three miles from downtown and a world away from the hustle and bustle of life. Before ground broke on March 1, 1909, that area was very rural and even had some cows grazing on the lush green planes.
Led by the architectural giant Osborn Engineering, crews worked around the clock to get the project done on time. 60,000 cubic yards of dirt was needed to fill in the ravine so that right field would be on an even plane. While the crews worked, Dreyfuss pondered just what he would name his new ballpark.
He settled on naming it after John Forbes, a British general who fought French and Native troops by the three rivers near Exposition Park in 1758 and eventually named the area after British Prime Minister William Pitt. Finally, after sinking $1 million into the four month old project, the Pirates had their new home on the southern part of the University of Pittsburgh campus. On June 30, 1909, Forbes Field was open for business.
The Golden Years
It's been said that a friend of Richard Dreyfuss once bet him a three-piece suit that Forbes Field, known to many at the time as "Dreyfuss's Flop", would never sell out. If that's accurate then his friend would have owed him one on Opening Day as the Pirates sold out their home opener at 25,000 seat Forbes Field. With 30,330 sets of eyes looking onward, the Pirates lost their opening game to the Cubs, 3-2.
Oddly, their first win was two games and two days later as the Pirates beat the Cubs 4-2 on the back end of a double header. From then on, the Pirates acclimated very quickly to their new surroundings, winning 110 games and reaching the World Series that very same year. While the Pirates didn't have homefield advantage, they did manage to win two out of their three home games before beating the Tigers in Game 7 at Detroit, 8-0.
It was one of the best opening seasons any ballpark has ever had. From the very start, people were in awe of its three-tier grandstand that extended down both the first and thrid base lines. The ballpark was festooned with numerous ramps for traveling between decks and elevators to take wealthy patrons all the way to the third level where their luxury suites sat waiting for them.
In its first decade, Forbes Field was host to a couple of important milestones in baseball's rich history. With center-field being as deep as 462 feet, Forbes Field was terrible for hitting home runs but was great for hitting triples. In 1912, Owen "Chief" Wilson hit 24 of his record 36 triples into "Triples Alley". To this day, no one has come within even ten of his record.
On August 5, 1921, the Pirates beat the Phillies 8-5 in the first game ever to be broadcast over the radio. The announcer Harold Arlin had to use a Forbes Field telephone as a microphone, but nonetheless, history was made.
However, despite its appearance and the constant sellouts, all was not well. The ballpark wasn't big enough for larger crowds. While it was common place for standing-room-only attendees to stand along the first and third baselines, it was quickly being phased out by newer ballparks. An expansion in 1925 couldn't have come a moment too soon as those extra 10,000 seats.
That year, the Pirates beat the Senators at home in Game 7 of the World Series. Their 9-7 triumph over one of the greatest pitcher of his era, Walter Johnson, denied him the chance to repeat as a world champion.
Seeing how dangerous running into a brick wall could become, Forbes Field became the first ballpark to pad its outfield wall in 1930. Three years later, it welcomed the NFL as the Steelers were born. They would remain in Forbes Field for the next 30 years before moving into Pitt Stadium in 1964.
By 1935, Babe Ruth was on his last leg. Having left the Yankees following the 1934 season, he signed with the Boston Braves, ultimately bashing the last six home runs of his legendary career. Ironically, his final three were slugged at one of baseball's worst ballparks to hit a homer. In the middle of an 11-7 Pirates victory, Babe Ruth hit three home runs off of Red Lucas and Guy Bush. Along with six RBI and despite a .206 batting average, it was Babe Ruth's last hurrah in the sport. He retired later that year.
In 1938, a press box known as the "Crows Nest" was added atop the grandstand's roof. Two years later, Forbes Field hosted its first night game on June 4, 1940, with the Pirates smashing the Braves 14-2 in front of 20,310.
After Hank Greenberg joined the Pirates in 1947, the organization shortened left field by 30 feet, making it 330. Until he retired after that year, that little section the ballpark was affectionately known as "Greenberg Gardens". When Ralph Kiner took over left field shortly thereafter, that stretch of green's name was changed to "Kiner's Corner".
In 1960, the Pirates shocked the major leagues by reaching the World Series where they ran into the era's premier dynasty: the New York Yankees. It was a back and forth battle with an odd twist. Whenever the Yankees won, they dominated but whenever the Pirates won, it was a close, nail-biting affair. Back and forth the two teams went until they reached the pivotol Game 7 in Forbes Field.
Forbes Field had always had a hard playing surface but sometimes a hard playing surface goes your way. With Pittsburgh down 7-4 in the bottom of the eighth, a ball bounced off the rock-hard surface andinto Yankee shortstop Tony Kubek's throat, beginning an avalanche of five Pirates runs to end the inning on a very different note.
Still, the Yankees tied it up in the ninth when the Pirates second baseman Bill Mazeroski stepped to the plate, swung his bat and blasted one off of Ralph Terry to end the season on a high note. Fans all over the ballpark and even leaning over the railing of the university's Tower of Learning that peered into the ballpark cheered wildly as Mazeroski trotted around the bases. With that win, the Pirates became the first team to ever win the World Series after being outscored the entire series.
The End of an Era
That last-second victory was Forbes Field's last great moment. While it stood for the next decade, it as beginning to show its age. With the Pitt Panthers having already moved out in 1925 and into their own stadium (Pitt Stadium) and the Steelers looking to move out of Pitt Stadium and into a new stadium on the site of the old Exposition Park, the Pirates knew that it was time to move. They accepted the university's offer of $2 million for the site and looked forward to moving into Three Rivers Stadium with the Steelers
On June 28, 1970, the Pirates hosted the Cubs to close an era. Pittsburgh won both games of the double header, 3-2 and 4-1 respectively. Bob Robertson's sacrifice fly gave Al Oliver the opening he needed to score the final run in the ballpark's history.
After the game, the fans stormed the field, collecting whatever souvenirs they could get away with. Amazingly, after 4,728 games, Forbes Field never saw a no-hitter.
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