[11] The sight lines were more favorable to football; almost 70% of the seats in the baseball configuration were in fair territory. By this time, the Pirates publicly threw their hands up and declared that perhaps a move out of town wouldnt be such a bad idea. Like all the other stadiums of its ilk and time, Three Rivers became an unattractive yet necessary link from ancient times to the modern age. Sunday 00:00 - 00:00. The expansive parking lot, both Pirates and Steelers team offices, the Allegheny Club (VIP Club) and the press boxes and facilities were not opened until weeks later due to extended labor union work stoppages. If Three Rivers Stadium gave the Pirates an early boost, it completely transformed the Steelers into a long-term powerhouse. They were considered by many to be ugly and obsolete, as well as not financially viable. Its not that the Pirates had a choice in Forbes Fields fateat least not after 1958, when they sold the ballpark to the adjacent University of Pittsburgh, which wanted to raze the structure for campus expansion. Three Rivers structural concrete was grounded down and recycled for nearby parking lots. Baseball team, wallowing in a decrepit locker room, is growing restless for something new. [11][33][34], Three Rivers was the first multi-purpose stadium and the first in either the NFL or MLB to feature 3M's Tartan Turf (then a competitor to the dominant AstroTurf), which was installed for opening day. The Pirates may have been overtaken by the Steelers as Pittsburghs most adored, but they still had Mojo; an aging but still dangerous Willie Stargell was joined by a colorful cast of characters that included burly MVP-level slugger Dave Parker, the tirelessly skinny and bespectacled reliever Kent Tekulve, and 67 starting pitcher John Candelaria, who threw the Bucs first no-hitter at Three Rivers in 1976. Driving directions to Three Rivers Stadium Home Plate Location It was moved to Three Rivers Stadium, outside Gate C, on July 21, 1972. There was much initial praise for Three Rivers as a civic stadium meant to pull the Pirates and Steelers out of far more rustic times, but the compromised tedium many would ultimately slam it and other so-called cookie-cutter stadiums for was still hardly lost on some even as it doors opened for the first time. Homestead Grays (1939-1948) Vital statistics: Lifetime Capacity Outfield dimensions (feet) Behind home plate Fence height The Clem Criteria: Built Demo-lished LF LC CF RC RF Field asymm. [66] In 1979, the Pirates again won a World Championship, yet again defeating the Baltimore Orioles in a seven-game World Series. Fans missed Forbes Field more as each year passed. [14] Pittsburgh hosted its third All-Star Game in 1974. Crowds of spectators gathered to witness the end of an era. The Pittsburgh Steelers, who had moved from Forbes Field to Pitt Stadium in 1964, were large supporters of the project. Como ver pasar a los reyes magos el seis de enero Numerous strikes in a city heavily represented by unions pushed back the scheduled first game from Opening Day 1970 to midseason; Every day they delay making the move is taking money out of my pocket, complained Pirates star slugger Willie Stargell, who had enough of Forbes Field and its endless outfield dimensions. You could even throw in the University of Pittsburgh football team, which abandoned their own stadium on campus and borrowed Three Rivers for big games, most notably in a 1976 championship campaign featuring Heisman Trophy running back Tony Dorsett. As bad as sports fans were at Three Rivers, those attending concerts were even worse. "A guy did get me the ball from the last home run, yes," said Wehner. After the initial 10-year contract expired, Heinz Field contracted with Pepsi for exclusive pouring rights, breaking a 50-year tradition with the Steelers. The rubble of Three Rivers Stadium towers over passersby Sunday, Feb. 11, 2001 on the North Side. Spectators are easily distracted by mesmerizing views of downtown Pittsburgh, the Allegheny River and the Sixth Street Bridge, now named after Pirates legend Roberto Clemente. Former Pirates manager Chuck tanner acknowledges the crowd before the final game at Three Rivers Stadium. Skunks were said to live under the stadium. You can still find it prestigiously located near the corner of General Robinson Street and Tony Dorsett Way, five spaces in from a green trash bin, which itself stands just over the guardrail from. On August 9, 1970less than a month after Three Rivers openingStargell deposited his first of four home runs he would launch into the stadiums upper deck. The Panthers played their full home schedule there for the 2000 season, going 74. These seats were removed from 3 Rivers Stadium the home of the Pittsburgh Steelers & Pirates in Pittsburgh, PA. After sharing this park with the football Steelers for 30 years, the Pirates got their own new park in 2001. what was bolivar's ultimate goal? Three Rivers Stadium. Thirty years after feeling stuck and helpless at an aging Forbes Field, the Pirates began to get that sinking feeling all over again at Three Rivers. The 1970s: A crowning decade . [28], During batting practice on that day, a stray foul ball hit a woman named Evelyn Jones in the eye while she was walking the stadium's concourse. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. "No matter what happens, when they tear Three Rivers down, a monument ought to be built there. By the time it put the team up for sale in 1986, the Galbreaths lost $18 million in 15 years at Three Rivers, making a profit only during the ballclubs first full season there (1971). [14] A design was presented in 1958 which featured an open centerfield designthrough which fans could view Pittsburgh's "Golden Triangle". She sued the Pirates and their subsidiary that managed the stadium, arguing that the Baseball Rule, which usually prevents spectators at baseball games from holding teams liable for foul ball injuries, did not apply because she was away from the seating areas and not watching what was going on on the field. Sets of 2-3 Seat Feet- Oak Wood Floor Mounting Brackets - for Three Rivers Double Leg Style Seats. Stargell came alive with a career-high 48 homers (his previous high at Forbes was a relatively mere 33), but he wasnt alone on the star chart. Three Rivers Stadium. The Ballparks: Three Rivers StadiumThis Great Game Wagner, Kiner and Clemente could all agree that excitement was never in short supply at the Old Lady of Schenley Park. Three Rivers Stadium stood alone, literally, as another cookie cutter, or concrete donut, or bowl. The field was artificial turf. Three Rivers Stadium was demolished on February 11th, 2001 at 8 AM. [12] An early design of the stadium included plans to situate the stadium atop a bridge across the Monongahela River. Instead of allowing cars to park, the team instructed fans to park downtown and walk to the stadium over bridges or take shuttle buses. Driving directions. It took just 19 seconds for a colossal Pittsburgh sports landmark to collapse. Fans had to walk down ramps to get to the field (blue) level of seats. After reaching such heavenly highs in Three Rivers Stadiums first decade, the Pirates almost had nowhere to go but down in the 1980s. It had hotels. Before each one of his appearances, the show plays a clip of Greg Brown and Steve Blass (complete with a train whistle) calling Wehner's home run that ended up being the very last in Three Rivers Stadium history. Three Rivers Stadium; if it wasn't the most picturesque coliseum in American sports history, it was perhaps one of the most perfectly named. Alas, bureaucracy won the day over beauty and urban community. Stadium Concert. This section was taken to Three Rivers Stadium for decoration in the Allegheny Club. The statue was originally located in Schenley Park, just beyond the left-field fence of Forbes Field. The Stadium at the time was home to the western Pennsylvania professional sports teams and was a very popular location for major events. The son of a saloon owner who ran a favored watering home for baseball fans in the Exposition Park era, Rooneyhimself not too bad a minor league ballplayerfirst named his team after the Pirates before changing it to the Steelers in 1940. [34] Throughout their 31seasons in Three Rivers Stadium, the Steelers posted a record of 18272, including a 13-5 playoff record, and defeated every visiting franchise at least once from the stadium's opening to close, enjoying perfect records there against seven teams. [54][55], Like most stadiums demolished during this time whose replacements were located nearby (including the Civic Arena over a decade later), the site of Three Rivers Stadium mostly became a parking lot. Despite the last-game loss, Three Rivers ended up being very, very good for the Piratesat least on the field, where they finished with a 1,324-1,081 record. Three Rivers Stadium (sometimes referred to simply as 3RS or "TRS") was a multipurpose sports stadium and event facility located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. Three Rivers Stadium * and N.N.L. The Steelers won 13 home playoff games at Three Rivers Stadium. [22] The stadium was named in February 1969 for its location at the confluence of the Allegheny River and Monongahela River, which forms the Ohio River. It was during the Steelers' stay in Three Rivers that the now famous "Mean Joe" Greene Coke commercial aired, leading to a longstanding relationship between the two. The novel look, which would catch on throughout much of the major leagues in the years to follow, yielded plenty of odd looksand laughsfrom the home fans, comparing the Pirates look to that of a weekend softball team, while one sportswriter said the unis reminded him of long underwear.. A Billy Graham Crusade took place at Three Rivers in June, 1993. The implosion of Three Rivers Stadium with the Fort Duquesne Bridge over the Allegheny River. Home plate is rocketed from Three Rivers Stadium to PNC Park after the final game. On this day in Steelers history: Three Rivers Stadium opened The fans celebrated in the streets to Sister Sledges We Are Family, the Pirates adopted theme song of the 1979 campaign; Stargell, for his combination of sage and vintage strength at age 39, won co-NL MVP honors (with St. Louis Keith Hernandez) and the straight MVP for both the NLCS and World Series. Even if they end up building a hockey rink there, they should put some kind of a monument to that area where the Immaculate Reception took place. Forty years earlier, Art Rooney had paid $2,500 he had floating around from winnings at the racetrack to purchase an expansion National Football League team in Pittsburgh. This fantastic plate of Three Rivers stadium is a great piece of baseball history. But modern times also made for a strong presence. Details Three Rivers Stadium Facts Cost to build: $55 million ($383.5 million today) Ground Broken:. Pittsburgh mayor David L. Lawrence first brought up the idea of a civic-owned sports building in 1947, but it would take eight years for joint city-county agencies to seriously begin pondering where, when and how. The Pirates lost the inaugural contest to the Reds, 3-2. When Parker, who once said, Money isnt everythingpeace of mind is important to me, hit free agency in 1983, he wasted no time fleeing Pittsburgh. [52][53] With the newly constructed Heinz Field only 80 feet (24m) away, effects from the blast were a concern. Can you believe its been 20 years since Three Rivers Stadium came crashing down? All good things come to an end. Due to lack of support, however, the arguments faded. Perhaps the Pirates biggest fan at Three Rivers Stadium was Steelers owner Art Rooney, who worked by day for his football team and, every night, moved up to one of the box suites to watch the Pirates. Three Rivers Stadium Plaque | eBay . Stadium was still under construction due to labor disputes and later opened on 7.16.70 against the Reds. three rivers stadium home plate location. The charges detonated in rapid sequence, and the walls tumbled. The initiative's defeat led to the development of "Plan B", an alternate funding proposal that used a combination of monies from the Allegheny Regional Asset District (an extra 1% sales tax levied on Allegheny County), state and federal monies and a number of other sources. It was at this venue in 1998 where Sammy Sosa hit his Cub-franchise record 57th homer of the season, besting Hack Wilson, whose record stood for 68 years. Not even their rousing World Series season of 1960, capped by Bill Mazeroskis legendary walk-off homer in the seventh game against the New York Yankees, sped up the clock on any timetable. Doug Harvey hands Roberto Clemente the ball after he doubled off the Mets' Jon Matlack for his 3,000th career hit on September 30, 1972. The scandal devastated the Pirates organization; the team sank in the standings, bottoming out with a 104-loss campaign in 1985. Three Rivers Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, from 1970 to 2000.It was home to the Pittsburgh Pirates of Major League Baseball (MLB) and the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL).. Without a hitch, a 1985 Bruce Springsteen gig at Three Rivers drew 65,000, the largest gathering for any event at the stadium. [63] The Pirates lifted their television blackout policy for home games so that local fans could see the inaugural game. Three Rivers Stadiums original scoreboard extends out above the outfield wall. Three Rivers Stadium Fun Facts: Opened in 1971 with a seating capacity of 59,000 for football. It took 10 years to wipe it off the books. Now, Wagner stands guard in front of the home-plate entrance at PNC Park on the corner of General Robinson Street and Mazeroski Way. Doug Loizeaux, Marks older brother and vice president of Controlled Demolition, Inc., was happy to report that there was no debris within 40 feet (12m) of Heinz Field. The stadium, which took more than 2 years to build at a cost of $55 million, seated 47,971 fans for baseball games, and 59,000 for football games. Joining a wave of sports construction that swept the United States in the 1990s, both the Pirates and Steelers began a push for a new stadium. As groundbreaking on the stadium finally took place in 1968, the Bridge to Nowhere finally got somewhereand it wouldnt be just to ferry traffic to Three Rivers. With that said it is a wild river and when roaring . Signup for our newsletter to get notified about sales and new products. [9] For their part, according to longtime Pirates announcer Bob Prince, the Pirates wanted a bigger place to play in order to draw more revenue. Attendance, abetted by a full-blown depression in Pittsburgh with 23% unemployment at one point, dipped well below a million; in 1983, the Pirates drew their smallest-ever crowd at Three Rivers when a gathering of 1,970 showed up. Pittsburgh Jazz Festival Stevie Wonder, Ray Charles B.B. Costing $1.5 million, the board would be replaced after just 13 years by a Jumbotron placed higher up in the top deck. The Steelers sold out every home game from 1972 through the closing of the stadium, a streak which continues through 2008. Three Rivers Stadium | Baseball Wiki | Fandom On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Copyright20062023,Somerightsreserved. The formal closing ceremony centers on home plate. Jul 18, 1998. The three succeeding portraits on the covers of this trilogy (which originally appeared volume by volume in 1954, 1959, and 1963) show the ardent young radical journalist and activist, the more mature Soviet tactician and commander of the Red Army, and the snowy-headed exiled sage. Joe B. Fleisner (left) and Jared Castine stack seats removed from the stands at Three Rivers Stadium on Jan. 3, 2000, in preparation for the auction of the contents. [64] The Pirates' lowest season of attendance was 1985, at an average of 9,085. Location. (Jerry Reuss), Three Rivers Stadium never worked out for the Galbreath family, which had owned the Pirates since 1946. April 1985: General view of Three Rivers Stadium, home of the Pittsburgh Pirates, during a Major League Baseball game in April 1985 in Pittsburgh,. Two months later, on Dec. 16, the Steelers played their final game at Three Rivers, defeating the Washington Redskins 24-3. On September 30, 1972, Clemente collected his 3,000th career hit with a fourth-inning double; it would be his last hit of the seasonand, alas, the last of his career. Posing with a group of kids, Pirates first baseman Bob Robertson shows off the buttonless, double-knit uniforms broken out for the first game at Three Rivers Stadium. Three Rivers Stadium and sports on the Northside of Pittsburgh PNC Park - Wikipedia Pirates organist Vince Lascheid at Three Rivers Stadium on July 5, 1999. Meanwhile, the naming of Three Rivers Stadium didnt sit well with many Pittsburghers, who rather would have seen the facility named after David Lawrence, the mayor who first championed the idea of a stadium back in 1948. But city leaders, leery of the trend in franchise shifts within Major League Baseball, didnt want to take any chances of losing its most fabled sports entity. [69] Three Rivers Stadium hosted seven AFC Championship Games from 1972 to 1997;[34][71] the Steelers won four. For the Pirates, time seemed to stand still on any progress toward an actual stadium. Yes, Three Rivers Stadium was another one of those venues people now love to hate: A perfectly circular hunk of concrete largely adorned with slightly angled spectator ramps perfectly spaced between four large welcoming gates. Courtesy of Pittsburgh Steelers Collection. Monday 00:00 - 00:00. The concourse areas were dark and dingy. Tuesday 00:00 . three rivers stadium home plate location - bagtical.com Three Rivers Stadium - Wikipedia When Rooney passed away in 1988, his officealready drenched with reference books and memorabiliabecame a library. The particular spot for the new stadium was, in fact, once upon a time the same site as Exposition Park, the Pirates first home. It was followed closely by crowds of 60,000-plus for the Rolling Stones and Genesis. It was home to the Pittsburgh Pirates of Major League Baseball (MLB) and the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL). The Ballparks: Forbes Field Removed from downtown Pittsburghs choking smoke and untamed rivers, elegant Forbes Field was built in a vernal, cultural paradise on the outskirts of town, where three was the magic numberfrom three Pirates world titles to Babe Ruths last three homers to the last tripleheader to all those triples. Bite-Size Bits of Local, National, and Global History, North Shore inPittsburgh in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania , Photographed By Mike Wintermantel, April 25, 2010, Three Rivers Stadium. They could even look to the outside and see downtown, the three rivers and the hills beyond. [22] In January 1970, the new target date was set for May 29; however, because of a failure to install the lights on schedule, opening day was delayed once more to July 16. Pittsburgh beats Oakland 13-7 in an AFC Divisional playoff game on Franco Harris' Immaculate Reception. [47][48] On October 1, 2000, the Pirates were defeated 109 by the Chicago Cubs in their final game at Three Rivers Stadium. Three Rivers Stadium presented itself as a fairer alternative to Forbes Field with its boilerplate field dimensions; no longer did Willie Stargell nor any other player have to drive a ball 400 feet and then hope that it cleared the fence.