However, the ushers' union declined the uniform change for female workers. A proposal for a new sports stadium in Pittsburgh was first made in 1948; however, plans did not attract much attention until the late 1950s. [69] Three Rivers Stadium hosted seven AFC Championship Games from 1972 to 1997;[34][71] the Steelers won four. It was to call for a 70,000-seat stadium with hotels, marina, and a 100-lane bowling alley. Buying was a consortium of private and public sources, meant as a stopgap to keep the team in Pittsburgh and buy time to find a longer-term owner who had yet to come along. 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. When Heinz Field opened, Coca-Cola also assumed the beverage contract for that stadium (the Pirates signed a deal with Pepsi for PNC Park before signing with Coke again in 2014), and also became the primary sponsor for the Steelers' team Hall of Fame, the Coca-Cola Great Hall. That decision was in turn reversed by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, which agreed with her argument about the Baseball Rule and also noted that the opening to the concourse through which the foul had passed was a purely architectural choice that was not necessary to the game of baseball. It was named in February 1969 for its location at the confluence of the Allegheny and . After getting used to Three Rivers for half a season in 1970, the Pirates first full campaign at the stadium a year later resulted in their first world title since their fabled 1960 run at Forbes Field. Three Rivers Stadium hosted game four, in which the Pirates defeated the Orioles in the first night game in the history of the World Series. If anything else, the threat brought the various public agencies together toward a budget agreement. Pittsburgh Pirates, 1970-2000Pittsburgh Steelers (NFL), 1970-2000Duquense University (college football), 1971University of Pittsburgh (college football), selected gamesPittsburgh Maulers (USFL), 1984, 792 W. General Robinson Street, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Deeter Ritchey Sipple (DRS), Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Left field line: 335 feetLeft-center field: 375 feetCenter field: 400 feetRight-center field: 375 feetRight field line: 335 feet, July 16, 1970Cincinnati Reds 3, Pittsburgh Pirates 2, October 1, 2000Chicago Cubs 10, Pittsburgh Pirates 9, August 14, 1971Bob GibsonAugust 9, 1976John CandelariaJuly 12, 1997Francisco Cordova (9), Ricardo Rincon (1), 1974National League 7, American League 21994National League 8, American League 7 (10 innings). It was a cold Sunday, Feb.. [21] That November, Arthur Gratz asked the city for an additional $3million ($22.2 million today), which was granted. 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. Thousands of souvenirs had already made their way into the hands of fans. [45] The venue also served as the premiere of the 1994 Disney film Angels in the Outfield which, despite being based around the California Angels, paid homage to the original 1951 film, which featured the Pirates in "heavenly" need.[46]. The Steelers would lose the following week at Three Rivers to the Miami Dolphinson their way to being the first undefeated team in the Super Bowl erabut the Steelers permanently shed their loser image, beginning a brilliant run of football that would net them four Super Bowl trophies over a six-year period. Can you believe its been 20 years since Three Rivers Stadium came crashing down? [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. After his arrest and asked to explain his lapse into mental freefall to do all of these things, the man put the blame on Steelers quarterback Mark Malone, who was finishing up an awful (46% completion rate, six touchdowns, 19 interceptions) season for Pittsburgh. Its enclosed nature was a necessity of compromise, a confluence of sports teams near a confluence of rivers, yielding a confluence of championship glory before tough times set inmost certainly for a Pirates team that found progress in the modern age a steep slope to climb. Pittsburgh beats Oakland 13-7 in an AFC Divisional playoff game on Franco Harris' Immaculate Reception. Three Rivers Stadium implosion seen from Point State Park on Sunday, Feb. 11, 2001. A look at Three Rivers Stadium from the top of the upper-deck bleacher seats. Built as a replacement for Forbes Field, which opened in 1909, the US$55 million ($406.4 million today) multi-purpose facility was designed to maximize . 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. A two-story, concrete marker for Gate D is the only portion of Three Rivers Stadium still standing. [12] An early design of the stadium included plans to situate the stadium atop a bridge across the Monongahela River. Another question is the precise location of the monument to Pirates owner Barney Dreyfuss . (Historic Pittsburgh). 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. Providing the infrastructural design was Michael Baker International, a fast-growing firm which had a hand in the Trans-Alaska Pipeline, the Seattle Space Needle, and Pittsburgh International Airport, among many other projects around the planet. Never mind the possibility of the 100-year flood wreaking havoc on such a complex structure; the U.S. Department of Defense was more concerned with the potentially devastating impact from an act of terrorismbefore that word became a thingand nixed the idea. It's been 20 years since the home of the Pirates and Steelers was imploded before the new stadiums were opened. The Allegheny Club doubled as an ode to the past; it included a segment of Forbes Field famed brick wall, and a plaque honoring Babe Ruths final home run (hit at Forbes in 1935). Three Rivers Stadiums original scoreboard extends out above the outfield wall. The Steelers moved a few yards away to their new home at Heinz Field, while the Pirates took a short walk upriver to PNC Park. Three Rivers Stadium and sports on the Northside of Pittsburgh Its spaciousness was evident from the outside; tall windows stretched upward and across, allowing patrons on cascading levels of table seating and barstools to enjoy the game while eating and/or imbibing. 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. Adjacent Acrisure Stadium, clad with 68,000 yellow seats, retains the rabid enthusiasm of Steelers fans. For the Pirates, time seemed to stand still on any progress toward an actual stadium. Will the last baseball fan to leave Three Rivers Stadium please turn out the lights? The home of the Steelers and Pirates had been rendered obsolete by the pair of stadiums now flanking the aging concrete cylinder. It was followed closely by crowds of 60,000-plus for the Rolling Stones and Genesis. Though spacious Forbes Field was perfectly suited for Clementes brand of line-drive hitting, he found Three Rivers to be no problem. The scandal devastated the Pirates organization; the team sank in the standings, bottoming out with a 104-loss campaign in 1985. The Pirates lost the inaugural contest to the Reds, 3-2. The park was not configured for baseball, so sightlines were not good. The perfect storm hit the Bucs after the 1992 season, facing an offseason in which free agents Bonds, ace pitcher Doug Drabek and Gold Glove second baseman Jose Lind all departed for richer teams in bigger markets because the Pirates simply lacked the capital to retain them. The debt was finally retired by 2010. Even the four expansion teams from 1969 had recorded inaugural Opening Day victories.13 As for the Pirates, they had now played their final opener at Old Lady Forbes.14 They would play 41 more games in the historic ballpark before moving to their new home, Three Rivers Stadium, on July 16. . (May or June, 1986) [34] After the game, former Pirate Willie Stargell threw out the ceremonial last pitch (he died the following April hours before the first regular season game was played at PNC Park). Skunks were said to live under the stadium. The Panthers played their full home schedule there for the 2000 season, going 74. [65] Game one of the 1970 NLCS, at Three Rivers Stadium, was the first postseason baseball game to be played on an artificial surface. But postwar America had moved on from baseballs Gilded Age; decaying relics of yesteryear had no place in a society focused on suburbia, interstates and 707s. In the summer of 1998, Three Rivers Stadium receive its death sentence with the approval of PNC Park and Heinz Field, side-by-side facilities built exclusively for the Pirates and Steelers, respectively. Following the season on New Years Eve, Clemente boarded a DC-7 in his native Puerto Rico on its way to Nicaragua to provide aid for victims of a recent earthquake; the plane crashed into the Atlantic Ocean moments after takeoff, killing Clemente and four others onboard. If 25,000 people go (to Three Rivers) for a game, said one-time Pirate Phil Garner to The Sporting News, most of them will still be there two hours after the game.. Fans had to walk down ramps to get to the field (blue) level of seats. It also featured a Pirates Hall of Fame which, at one stage, included wax figures of Honus Wagner, Pie Traynor and Roberto Clemente wearing the uniforms of their times. As delirious Steelers fans jumped the stands and flooded the Three Rivers turf, referees sought to determine which player Bradshaws pass had deflected off of; at the time, an offensive player could not legally catch a ball deflected directly from a teammate. The scoreboard was located above the centerfield seats in the upper deck. Forced to go back to the drawing board, Ritchey had no choice but to artistically cave to the tight budget, designing a fully-enclosed stadium with a symmetrical build that appealed to a more cost-effective solution. [65] The average attendance would peak in 1991, when the Pirates averaged 25,498per game. The longest unofficial home run in Three Rivers Stadium was a 519-foot drive unleashed well into the upper deck by the Chicago White Sox Frank Thomas during the 1994 Home Run Derby. The field was artificial turf. A 1973 Led Zeppelin concert nearly turned into a riot; a year later, Eric Clapton was nailed in the face by a (perhaps) errant frisbee. You can see the top of Fort Pittsburgh Bridge (I-279) at the bottom. Donned with multiple, vivid uniform combinations of black, gold and pinstripes, the Pirates intensified their exciting brand of ball, particularly excelling at Three Rivers; during a last-gasp effort to steal the 1978 NL East title from the Philadelphia Phillies, they won a major league-record 24 straight games at home. [15] A site on the city's Northside was approved on August 10, 1958, due to land availability and parking space,[15] the latter of which had been a problem at Forbes Field. [63] The first hit in the stadium was by Pittsburgh's Richie Hebner, in the bottom of the first inning. [29], Three Rivers Stadium was similar in design to other stadiums built in the 1960s and 1970s, such as RFK Stadium in Washington, Shea Stadium in New York, Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati, the Houston Astrodome, Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia, and Busch Memorial Stadium in St. Louis, which were designed as multi-purpose facilities to maximize efficiency. 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. While public agencies battled over the finances, a local consortium of architects focused on the stadiums aesthetics. DRS principal Dahlen Ritchey, who grew up a big Pirates fan and forever regretted the day he gave away his Game Seven tickets to the 1960 World Series (because he was sure the Pirates would lose), initially lobbied for separate side-by-side stadiums for the Pirates and Steelerswith the Bucs ballpark providing an open view beyond its outfield of downtown. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for three Rivers Stadium Seats Set of 4 connected w/Cert from Free Markets HCS at the best online prices at eBay! Three Rivers Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania from 1970 to 2000. With 59,568 in attendance, the largest crowd to ever attend a baseball game at the stadium,[33] the National League won 87 in the tenth inning. [71] A Steelers symbol recognized worldwide, The Terrible Towel debuted on December 27, 1975, at Three Rivers Stadium. 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. Jun 06, 1999. Home to the Pirates, who won two World Series, and the Steelers, who won four Super Bowl Championships, creating Pittsburgh's "City of Champions" identity. Besides the new stadium itself, there was synthetic Tartan Turf on the field, a cushier, more agreeable alternative to AstroTurf; and the Pirates broke out of the clubhouse as the first team to wear double-knit, buttonless jerseys. location, location, location. Youre in a bowl.. But modern times also made for a strong presence. Three Rivers Stadium implosion seen from Point State Park on Sunday, Feb. 11, 2001. The final Pittsburgh Pirates home game was on October 1st, 2000 vs. the Chicago Cubs. Three Rivers Stadium (sometimes referred to simply as 3RS or "TRS") was a multipurpose sports stadium and event facility located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. [11], In 1958, the Pirates sold Forbes to the University of Pittsburgh for $2 million ($18.8 million today). Fans missed Forbes Field more as each year passed. 104 View Of Three Rivers Stadium Premium High Res Photos Browse 104 view of three rivers stadium stock photos and images available, or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. 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. From the ashes of the drug-infested, small-crowd doldrums of the mid-1980s, the Pirates rose like a Phoenix to be reckoned with at the end of the decade. 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. Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, County of Allegheny Law Enforcement Officers Memorial, Southwestern Pennsylvania World War II Memorial. Mary Ann and her husband were Steelers season ticket holders for 42 years until Paul, 61, passed away that year. Wehner went into detail as to just how he got that baseball back. The stadium, set for use in late spring 1970, is the future home of the Pirates . Yankee Stadium and the Polo Grounds - Sightseeing on the Circle Line June 13, 2021; Sanford Field, Historic Sanford Memorial Stadium, and Sanford Museum May 17, 2020; Fleming Stadium and the North Carolina Baseball Museum April 11, 2020; The West Coast Wrigley Field April 5, 2020; Space Coast Stadium's New Frontier March 17, 2019 Wagner, Kiner and Clemente could all agree that excitement was never in short supply at the Old Lady of Schenley Park. Roughly a decade later, outfielder Andy Van Slyke had a cigarette lighter thrown in his direction; upon picking it up, Van Slyke read an attached message that said, Use this to light a fire under you. His teammate, Bobby Bonillain the midst of an All-Star season in 1988was heavily booed at Three Rivers because his home batting average was 100 points lower than on the road. [70] The largest attendance for a football game was on January 15, 1995, when 61,545 spectators witnessed the Steelers lose to the San Diego Chargers. Stadium Concert. Almost as surprisingly, the fans returneddrawing over two million in both 1990 and 1991, the only two times they would reach the figure at Three Rivers. Built as a replacement to Forbes Field, which opened in 1909, the US$55 million multi-purpose facility was designed . Roberto Clemente statue outside Three Rivers Stadium is shown on October 16, 1994 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. [14] A design was presented in 1958 which featured an open centerfield designthrough which fans could view Pittsburgh's "Golden Triangle". Three Rivers Stadium hosted the first MLB postseason game ever played on artificial turf (1970), the first World Series night game (1971), and the first League Championship Series night contest (1972). Yet in the 1970s, Three Rivers Stadium was a super bowl, literally so for the Steelerswho went on to conquer four National Football League titles in their first 10 years playing at the stadium. Having just fallen behind at Three Rivers to the Oakland Raiders by a 7-6 score, the Steelers were 22 seconds away from defeat and facing fourth down 60 yards from the Raiders end zone. The longest game at the stadium was played on August 6, 1989, when Jeff King hit a walk-off home run 5hours and 42minutes into the 18-inning contest, as the Pirates once again beat the Cubs 54. Baseballs acceleration of free agency dollars exposed the widening gulf between big and small markets, and the Pirates clearly represented the latter. PITTSBURGH STEELERS THREE RIVERS STADIUM TWO RED SEATS - 1 & 2 Pre-Owned $1,000.00 angelica1 (54,658) 99.6% Buy It Now Free local pickup 40 watchers Sponsored Franco Harris Signed Steelers Seat Bracket From Three Rivers Stadium W/COA $250.00 firstrounder1988 (420) 100% or Best Offer +$22.80 shipping Sponsored In a 1984 game, 18 fans at a Pirates game suffered burns of various degrees when a rocket from a fireworks display was accidentally fired into the crowd. In the aftermath of his death, fans and reporters alike lobbied to have Three Rivers renamed after Clemente, but the effort never gained enough traction. Alas, bureaucracy won the day over beauty and urban community. This view of Three Rivers Stadium from Mount Washington, about a mile away on the south side of downtown Pittsburgh, shows Point State Park where the Allegheny River (next to the stadium) joins with the Monongahela River to form the Ohio River. When Rooney passed away in 1988, his officealready drenched with reference books and memorabiliabecame a library. Jun 06, 1999 -. 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. They played there in the following games: Three Rivers Stadium opened on July 16, 1970, but the Pirates lost 32 to the Cincinnati Reds in front of 48,846spectators. [25], In their first game after the All-Star Break in 1970, the Pirates opened the stadium against the Cincinnati Reds on Thursday, July 16; who won, 32. The dual-sport structure had been the epicenter of Pittsburgh sports for 30 years since opening on July 16, 1970. It was home to the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Pittsburgh Steelers, the city's Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise and National Football League (NFL) franchise respectively. The Honus Wagner statue, which used to stand outside of Forbes Field, stood outside of Three Rivers Stadium. [13] Plans of the "Stadium over the Monongahela" were eventually not pursued. Realtime driving directions to Three Rivers Stadium Home Plate Location, Pittsburgh, based on live traffic updates and road conditions - from Waze fellow drivers. 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. Second photo is the dismantling of a section of the outfield wall at Forbes Field. [26][27] The team donned new uniform designs for the first time that day, a similar plan was for new "mini-skirts" for female ushers. Hardware included. boundtree continuing education; can you be charged under ucmj after discharge. Three Rivers Stadium, home to the Pittsburgh Pirates and Steelers from 1970 to 2000. The stadiums only physical feature that remains where it once stood is an obelisk-style beacon for Gate D, which could be found in a grassy area outside the south end zone of Acrisure Stadium. [36] A Pittsburgh Post-Gazette story in 1970 stated that the new stadium boasted 1,632 floodlight bulbs. The stadium's name was derived from the junction of the Monongahela and Allegheny rivers, where they formed the Ohio River, the "Golden Triangle". Ground was broken in April 1968 and an oft behind-schedule construction plan lasted for 29months. It was perched right at the confluence of the Ohio, Allegheny, and Monongahela Rivers, walking distance from downtown Pittsburgh. Taken from former site and placed in front of Heinz Field. July 16, 2020 8:00 am ET. The pentagon will be lifted out of its resting . Three Rivers Stadium was demolished on February 11th, 2001 at 8 AM. Sets of 2-3 Steel Seat Feet for Three Rivers Stadium Floor MOUNTING Seats from the former home of the Pittsburgh Pirates, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. 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. Worse, there was wrangling between the city of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County, the latter beginning to balk on its financial contribution toward the stadium unless the Pirates and Steelers pitched in more. The statue was originally located in Schenley Park, just beyond the left-field fence of Forbes Field. But the river that created the most beautiful valley and the home of the Giant Forest is totally overlook. Three months later, on New Year's Eve, this true hero died in a tragic plane crash en route to help earthquake victims in Nicaragua. The Steelers won 17 Monday Night Football games at Three Rivers Stadium. Get this for your collection. In his heyday, everything King Midas touched turned to gold. Have a comment, question or request? The charges detonated in rapid sequence, and the walls tumbled. Architect Dahlen Ritcheys early, dreamy rendition of Three Rivers Stadium consisted most notably of an open view of the Allegheny River and downtown Pittsburgh beyond. Has signature of artists as shown in pictures and was made in 2001. He was forced to go back to the drawing board when construction bids to realize his design were $10 million over budget. At the time, the stadium still had a debt of just less than . Overall, eight other home runs would reach the upper deck in the 30-year history of Three Rivers; the only player, besides Stargell, to reach it multiple times would be Jeff Bagwell, who never played for the Pirates and needed only 57 games as a member of the visiting Houston Astros to do it twice. Both the Pirates and Steelers won it all that year, capping a sensational first decade at Three Rivers Stadium in which both teams combined for six championship titles (Sports Illustrated). Players might have had a chance to enjoy the Allegheny Club after the game, but left fielders in particular didnt care for it during; the reflection of the stadiums lights off the clubs mass faade of windows made catching line drives in left an adventure. Meanwhile, the team found that their only way to replace Barry Bonds was to stick Al Martin in left field every night. Courtesy of Pittsburgh Steelers Collection. All good things come to an end. The left-field upper deck had been reached by Jeff Bagwell twice, and Bob Robertson, Greg Luzinski, Howard Johnson, Glenallen Hill and Devon White (his home run struck the facade) once each.[68]. Perhaps a live ball was helping to bring the fans in; Three Rivers yielded a stadium-record 171 home runs in 1999then 172 in 2000.