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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.. 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). [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. The Pirates werent complaining either; they all but bookended the decade hoisting a pair of World Series trophies, while winning four other National League East Division titles. The North Side, that industrial wasteland, was making a serious bid to become the place to see and be seen in Pittsburgh. The Sports & Exhibition Authority said proceeds from the auction, minus costs and the auctioneers' cut, will be used to pay the $5.2 million demolition cost of Three Rivers Stadium, and to. Koch received most of the cocaine from a freelance photographer named Dale Shiffman, who in later grand jury testimony claimed that two-thirds of the Pirates roster were buyers. Brett's All-Star win a big thrill", "Fun Facts About Pittsburgh's Ball Parks", "The house that the 'Immaculate Reception' built", "Steelers' former radio announcer Myron Cope dies at 79", Thirty Years of Stadium Rock Pittsburgh Music History, Baseball's Last Hero: 21 Clemente Stories, Bill Mazeroski's 1960 World Series home run, District of Columbia Stadium/RFK Memorial Stadium, Frankford High School's Community Memorial Stadium, Municipal Stadium (Kansas City, Missouri), https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Three_Rivers_Stadium&oldid=1142567592, Multi-purpose stadiums in the United States, Defunct American football venues in the United States, Defunct baseball venues in the United States, Defunct multi-purpose stadiums in the United States, Buildings and structures demolished by controlled implosion, Short description is different from Wikidata, Infobox mapframe without OSM relation ID on Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, July 30, 1972: Three Dog Night (2nd tour), July 13, 1973: Pittsburgh Jazz Festival (featuring, July 14, 1973: Pittsburgh Jazz Festival (featuring, July 19, 1975: World Series of Rock (featuring, June 15, 1988: Monsters of Rock Tour featuring. [34] On December 23, 1972, Three Rivers Stadium was site to the Immaculate Reception, which became regarded as one of the greatest plays in NFL history. On a chilly February morning in 2001, over 20,000 people picked out vantage points at a safe distance to watch Three Rivers Stadium implode to the ground, leaving a cloud of dust that drifted upon the Allegheny like a creeping fog bank. Three Rivers Stadium, the Pirates' and Steelers ' home at the time, had been designed for functionality rather than "architecture and aesthetics". The exodus buried the Bucs into eternal losing mode, while the situation made Three Rivers Stadium outdated and an obstacle to the future just as a new generation of popular, revenue-generated retro ballparks quickly began to rise in the horizon. 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 Fans missed Forbes Field more as each year passed. Although the Pirates, in the midst of a two-decade stretch of losing unparalleled in pro sports, were awful over Three Rivers final two years, they managed to never draw a crowd under 10,000. 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. They are devoid of personality, emotionally indistinguishable even when one knows perfectly well their specific different characteristics, he wrote. PNC Park is a baseball park located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Franco Harris rushed for 27 100-yard games at Three Rivers Stadium. The Steelers were significantly better at the facility that turned them from laughingstocks to conquerors, winning 182 of 254 home games and another 13 of 18 playoff games. [15] Construction continued, though it became plagued with problems such as thieves stealing materials from the building site. 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. The rancor became so R-rated that, by 1985, the Pirates set up a G-rated family section at Three Rivers that forbade profanity and alcohol. They slapped tarps in the upper reaches of the top deck to reduce capacity by 10,000; placed ads on the outfield walls; opened a caf behind the left-field fence, which had slats cut out so patrons could view the game; replaced the original red-and-gold seats with new ones painted in blue; and opened a full-scale restaurant, featuring two bars serving microbrews, near the southeast entrance with glass windows looking out towards downtown Pittsburgh. Willie Stargell is the all-time leader in upper deck shots at the stadium, hitting four of the remaining five right-field blasts; Mark Whiten hit the other. Three Rivers Stadium, home to the Pittsburgh Pirates and Steelers from 1970 to 2000. 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. It hosted the World Series in 1971 and 1979 and the All-Star Game in 1974 and 1994. Instead of allowing cars to park, the team instructed fans to park downtown and walk to the stadium over bridges or take shuttle buses. Mary Ann and her husband were Steelers season ticket holders for 42 years until Paul, 61, passed away that year. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. 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. It's been 20 years since the home of the Pirates and Steelers was imploded before the new stadiums were opened. [28] A parade was held before opening ceremonies. Twenty thousand people viewed the implosion from Point State Park on the morning of Feb. 11, 2001, with thousands more watching from Mount Washington. 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. Photographed By Unknown, September 30, 1972. Ballplayers initially embraced the Parrot as wellthough not for the same reason as the fans. Three Rivers Stadium, home to the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1970 through 2000, was located in the North Shore section of Pittsburgh. [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. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. 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. 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. Asset Location: 7500 Thomas Blvd Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15208-2577 . Oakland head coach John Madden often told the story of what happened next: The refs got on the phone and asked stadium officials if they could guarantee their safety off the field. [41][42] On August 11, 1985,[43] Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band hosted the largest concert in Pittsburgh history, when they performed for 65,935 on-lookers. Graphics are awesome on this item. 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. Home to 14 AFC Central Division champion teams. "A guy did get me the ball from the last home run, yes," said Wehner. [11], In 1958, the Pirates sold Forbes to the University of Pittsburgh for $2 million ($18.8 million today). Sister Sledge, the We Are Family authors from the Bucs fabled 1979 campaign, reunited to sing the National Anthem. [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). Three Rivers Stadium lives on in many different ways. Phil Hundley, a Deeter Ritchey Sipple architect who was not intricately involved in the Three Rivers Stadium project but was around in 2020 to talk about it, told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: It had retail. 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). [11] As part of the deal, the university leased Forbes back to the Pirates until a replacement could be built. [38][39] The field originally used "Gamesaver vacuum vehicles" to dry the surface, though they were later replaced by an underground drainage system. Three Rivers Stadium. In 1972, the Steelers made the postseasonwhich itself was big newsbut the franchises coming-of-age moment occurred in their first playoff game with, arguably, the most memorable play in NFL history. Stadium was still under construction due to labor disputes and later opened on 7.16.70 against the Reds. The Pirates lost the inaugural contest to the Reds, 3-2. (Historic Pittsburgh), On July 16, 1970, they finally played ball at Three Rivers Stadium. [12] An early design of the stadium included plans to situate the stadium atop a bridge across the Monongahela River. Despite its ultimate reputation as a mundane hunk of concrete, Three Rivers Stadium did spark some personality with its exclusive Allegheny Club, located in the second level down the right-field line. The Three Rivers clubhouse was derisively nicknamed The National League Drugstore, the focal point for Baseballs biggest drug scandal; not only did it result in a 12-year prison sentence for Shiffman (Koch became an informant and ratted him out), but it also forged testimony from some of his major league clients, big names such as Dave Parker, Keith Hernandez and Tim Raineswho were all granted immunity to talk. The ballpark has a seating capacity of 41,500 with the main three tier grandstand stretching from the right field foul pole to home plate and down, and around the left field foul pole. [42] The stadium hosted various Jehovah's Witnesses conventions, including international conventions in 1973 and 1978, and a centennial conference in 1984. [30][31] Due to their similar design these stadiums were nicknamed "cookie-cutter" or "concrete doughnut" ballparks. The family paid about $800 for the seats at auction. 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. As bad as sports fans were at Three Rivers, those attending concerts were even worse. Pirates organist Vince Lascheid at Three Rivers Stadium on July 5, 1999. The first World Series night game was played at the stadium on Oct. 13, 1971. In the 1990s, the Pirates reduced capacity at Three Rivers Stadium by 10,000 simply by tarping seats in the upper deck, where very few were likely to sit as the team descended into an historic long period of losing. Stadium Concert. The Pitt Panthers played at Three Rivers Stadium on multiple occasions. 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. After its closing, Three Rivers Stadium was imploded in 2001, and the Pittsburgh Pirates and Pittsburgh Steelers moved into newly built dedicated stadiums: PNC Park and Heinz Field (now Acrisure Stadium), respectively. Former Pirates manager Chuck tanner acknowledges the crowd before the final game at Three Rivers Stadium. At the groundbreaking for Three Rivers Stadium, April 1968, Steelers owner Art Rooney kicks a football, while Dan Rooney holds. So the idea was to open it up and see the city.. 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. 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. The idea came from Forbes Field, Ritchey told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette in 2001 of his ballpark design. Three Rivers Stadium had a beverage contract with Coca-Cola throughout its history. As for the game itself, the Cincinnati Redswho just 17 days earlier debuted in Riverfront Stadium, the appearance and name of which would confuse many with Three Riversedged out the Bucs, 3-2. [35][36] It had a dirt skin infield on the basepaths for baseball through 1972,[26] until converted to "sliding pits" at the bases for 1973. While the Pirates and the public powers couldnt tear down Three Rivers and copy Oriole Park at Camden Yards upon its footprintnot yet, anywaythey did try to give the stadium a more colorful and cozier vibe. 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. Past skippers including Jim Leyland, Chuck Tanner and Bill Virdon joined manager Gene Lamont to deliver the Pirates lineup. The final Pittsburgh Pirates home game was on October 1st, 2000 vs. the Chicago Cubs. Open now. (The story is disputed, but its a good one.). All good things come to an end. Free shipping for many products! Three Rivers Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania from 1970 to 2000. . 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. 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. The stadium opened in 1970 and was home to the Pittsburgh Steelers football team and the Pittsburgh Pirates baseball team. The Pittsburgh Steelers, who had moved from Forbes Field to Pitt Stadium in 1964, were large supporters of the project. When Rooney passed away in 1988, his officealready drenched with reference books and memorabiliabecame a library. It had hotels. 7/14/1973. They were considered by many to be ugly and obsolete, as well as not financially viable. 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. 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. The formal closing ceremony centers on home plate. Pittsburgh Jazz Festival Stevie Wonder, Ray Charles B.B. 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 university wanted the land for expanded graduate facilities. Will the last baseball fan to leave Three Rivers Stadium please turn out the lights? [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. The former home of the Pirates . Throughout their 31 seasons in Three Rivers Stadium, the Steelers posted a record of 182-72, including a 13-5 playoff record. July 16, 2020 8:00 am ET. Baseballs acceleration of free agency dollars exposed the widening gulf between big and small markets, and the Pirates clearly represented the latter. The reason for the only sellout in the short (one year) history of the United States Football Leagues Pittsburgh Maulers at Three Rivers was so that fans could rain boos and ice upon former Steelers QB Cliff Stoudt, appearing for the visiting Birmingham Stallions. Many of the sports fans who gathered along the Allegheny River that morning in 2001 had witnessed greatness in the stadium, and they now came to say farewell. Ritchey was vetoed on the twin-stadium concept but, for the moment, was able to retain his open-air design for the multi-purpose concept. The Steelers sold out every home game from 1972 through the closing of the stadium, a streak which continues through 2008. 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. [66] In 1979, the Pirates again won a World Championship, yet again defeating the Baltimore Orioles in a seven-game World Series. Three Rivers Stadiums original scoreboard extends out above the outfield wall. The park was not configured for baseball, so sightlines were not good. 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. 49 were here. The Panthers played their full home schedule there for the 2000 season, going 74. Losing the view of downtown was a bitter bill for Ritchey to swallow; he would ultimately call Three Rivers Stadium his biggest disappointment as an architect. [21] That November, Arthur Gratz asked the city for an additional $3million ($22.2 million today), which was granted. You can contact Steven at sadams@triblive.com. Three Rivers Stadium was demolished on February 11th, 2001 at 8 AM. 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. 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. 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. (Historic Pittsburgh). 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. The view from the top of Three Rivers Stadium during the first game played on July 16, 1970. 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. After thirty years of being locked in at Three Rivers Stadium, who can blame them? Fans had to walk down ramps to get to the field (blue) level of seats. The particular spot for the new stadium was, in fact, once upon a time the same site as Exposition Park, the Pirates first home. Signup for our newsletter to get notified about sales and new products.