Baseball.........Anybody still interested?
- Thread starter tanks1
- Start date
yeah, hopefully it gets better as the season continues moving forward.I like the lineup with Kyle hitting cleanup. Too many strikeouts though.
Good God almighty. Two games in and Washington's bullpen is absolutely horrible
THE CLASSIC BALLPARKS OF
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
FORBES FIELD
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
FORBES FIELD
ORIGINAL ADDRESS
230 South Bouquet St.
Pittsburgh, PA
BALLPARK FACTS
Date Opened: June 30, 1909
Date of Last Game: June 28, 1970
Date of Demolition: July 28, 1971
Naming History: Forbes Field was named after British Army General John Forbes who led the Battle of Fort Duquesne in 1758 in the location where the city of Pittsburgh would be established.
Date of Last Game: June 28, 1970
Date of Demolition: July 28, 1971
Naming History: Forbes Field was named after British Army General John Forbes who led the Battle of Fort Duquesne in 1758 in the location where the city of Pittsburgh would be established.
BALLPARK DIMENSIONS
Left Field: 365 ft.
Left Center Field Power Alley: 406 ft.
Center Field: 457 ft.
Right Center Field Power Alley: 408 ft.
Right Field: 375 ft.
Left Center Field Power Alley: 406 ft.
Center Field: 457 ft.
Right Center Field Power Alley: 408 ft.
Right Field: 375 ft.
BALLPARK QUIRKS
Forbes Field, along with Philadelphia's Shibe Park, was one of the first two Major League ballparks to be built entirely with steel and concrete. Both ballparks opened in 1909.
Forbes Field was located on the edge of Pittsburgh's Schenley Park, which provided thick clusters of trees behind the left field and center field walls. The dark greenery of the trees created one of the most unique and beautiful natural backdrops and hitter's backgrounds of any ballpark in baseball history.
The left field wall of Forbes Field consisted of a 50-foot scoreboard that featured a Longines clock at the top.
The outfield walls in left center and center field of Forbes Field were ivy-covered, much like Chicago's Wrigley Field.
Forbes Field bordered on the campus of the University of Pittsburgh. The University's landmark building, the Cathedral of Learning Tower, loomed over the left field side of the ballpark, creating another unique and beautiful background to the ballpark.
Due to the enormous size of its outfield, Forbes Field was a haven for both pitchers and line drive hitters with the ability to spray the ball to every part of the ballpark. It was also the toughest National League ballpark in which to hit home runs.
The batting cage used for batting practice was kept next to the light tower in the deepest part of center field. Balls hitting the cage during games were in play.
Before 1960s renovations to the ballpark, both the Pirates and visiting teams had to go through the Pirates dugout to reach their respective locker rooms after games. This situation led to many awkward interactions when opposing players or managers were replaced or thrown out early during tense games, especially after on-field brawls.
Forbes Field was located on the edge of Pittsburgh's Schenley Park, which provided thick clusters of trees behind the left field and center field walls. The dark greenery of the trees created one of the most unique and beautiful natural backdrops and hitter's backgrounds of any ballpark in baseball history.
The left field wall of Forbes Field consisted of a 50-foot scoreboard that featured a Longines clock at the top.
The outfield walls in left center and center field of Forbes Field were ivy-covered, much like Chicago's Wrigley Field.
Forbes Field bordered on the campus of the University of Pittsburgh. The University's landmark building, the Cathedral of Learning Tower, loomed over the left field side of the ballpark, creating another unique and beautiful background to the ballpark.
Due to the enormous size of its outfield, Forbes Field was a haven for both pitchers and line drive hitters with the ability to spray the ball to every part of the ballpark. It was also the toughest National League ballpark in which to hit home runs.
The batting cage used for batting practice was kept next to the light tower in the deepest part of center field. Balls hitting the cage during games were in play.
Before 1960s renovations to the ballpark, both the Pirates and visiting teams had to go through the Pirates dugout to reach their respective locker rooms after games. This situation led to many awkward interactions when opposing players or managers were replaced or thrown out early during tense games, especially after on-field brawls.
HOME TEAMS
Pittsburgh Pirates (MLB) 1909 - 1970
Pittsburgh Steelers (NFL) 1933 - 1963
Pitt Panthers (NCAA) 1909-1924
Duquesne Dukes (NCAA) 1933 - 1950)
Homestead Grays (Negro Leagues) 1922 - 1939
Pittsburgh Crawfords (Negro Leagues) 1931 - 1939
Pittsburgh Steelers (NFL) 1933 - 1963
Pitt Panthers (NCAA) 1909-1924
Duquesne Dukes (NCAA) 1933 - 1950)
Homestead Grays (Negro Leagues) 1922 - 1939
Pittsburgh Crawfords (Negro Leagues) 1931 - 1939
Forbes Field is dressed up and decked out for its grand opening. The Chicago Cubs ruined the festivities, however, by beating the Pirates 3-2.
Wednesday, June 30, 1909
Ty Cobb and Honus Wagner, the two greatest Major League players of the early 20th Century, meet on the field before Game 1 of the 1909 World Series between the Pirates and the Detroit Tigers at Forbes Field. Wagner's Pirates beat Cobb and the Tigers 4 games to 3. Both Cobb and Wagner were selected to the inaugural class of the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1936.
Friday, October 8, 1909
An enormous throng gathers on Bouquet Street awaiting entrance into Forbes Field for Game 1 of the 1925 World Series between the Pirates and the Washington Senators.
Wednesday, October 7, 1925
Walter Johnson, "The Big Train," considered by many historians to be the greatest right-handed pitcher in baseball history, warms up in the Washington Senators bullpen before the start of Game 1 of the 1925 World Series. Johnson won the battle with a 4-1 Game 1 win, but the Pirates won the war by beating the Senators 4 games to 3.
Wednesday, October 7, 1925
An excited crowd awaits the arrival of New York Governor and Democratic presidential nominee Franklin Delano Roosevelt for a campaign address at Forbes Field.
Wednesday, October 19, 1932
Governor Franklin Delano Roosevelt addresses the crowd at Forbes Field before the 1932 presidential election. Three weeks later, Roosevelt won election to the Presidency with a resounding landslide victory over the highly unpopular Republican incumbent Herbert Hoover. In his victory, Roosevelt had an electoral vote advantage of 472-42 while carrying 43 of the 48 states.
A tired and overweight shell of his past prime, the legendary Babe Ruth, closing out his career as a 40 year-old player for the Boston Braves, connects for the 714th and final home run of his historic career against the Pirates at Forbes Field.
A tired and overweight shell of his past prime, the legendary Babe Ruth, closing out his career as a 40 year-old player for the Boston Braves, connects for the 714th and final home run of his historic career against the Pirates at Forbes Field.
Saturday, May 25, 1935
The 1935 Pittsburgh Crawfords pose for a team photo in front of Forbes Field, their home ballpark through much of the 1930s. From 1931 through 1935, the Crawfords dominated the Negro Leagues, culminating with the 1935 team which is considered one of the five greatest teams in Major League Baseball history. The 1935 Crawfords featured four future Hall of Fame players, including catcher Josh Gibson, third baseman Judy Johnson, center fielder James "Cool Papa" Bell, and player-manager Oscar Charleston.
The 1941 Homestead Grays pose for their annual team photo at Forbes Field. The Grays franchise was founded by their Hall of Fame owner/manager Cumberland Posey who was born and raised in the Homestead borough of Allegheny County, which borders the city of Pittsburgh. The Grays won Negro National League pennants in 1941 and 1942, and featured four future Hall of Fame players: catcher Josh Gibson (2nd row, 3rd from left), first baseman Buck Leonard (2nd row, right end), third baseman Boojum Wilson (first row, 2nd from left), and pitcher Raymond Brown (1st row, 4th from right).
Homestead Grays third baseman Jud "Boojum" Wilson warms up before a 1941 game against the Baltimore Elite Giants at Forbes Field. For most of his career, Boojum Wilson was one of the most feared hitters in the history of Negro League Baseball. With tremendous power to all fields from the left side of the plate (think Jim Thome), the ability to hit for high averages, and a quick, explosive temper (think Albert Belle), Wilson had a lifetime batting average of. 351, and was considered one of the five greatest offensive players in Negro League history. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2006.
Legendary Negro League catcher Ted "Double Duty" Radcliffe warms up a pitcher before a 1941 game between the Homestead Grays and the Birmingham Black Barons at Forbes Field. Though his primary position was catcher, he was also an accomplished pitcher. It was a regular occurrence during his 19-year career for him to pitch, and win, a complete game, then catch the entire second game of a doubleheader, thus the famous nickname "Double Duty." Double Duty Radcliffe passed away in his adopted hometown of Chicago in 2005 at the age of 103.
Pittsburgh Crawfords manager Bobby Williams watches warm-ups from the Crawfords dugout at Forbes Field. As a player, Williams spent most of his career as an infielder playing for the father of Negro League Baseball Rube Foster and his powerhouse Chicago American Giants teams of the 1920s and 1930s.
Fiery and combative New York Giants Hall of Fame manager Leo Durocher is forced to take the walk of shame through the Pirates dugout to get to the Giants locker room after suffering one of his scores of early game ejections after protesting a call too vigorously. His protests didn't help his team who lost to the Pirates 12-7.
Thursday, May 17, 1951
A huge crowd fills up all available seating both on the field and in the stands at Forbes Field in anticipation of witnessing the third and final classic battle between legendary heavyweights Ezzard Charles and Jersey Joe Walcott. The veteran Walcott was considered one of the toughest and best heavyweights in the world throughout much of the 1940s, though he could never seem to do enough to capture the brass ring. Charles, conversely, was a highly skilled ring technician, a master of defensive technique, and is generally considered the greatest light-heavyweight fighter in boxing history. Charles captured the vacant heavyweight championship in 1949, and won eight consecutive title defenses, including two over Walcott. He was the reigning heavyweight champion of the world as he entered this fight.
Wednesday, July 18, 1951
Heavyweight champion Ezzard Charles crumples to the mat after being stunned by a wicked left hook by challenger Jersey Joe Walcott in the 7th round of their third and final title fight at Forbes Field. Charles never recovered from the blow, and Jersey Joe Walcott became the oldest man (37) to ever win the heavyweight championship of the world. Walcott's record stood for 43 years until it was broken by George Foreman who won the title from Michael Moorer in 1994 at the age of 45.
Pirates second baseman Curt Roberts dresses for a game in the Pirate locker room in Forbes Field. In 1954, Roberts became the first Black-American player to play for the Pittsburgh Pirates, and he was the first in a very long 50+ year line of Black Major League players who grew up in the Oakland/East Bay Area of Northern California that stretched from Roberts and Frank Robinson in the mid-1950s to Jimmy Rollins and C.C. Sabathia in the 2000s.
The road to Cooperstown begins as 21-year old rookie phenom Roberto Clemente models his new Pittsburgh Pirates uniform for the first time. Originally signed by the Brooklyn Dodgers, Clemente would proudly wear the Pirates uniform for 18 spectacular seasons and would go down as arguably the greatest right fielder in the history of Major League Baseball.
Sunday, April 17, 1955
Jackie Robinson rounds third to score the first run of the game as the Brooklyn Dodgers face the Pirates in a must-win game at Forbes Field. The Dodgers were in a neck and neck battle with Henry Aaron and the Milwaukee Braves for the 1956 National League pennant, and every game was crucial.
Sunday, September 23, 1956
Brooklyn Dodgers ace Don Newcombe warms up before the start of a critical late September game against the Pirates at Forbes Field. The Dodgers, the defending champions of the National League, were heading toward a photo finish with the Milwaukee Braves for the 1956 pennant, and Don Newcombe was the key to their chance for victory.
Don Newcombe was the dominant pitcher in Major League Baseball in 1956. The National League Rookie of the Year in 1949, Newcombe was Major League Baseball's first Black-American star pitcher. In 1955, he helped lead the Dodgers to their first world championship with a 20-5 record. He followed that up with an even more amazing 27-7 performance. He would win both the 1956 National League MVP Award and the very first Cy Young Award.
Don Newcombe was the dominant pitcher in Major League Baseball in 1956. The National League Rookie of the Year in 1949, Newcombe was Major League Baseball's first Black-American star pitcher. In 1955, he helped lead the Dodgers to their first world championship with a 20-5 record. He followed that up with an even more amazing 27-7 performance. He would win both the 1956 National League MVP Award and the very first Cy Young Award.
Sunday, September 23, 1956
Henry Aaron and Ernie Banks, two of the all-time greats of the game, are interviewed before the start of the 1959 All-Star Game at Forbes Field by two of the most influential Black journalists in American history. On the left is Bill Nunn, Jr, a longtime columnist and editor of the Pittsburgh Courier. In later years, Nunn would go on to serve as the Negro college talent scout for the Pittsburgh Steelers, and was solely responsible for bringing such talent to the Steelers as Joe Greene, Ernie Holmes, L.C. Greenwood, Joe Gilliam, Donnie Shell, Mel Blount, John Stallworth, and a host of other black players who led the Steelers to four Super Bowl championships in the 1970s. In 2021, he became the first Black-American to be inducted as a Contributor to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. His son, Bill Nunn, III gained fame as an accomplished actor during the 1980s and 1990s.
On the right is Mal Goode, Sr. A longtime reporter for the Pittsburgh Courier, Goode was a pioneering radio news reporter and news director during the 1950s in the Pittsburgh radio market, at such stations as KQD and WHOD. In 1962, Goode became the first Black-American network news reporter in television history, serving as a regular correspondent for ABC News. His successful work as television's first hard news journalist was critical in paving the way for those who would directly follow in his footsteps, such as Carole Simpson, Tony Brown, Ed Bradley, and Charlane Hunter-Gault.
On the right is Mal Goode, Sr. A longtime reporter for the Pittsburgh Courier, Goode was a pioneering radio news reporter and news director during the 1950s in the Pittsburgh radio market, at such stations as KQD and WHOD. In 1962, Goode became the first Black-American network news reporter in television history, serving as a regular correspondent for ABC News. His successful work as television's first hard news journalist was critical in paving the way for those who would directly follow in his footsteps, such as Carole Simpson, Tony Brown, Ed Bradley, and Charlane Hunter-Gault.
Vice President Richard Nixon throws out the ceremonial first pitch of the game before the 1959 All-Star Game at Forbes Field.
Tuesday, July 7, 1959
Roberto Clemente steps to the plate in a 1960 game against the Chicago Cubs. Awaiting the action at third base is future Hall of Famer Ron Santo.
Saturday, June 25, 1960
Legendary singer/bandleader Billy Eckstine, a native of Pittsburgh, talks with Pirates pitcher Elroy Face before Game 1 of the 1960 World Series at Forbes Field between the Pirates and the New York Yankees.
Wednesday, October 5, 1960
Yankee stars Yogi Berra and Elston Howard discuss catcher's mitts on the field before Game 1 of the 1960 World Series. The Yankees turned the starting catcher position over to Howard for the 1960 season, and Berra, the longtime superstar and three-time American League MVP was moved to left field. Ironically, Berra and Howard grew up less than five miles from each other in different sections of St. Louis, MO.
After making the long trek from Carolina, Puerto Rico, Luisa and Justino Clemente, the mother and brother of Pirate superstar Roberto Clemente, settle in to their box seats for Game 1 of the 1960 World Series.
Manager Casey Stengel, catcher Elston Howard, and starting pitcher Bob Turley talk strategy on how to pitch to Pirate left fielder Bob Skinner early in Game 7 of the 1960 World Series.
Pirates second baseman Bill Mazeroski connects for one of the most famous home runs in baseball history, as his drive over the left field wall makes him the first and only player to hit a walk-off home run to win a World Series in a championship deciding Game 7 scenario.
Thursday, October 13, 1960
Norm Van Brocklin calls signals for the Philadelphia Eagles offense in a game against the Steelers in a battle of legendary Hall of Fame quarterbacks at snowy Forbes Field. Snapping the ball to Van Brocklin is all-time great lineman Chuck Bednarik who would go to the Pro Football Hall of Fame as both a center and a linebacker. The Eagles would suffer their second of two 1960 losses in this game, 27-21. Three weeks later, they would beat the Green Bay Packers in Philadelphia to claim the second NFL championship in their history.
Sunday, December 11, 1960
Hall of Fame quarterback Bobby Layne throws downfield as he leads the Steelers to a 27-21 upset win over Norm Van Brocklin's Philadelphia Eagles at Forbes Field. During the 1950s, Layne led the Detroit Lions to NFL championships in 1952, 1953, and 1957.
Sunday, December 11, 1960
"The Great One," Roberto Clemente, awaits a pitch during a 1961 game against the Los Angeles Dodgers. During his spectacular 18-year career, Clemente would amass 3,000 hits, be selected to 15 All-Star teams, win four National League batting titles, win a 1966 National League MVP Award, be selected MVP of the 1971 World Series, and win 12 Gold Glove Awards while displaying arguably the most powerful and accurate outfield arm in baseball history. Roberto Clemente was killed in a plane crash on New Year's Eve, 1972 while attempting to deliver emergency supplies to residents of earthquake ravaged Nicaragua. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1973 in a special election, which bypassed the usual five-year waiting period.
Monstrous defensive end Gene "Big Daddy" Lipscomb closes in on 49ers backup quarterback Billy Kilmer after knocking starting quarterback John Brodie out of the game earlier during a game at Forbes Field. A speedy and athletic giant at 6-7, 290 lbs, Lipscomb was a perennial All-Pro with the Steelers and the Baltimore Colts before his mysterious and untimely death in 1962.
Sunday, October 29, 1961
Pirates starting pitcher Bob Veale warms up in front of the right field wall at Forbes Field. Bob Veale was one of the National League's top strikeout pitchers of the mid-1960s, and he represented the Pirates in the All-Star Game in 1965 and 1966. His father, Bob Veale, Sr. also spent time in Pittsburgh as a player for the Homestead Grays in the 1930s.
The Cathedral of Learning Tower, the landmark building on the University of Pittsburgh campus, looms majestically over the left field side of Forbes Field during an afternoon game in 1963.
Willie Mays greets his old friend, Roberto Clemente, before a Pirates-Giants game in 1963. Mays and Clemente met and built a lasting friendship as very young men in the early 1950s when they were teammates with the Santurce Cangrejeros of Puerto Rico in the Caribbean Winter League.
The Pirates are facing the San Francisco Giants at Forbes Field, and on base at first (as usual) is the great Willie Mays (#24). The Pirates would win the game 6-1.
Saturday, August 1, 1964
The great Willie Stargell awaits a pitch during a game at Forbes Field. A lifetime .282 hitter, Stargell was one of the most feared left-handed power hitters in baseball history. A six-time All-Star and the ultimate team leader, Stargell took the reigns of team leadership for the Pirates after the unexpected death of Roberto Clemente in 1972, and helped the team stay at or near the top of the National Eastern division for the rest of his career. He was the National League MVP in 1979, and led the Pirates to a world championship in 1979 while being named the Series MVP. During his career, Stargell hit some of the longest home runs in baseball history, with the longest coming against the Montreal Expos when he hit a ball off of the back wall of the right field seating area in Olympic Stadium, a blast that was measured at 535 ft. He is also the only left-handed hitter to ever hit home runs completely out of Dodger Stadium, a feat he managed to accomplish twice. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility in 1988.
The classic pitching motion of the legendary Sandy Koufax is on display in a Dodgers-Pirates game in 1963. In 1963, Koufax achieved total domination, winning the first of his three pitching "triple crowns," by leading all of baseball in wins (25), strikeouts (306), and ERA (1.88). He also led the majors with 11 complete game shutouts. He was selected National League MVP for the year, and also won the first of his three Cy Young Awards. 1963 also saw him pitch his second of four no-hitters, and then lead the Dodgers to the World Series where he was selected Series MVP after winning Games 1 and 4 in the Dodgers' sweep of the New York Yankees.
Hall of Fame second baseman Bill Mazeroski expertly mans his post at Forbes Field as he did for 17 seasons, all with the Pirates. The 10-time All-Star and 8-time Gold Glove winner is widely considered the greatest defensive second baseman in Major League Baseball history.
A young Steve Carlton faces the Pirates in a 1968 game at Forbes Field. One of the greatest pitchers in baseball history, "Lefty" was a 10-time All-Star, won 329 games, four Cy Young Awards, finished 4th on the all-time strikeout list with 4,136, and put up one of the greatest pitching performances of all time in 1972 when he won 27 games, pitched 30 complete games, pitched 8 shutouts, and finished with a 1.97 ERA, all for a Philadelphia Phillies team that won just 59 games and finished last in the Eastern Division. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility in 1994.
The 1960s is widely considered the greatest era of overall pitching dominance in the history of Major League Baseball. It was the decade of Koufax, Gibson, Seaver, Drysdale, Palmer, Bunning and Jenkins. Yet, at the top of the heap was "The Dominican Dandy," the great Juan Marichal. A master of five pitches that he could deliver with precise control from any arm angle, combined with the highest leg kick of any pitcher in baseball history, Marichal was often impossible to hit. When the dust settled at the end of the 1969 season, he was the winningest pitcher of the greatest pitching decade in history with 191 wins. Here, he peers into the batter's box in one of the final games played at Forbes Field as the San Francisco Giants face the Pirates.
Sunday, May 31, 1970
Fans ransack the scoreboard for momentoes after the final out of the final game played at historic Forbes Field as the Pirates beat the Chicago Cubs. The Cubs were the Pirates' opponents on the opening day of the park in 1909, and they were the opposition when the doors closed for the final time.
Sunday, June 28, 1970
The inevitable day of reckoning arrives as beautiful Forbes Field meets its final end as demolition is completed on July 28, 1971.
.
.
.
Good God almighty. Two games in and Washington's bullpen is absolutely horrible
Anyone with T-Mobile download the redeem for the free MLB app. It's only available for a little while. You can have access to all MLB games out of market. Do it now!!!
you could hear it during the broadcast...EAGLES....
Right, it's EAGLES All year round, 24/7
Phillies could be a problem this year, if they can stay healthy. They're already dealing with 2 players not being healthy when the season just started..
Thanks!Anyone with T-Mobile download the redeem for the free MLB app. It's only available for a little while. You can have access to all MLB games out of market. Do it now!!!
Braves worst record in baseball and now we play the dodgers on the road.. seems like 1 of those yrs we gonna have a ruff start than comeback to get in the playoffs in the end.. happened a few yrs ago when we ended up taking our division like last game of the season 2022