North Shore in Pittsburgh in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Early Baseball in Pittsburgh
Three Rivers Heritage Trail
— Friends of the Riverfront —
Pittsburgh's great baseball tradition began here more than a century ago. Pittsburgh and Allegheny (now the North Side) were twin cities that played out their local rivalry through "turf sports." The first ball park was an exhibition ground built in 1875 as part of the Tradesman's Industrial Institute, later Exposition Park.
A disastrous fire in 1883 destroyed Exposition Park's buildings, but the field re-opened for baseball. From these early games, the Pittsburgh Pirates were formed in 1891. The Pirates became one of the nation's most important and successful teams, winning the National League Pennant three years in a row between 1901 and 1903. The first World Series was held in Pittsburgh and Boston in 1903. Hall-of-Famers Honus Wagner and Cy Young were among the players.
In 1909, the Pirates defeated the Chicago Cubs in the last game played in Exposition Park on the North Side.
Baseball fans stood for Taps at the end of the last play before the team moved to a new ballpark in Oakland called Forbes Field.
Erected by Friends of the Riverfront with financial support from Pennsylvania Department of Conservation; Steel Industry Heritage Corporation; City of Pittsburgh; Roots Sports.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Sports
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Location. 40° 26.741′ N, 80° 0.425′ W. Marker is in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in Allegheny County. It is in North Shore. Marker is at the intersection of Three Rivers Heritage Trail and Mazeroski Way, on the left when traveling east on Three Rivers Heritage Trail. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1 Mazeroski Way, Pittsburgh PA 15212, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. William Stanley Mazeroski (a few steps from this marker); Korean War Veterans' Monument (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Mayor Thomas J. Murphy, Jr Trail (about 300 feet away); In Memory of All Korean War Veterans (about 300 feet away); J.P. "Honus" Wagner (about 700 feet away); "The Great One" (approx. 0.2 miles away); Vietnam Veterans Monument (approx. 0.2 miles away); The Stanwix Art Facade Project (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Pittsburgh.
Additional keywords. MLB, Major League Baseball
Credits. This page was last revised on February 2, 2023. It was originally submitted on September 13, 2020, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 149 times since then and 12 times this year. Last updated on February 2, 2022, by Kelsey Ripper of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on September 13, 2020, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
