Sorry folks, I missed the ball on this one. Last week was the 100th anniversary of Forbes Field, which the Pirates called home from 1909 through 1970. Although it was torn down long ago, a victim of “college campus sprawl”, Pirates fans still journey out to the spot where so many of their heroes played. Forbes is where Mazeroski hit that famous home run to win the World Series against the Yankees. It’s also where Roberto Clemente collected most of his 3,000 hits. It was built 3 years before Fenway Park and 5 years before Wrigley Field, and some say it’s exterior was the inspiration for Ebbets Field’s classic brick look (the new Citi Field tries to mimic this look, albeit in a cheesy strip mall kind of way).
Happy 100th Forbes Field, you’ll be remembered by Pirates fans forever.
By the way, there are some great pictures of Forbes Field out on the web if you know where to look. I once had a link to a collection of photos of Forbes Field after it was abandoned but before it was torn down. The photographer and subject of some of the photos was none other than Fred Willard, the famous actor known for his deadpan comedic delivery. Who knew that he was a Pirates fan?
