"And there used to be a ballpark
Where the field was warm and green.
And the people played their crazy game
With a joy I'd never seen.
And the air was such a wonder
From the hot-dogs and the beer.
Yes, there used to be a ballpark right here."
OT: Sad photo of yesteryear in Oakland.
- Thread starter HOF Coach
- Start date
"And there used to be a ballpark
Where the field was warm and green.
And the people played their crazy game
With a joy I'd never seen.
And the air was such a wonder
From the hot-dogs and the beer.
Yes, there used to be a ballpark right here."
My dad always talked about his experience of sitting in Forbes when Bill Mazeroski his his epic Game 7 shot in 1960.
When I was young,we would sit in the left field bleachers for $.99- or,if we saved enough,we sat in the right field stands right above Clemente for $1.50.
Those kind of circular multi-use stadiums with artificial turf where the fad at that time, I remember going to Riverfront Stadium in Cincy once in the 80s, and when you were inside that it was identical to being in 3 Rivers, RFK in DC which I went to twice was also very similar.
Dude. I remember when the left field bleachers were like a buck, or less. Crazy.
They had Buck Night into the 70s at 3Rivers, where there where nosebleed seats for $1
Was just too young . My first experience at 7 years old was watching the 71 team at the new cookie cutter ..
I guess it made up for it ... Got to see the Great One and Hank Aaron at some point hit a homer after .
I think he had already passed the Bambino at that point ..
I guess it made up for it ... Got to see the Great One and Hank Aaron at some point hit a homer after .
I think he had already passed the Bambino at that point ..
Last edited:
Anyone remember to "Save those Town Talk wrappers" . For 3 rivers tickets ? Lol..
Busch Stadium in St Louis was the same also. They were all designed by the firm HOK who also did all the retro ballparks starting with Camden Yards.
The old man always said Mazeroski was the hardest line drive hitter of all time. Of course in my fandom era we’ve had the likes of Dave Winfield, Gary Sheffield and Miguel Cabrera, so I’m not sure Maz holds up as the line drive king.
Towards the end of Forbes fields life there was clearly a plumbing problem with respect to the men’s rooms. Tremendous odor at times emanating from the first base concourse area.
My grandfather went to the 1927 world series at Forbes field against the Yankees. He made the drive from Buffalo to Pittsburgh in his Model T with his friend. Drove the 219 to 28. I-79 was years away.
He was happy to have only had 4 flat wheels on the way and the drive took 17 hours I believe. They made great time. Got there early enough they pulled over in "some park" schenley obviously to get ZZZ'S. After a bit a cop was tapping on his car with a stick said you can't sleep here.
They walked around and got tickets as soon as they could. Saw the Yankees win 5-4 for the first of the 4 game sweep.
He was happy to have only had 4 flat wheels on the way and the drive took 17 hours I believe. They made great time. Got there early enough they pulled over in "some park" schenley obviously to get ZZZ'S. After a bit a cop was tapping on his car with a stick said you can't sleep here.
They walked around and got tickets as soon as they could. Saw the Yankees win 5-4 for the first of the 4 game sweep.
Actually, when I was really young, it was .50 or .75 cents. Not fancy, though.
I was rehearsing my H.S. play. The teacher holding it had a radio on, turned it off after the end. Everyone hated the Yanks....in Philly anyway.
Awesome story. I bet hearing your grandfather tell it is one of your fondest memories. I could sit and listen to my elders tell stories for hours every day if I could.
I do too, even my dad's stories of partizans or Nazi occupation on the Greek islands in WW2, or his stories of immigrating to Pittsburgh in the late 40s and working in Oakland, or my grandfather's stories of working in the WV coal mines in the 20s, opens your eye to different worlds you couldn't imagine.
Yes, I cherish that one. For years I heard stories about fishing, picking strawberries and betting the trifecta at Fort Erie racetrack. Same stories every holiday.
He was about 89 when I graduated. Then I finnaly heard all the interesting stories. His first job was before he was 10 buying 5 newspapers for 3 cents and selling them for 1 cent each. Ones about him working in a mine in OH to make $ after WWI. The mine that caused I-70 to collapse in Ohio in 1995. Working in a mill in WV to make ends meet. He left Buffalo for jobs those years. Then the World Series in 27. He had started his business in Buffalo at that time. That would have been about 4 years before my mom was born. She was the oldest in the family. I imagine it was the fun wild time of his life.
Or…. When you could get into every game for free; at the 6th inning through the gate at the left field bleachers.
Most games in 1960 were at their peak during the last three innings of the game.
Great memories.
99 cents is pretty close to a buck
I remember the players used to get out of a cab and go in the gate along 3rd base,the visiting team hanging out at Frankie Gustines because they stayed at the Park Schenley and the batting cage in play out in center field.
When I was in orientation at Pitt as an incoming freshman, we went to a ball game at Forbes Field. It's a special feeling in those old ballparks that is impossible to duplicate.
Frankie Gustine's! I completely forgot about that place.
I think the troughs in the men's bathrooms at Forbes were the originals from when Forbes opened in 1909. They were a different kind of gross.
Yep. It was 50 cents. I grew up on Oakland Avenue near Bates Street and we used to walk down the hill to Forbes Field in the 7th inning. The ushers usually let us in for free. It was on the third base side and theoretically we were supposed to continue walking to the left field bleachers. But, there usually were seats available on the third base side behind the box seats, and that was where we usually ended up. Didn’t see the beginnings of most games, but we saw a lot of the last couple of innings.
Funny that the box seats really were boxes, delineated by pipes, as I recall. Or something like pipes. They had folding chairs in them!
When I was at Pitt in the 80s if you took a Coke can to the ticket window for a weekday game you could get an outfield seat for a dollar.
We took advantage of that offer, ah, at least once or twice.
When I was in little league in the early 60 at the end of the year they took us to a Pirates game at the end of each year
to Forbes Field
to Forbes Field
Similar threads
