Exposition Park (Pittsburgh)
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218006769
2008-06-08T18:59:46Z
Cydebot
1215485
Robot - Moving category History of Pittsburgh to History of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania per [[WP:CFD|CFD]] at [[Wikipedia:Categories for discussion/Log/2008 May 29]].
{{Infobox_Baseball_Stadium |
stadium_name = Exposition Park |
nickname = |
image = [[Image:Expo Park postcard.JPG|250px]]|
caption = Pittsburgh skyline and Exposition Park|
location = [[Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania]] |
broke_ground = |
opened = [[1882]] |
closed = [[1909]] |
demolished = |
owner = |
operator = |
surface = Grass |
construction_cost = |
architect = |
former_names = |
tenants = [[Pittsburgh Pirates]] ([[National League|NL]]) ([[1882]]-[[1883]], [[1891]]-[[1909]]) <br /> [[Chicago Browns/Pittsburgh Stogies|Pittsburgh Stogies]] ([[Union Association|UA]]) ([[1884]]) <br /> [[Pittsburgh Burghers]] ([[Players League|PL]]) ([[1890]]) |
seating_capacity = 16,000 |
dimensions = Left Field - 400 ft <br /> Center Field - 450 ft. <br /> Right Field - 400 ft |
}}
'''Exposition Park''' was a [[baseball]] [[stadium|park]] that formerly stood in [[Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania|Pittsburgh]], [[Pennsylvania]], [[USA]]. It was one of two ballparks (along with Boston's [[Huntington Avenue Grounds]]) that hosted the first modern [[Major League Baseball]] [[World Series]] in [[1903]].
Exposition Park was situated on the north shore of the [[Allegheny River]] across from [[Downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania|Downtown]] Pittsburgh in [[Allegheny, Pittsburgh|Allegheny City]] (which since 1907 is a part of the city of Pittsburgh). Left field was bounded to the south by the [[Baltimore and Ohio Railroad|B & O R.R.]] tracks and the Allegheny River; third base was bounded to the east by School (later Scotland) Street; first base was bounded to the north by South (later Shore) Avenue; and right field was bounded to the west by Grant (later Galveston) Street. Today this location is between the site of [[Heinz Field]] and the current [[Pittsburgh Pirates]]' home, [[PNC Park]]. The park held 16,000.
A single-tiered grandstand with roof extended from the first base side to home plate, and down the third base side. Open bleachers ran down both the first and third base lines. Right field had standing room, and additional seating was on top of the covered grandstand. The dimensions were a spacious 400 feet down the foul lines and 450 feet to center field.
The first incarnation of Exposition Park opened in 1882 for the [[Pittsburgh Pirates|Allegheny]] club of the [[American Association (19th century)|American Association]] on what was called the Lower Field, near the river. Because of spring flooding along the river, an Upper Field was constructed for the opening game of the 1883 baseball season. The two fields overlapped in this second phase of the park's history. The park was so-named because circuses and other big tent shows camped there when in town.
The next year, the Alleghenys moved uphill and out of floodwater range, to [[Recreation Park (Pittsburgh)|Recreation Park]]. Meanwhile, the [[Union Association]] entry, the Pittsburgh Stogies of 1884, found refuge here during their very brief existence.
Exposition Park entered its third iteration when it was refurbished and re-opened by the Pittsburgh entry in the outlaw [[Players League|Players' League]] in [[1890]], another one-year wonder. During their stay in Recreation Park, the Allegheny Club had switched to the [[National League]] in [[1887]] and had renamed themselves "Pittsburgh" in 1890. Since Expo Park was a newer facility, the National Leaguers made plans to move back to it. In the 1890-91 off-season, the team had been dubbed "Pirates" after allegedly "pirating" second baseman [[Louis Bierbauer]] away from the [[Philadelphia Athletics]] American Association team. So in 1891, the club had a new park and a new nickname.
After 18 1/2 seasons at the primarily wooden Exposition Park, including co-hosting the first [[World Series]] in 1903, the Pirates moved into the steel-and-concrete [[Forbes Field]] in the city's Oakland neighborhood on June 30, 1909.
Exposition Park enjoyed a brief revival during [[1913]]-[[1915]] as the home of the Pittsburgh Rebels of the [[Federal League]], which was a minor league in 1913 and a full-fledged outlaw major league the next two years. Some improvements were made to the park at that time, including roofing one of the open bleacher sections and also removing the out-of-fashion turrets on the grandstand roof. After that it was demolished and its property became part of the rail yards.
The Pirates lived at Forbes Field for 61 seasons (actually 60 full seasons and two half seasons), their longest tenure at any venue, before moving back to their old neighborhood, into [[Three Rivers Stadium]], on July 16, 1970.
[[Image:PittWVUatExpoPark1908.jpg|thumb|260px|right|Pitt beat West Virginia 11-0 in this November 11, 1908 game at Exposition Park. Note the criss-cross grid lines.]]
Exposition Park also served as the home field for the [[University of Pittsburgh]] [[Pittsburgh Panthers|Panthers]] football team, which was known as the Western University of Pennsylvania until [[1908]], its final year in the Park. Pitt began playing in Exposition Park as early as its first season of playing football in 1890<ref>{{ cite book | url = http://digital.library.pitt.edu/cgi-bin/t/text/pageviewer-idx?c=pittmiscpubs;cc=pittmiscpubs;rgn=full%20text;idno=00c50130m;didno=00c50130m;view=image;seq=0021;node=00c50130m%3A7
| last = Eldridge, Jr.
| first = Larry
| title = Greatest Moments In Pitt Football History
| pages = pp. 2
| year = 1994
| id = ISBN 1-878839-04-7
| location = Nashville, TN
| publisher = Athlon Sports Communications, Inc.}}</ref>. During successive years, Pitt also played home games at [[Recreation Park (Pittsburgh)|Recreation Park]], including during at least the 1898 and 1899 seasons.[http://digital.library.pitt.edu/cgi-bin/t/text/pageviewer-idx?c=pittcourant;cc=pittcourant;g=documentingpitt;xc=1;xg=1;q1=Recreation%20Park;rgn=full%20text;idno=e39398v14n01;didno=e39398v14n01;view=image;seq=0032][http://digital.library.pitt.edu/cgi-bin/t/text/pageviewer-idx?c=pittcourant;cc=pittcourant;g=documentingpitt;xc=1;xg=1;q1=Recreation%20Park;rgn=full%20text;idno=e39398v15n01;didno=e39398v15n01;view=image;seq=0040] By 1900, Pitt was again playing games at Exposition Park[http://digital.library.pitt.edu/cgi-bin/t/text/pageviewer-idx?c=pittcourant;cc=pittcourant;g=documentingpitt;xc=1;xg=1;q1=Exposition%20Park;rgn=full%20text;idno=e39398v16n02;didno=e39398v16n02;view=image;seq=0017], but was again at Recreation Park (as well as [[Schenley Park]]) for at least some games during the 1901 season [http://digital.library.pitt.edu/cgi-bin/t/text/pageviewer-idx?c=pittcourant;cc=pittcourant;g=documentingpitt;xc=1;xg=1;q1=Recreation%20Park;rgn=full%20text;idno=e39398v17n02;didno=e39398v17n02;view=image;seq=0019], and did not sign a lease to exclusively play its home games at Exposition Park until 1904.[http://digital.library.pitt.edu/cgi-bin/t/text/pageviewer-idx?c=pittcourant;cc=pittcourant;g=documentingpitt;xc=1;xg=1;q1=Recreation%20Park;rgn=full%20text;idno=e39398v17n02;didno=e39398v17n02;view=image;seq=0019][http://digital.library.pitt.edu/cgi-bin/t/text/pageviewer-idx?c=pittmiscpubs;cc=pittmiscpubs;g=documentingpitt;xc=1;xg=1;q1=Exposition%20Park;rgn=full%20text;idno=00c50130m;didno=00c50130m;view=image;seq=85;page=root;size=s;frm=frameset]
==External links==
*[http://www.ballparks.com/baseball/national/exposi.htm Historic photos of Exposition Park]
*[http://pittsburgh.pirates.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/pit/homepage/pit_homepage.jsp Pittsburgh Pirates official website]
*[http://pittsburgh.pirates.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/pit/history/ballparks.jsp Pittsburgh Pirates official ballparks website]
==References==
{{reflist}}
*{{cite book | author=Lowry, Philip J. | title=Green Cathedrals: The Ultimate Celebration of All 271 Major League and Negro League Ballparks Past and Present | location=Reading | publisher=Addison-Wesley | year=1992 | id=ISBN 0-201-56777-6}}
{{start box}}
{{succession box
| title= Home of the<br />[[Pittsburgh Pirates]]
| years = 1882 – 1883<br>1891 – 1909
| before= <br>first ballpark<br>[[Recreation Park (Pittsburgh)|Recreation Park]]
| after= <br>[[Recreation Park (Pittsburgh)|Recreation Park]]<br>[[Forbes Field]]
}}
{{succession box
| title= Home of the<br />[[University of Pittsburgh]]
| before= first home field
| years = 1890 –
| after= [[Recreation Park (Pittsburgh)|Recreation Park]]
}}
{{succession box
| title= Home of the<br />[[University of Pittsburgh]]
| before= [[Recreation Park (Pittsburgh)|Recreation Park]]
| years = 1900, 1902 – 1908
| after= [[Forbes Field]]
}}
{{end box}}
{{Pittsburgh Pirates}}
{{coor title dms|40|26|49|N|80|0|39|W|type:landmark}}
[[Category:Defunct baseball venues]]
[[Category:Defunct Major League Baseball venues]]
[[Category:Pittsburgh Pirates]]
[[Category:Pittsburgh Rebels]]
[[Category:History of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:Pittsburgh Panthers football]]
[[Category:University of Pittsburgh]]
[[Category:Sports venues in Pittsburgh]]
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