Three Rivers Stadium
Template:Short description Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox venue Three Rivers Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States, from 1970 to 2000. It was home to the Pittsburgh Pirates of Major League Baseball (MLB) and the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL).
Built to replace Forbes Field, which opened in 1909, the US$55 million ($Template:Inflation million in 2025) multi-purpose facility was designed to maximize efficiency. Ground was broken in April 1968 and construction, often behind schedule, took 29 months.<ref name="Slices">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The stadium opened on July 16, 1970, with a Pirates game. In the 1971 World Series, it hosted the first World Series game played at night. The following year, the stadium was the site of the Immaculate Reception. The final game in the stadium was won by the Steelers on December 16, 2000. Three Rivers also hosted the Pittsburgh Maulers of the United States Football League and the University of Pittsburgh Panthers football team for a single season each.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
After its closing, Three Rivers was imploded in 2001, and the Pirates and Steelers moved into new dedicated stadiums: PNC Park and Heinz Field (now Acrisure Stadium), respectively.
HistoryEdit
Planning and constructionEdit
A proposal for a new sports stadium in Pittsburgh was first made in 1948; however, plans did not attract much attention until the late 1950s.<ref name="Meh9">Template:Harvard citation no brackets</ref> The Pittsburgh Pirates played their home games at Forbes Field, which opened in 1909,<ref>Template:Harvard citation no brackets</ref> and was the second oldest venue in the National League (Philadelphia's Shibe Park/Connie Mack Stadium was oldest, having opened only two months prior to Forbes). The Pittsburgh Steelers, who had moved from Forbes Field to Pitt Stadium in 1964, were large supporters of the project.<ref name=Meh9/> For their part, according to longtime Pirates announcer Bob Prince, the Pirates wanted a bigger place to play in order to draw more revenue.<ref name="Storied">Template:Cite book</ref>
In 1958, the Pirates sold Forbes to the University of Pittsburgh for $2 million ($Template:Inflation million today); it wanted the land for expanded graduate facilities.<ref name="Storied"/> As part of the deal, the university leased Forbes back to the Pirates until a replacement could be built.<ref>Template:Harvard citation no brackets</ref> An early design of the stadium included plans to situate the stadium atop a bridge across the Monongahela River. It was to call for a 70,000-seat stadium with hotels, marina, and a 100-lane bowling alley.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Plans of the "Stadium over the Monongahela" were eventually not pursued.<ref name=Lev51/> A design was presented in 1958 which featured an open center field design—through which fans could view Pittsburgh's "Golden Triangle".<ref name="Meh10">Template:Harvard citation no brackets</ref> A site on the city's Northside was approved on August 10, 1958, due to land availability and parking space,<ref name=Meh10/><ref name=bnoagr>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=ppgbno>Template:Cite news</ref> the latter of which had been a problem at Forbes Field.<ref name=Meh9/> The same site had hosted Exposition Park, which the Pirates had left in 1909.<ref>Template:Harvard citation no brackets</ref> The stadium was located in a portion of downtown difficult to access;<ref name=Storied/> political debate continued over the North Side Sports Stadium and the project was often behind schedule and over-budget.<ref name=Meh10/><ref name=rbppr>Template:Cite news</ref> Arguments were made by commissioner (and former Allegheny County Medical Examiner) William McCelland that the Pirates and Steelers should fund a higher percentage of the $33 million project ($Template:Inflation million today). Due to lack of support, however, the arguments faded.<ref name=Meh10/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Ground was broken in 1968 on April 25,<ref name=Meh10/><ref name=pprnmgb>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=ppgnml>Template:Cite news</ref> and due to the Steelers' suggestions, the design was changed to enclose center field.<ref name=Meh10/> Construction continued, though it became plagued with problems such as thieves stealing materials from the building site.<ref name=Meh10/> In April 1969, construction was behind schedule and the target opening date of April 1970 was deemed unlikely to be met.<ref name=behsche69>Template:Cite news</ref> That November, Arthur Gratz asked the city for an additional $3 million ($Template:Inflation million today), which was granted.<ref name="Meh13">Template:Harvard citation no brackets</ref> In January 1970, the new target date was set for May 29; however, because of a failure to install the lights on schedule, opening day was delayed once more to July 16.<ref name=Meh13/> The stadium was named in February 1969 for its location at the confluence of the Allegheny River and Monongahela River, which forms the Ohio River.<ref name=trnost>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=sintrv>Template:Cite news</ref> It would sometimes be called The House That Clemente Built after Pirates' right-fielder Roberto Clemente.<ref>Template:Harvard citation no brackets</ref>
Opening DayEdit
In their first game after the All-Star Break in 1970, the Pirates opened the stadium against the Cincinnati Reds on Thursday, July 16; who won, 3–2.<ref name=ldlftr>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=fetfons>Template:Cite news</ref> The team donned new uniform designs for the first time that day, a similar plan was for new "mini-skirts" for female ushers. However, the ushers' union declined the uniform change for female workers.<ref name=gtybffm>Template:Cite news</ref> A parade was held before opening ceremonies. The expansive parking lot, both Pirates and Steelers team offices, the Allegheny Club (VIP Club) and the press boxes and facilities were not opened until weeks later due to extended labor union work stoppages. Instead of allowing cars to park, the team instructed fans to park downtown and walk to the stadium over bridges or take shuttle buses. The opening of Three Rivers marked the first time the Pirates allowed beer to be sold in the stands during a game since the early 1960s.<ref name=gtybffm/>
During batting practice on that day, a stray foul ball hit a woman named Evelyn Jones in the eye while she was walking the stadium's concourse. She sued the Pirates and their subsidiary that managed the stadium, arguing that the Baseball Rule, which usually prevents spectators at baseball games from holding teams liable for foul ball injuries, did not apply because she was away from the seating areas and not watching what was going on the field. A jury awarded Jones $125,000, but it was reversed on appeal. That decision was in turn reversed by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, which agreed with her argument about the Baseball Rule and also noted that the opening to the concourse through which the foul had passed was a purely architectural choice that was not necessary to the game of baseball.<ref name="Jones v. Three Rivers Management Corporation">Template:Cite court</ref>
Design and alterationsEdit
Three Rivers Stadium was similar in design to other stadiums built in the 1960s and 1970s, such as RFK Stadium in Washington, Shea Stadium in New York, Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati, the Houston Astrodome, Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia, and Busch Memorial Stadium in St. Louis, which were designed as multi-purpose facilities to maximize efficiency.<ref>Template:Harvard citation no brackets</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Due to their similar design these stadiums were nicknamed "cookie-cutter" or "concrete doughnut" ballparks.<ref name=Storied/> The sight lines were more favorable to football; almost 70% of the seats in the baseball configuration were in fair territory.<ref name="Storied"/> It originally seated 50,611 for baseball,<ref name="Storied"/> but several expansions over the years brought it to 58,729.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 1993, the Pirates placed tarps on most of the upper deck to create a better baseball atmosphere, reducing capacity to 47,687.<ref name="Storied"/><ref name=Lev50/><ref name="SNfacts">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Three Rivers was the first multi-purpose stadium and the first in either the NFL or MLB to feature 3M's Tartan Turf (then a competitor to the dominant AstroTurf), which was installed for opening day.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="Meh14">Template:Harvard citation no brackets</ref> It had a dirt skin infield on the basepaths for baseball through 1972,<ref name=ldlftr/> until converted to "sliding pits" at the bases for 1973.<ref name=nosklk73>Template:Cite news</ref> Renovations for the start of the 1983 baseball season included replacing the Tartan Turf with AstroTurf, the center field Stewart-Warner scoreboard being removed and replaced with new seating—while a new Diamond Vision (headquartered in nearby Warrendale) scoreboard with a White Way messageboard was installed at the top of the center field upper deck—and the outfield fence being painted blue from the previous aqua.<ref name=ytadfatr>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="CSC TV-5 1983 Pirates Special (Part 2)">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}Template:Cbignore</ref> The field originally used "Gamesaver vacuum vehicles" to dry the surface, though they were later replaced by an underground drainage system.<ref name=Meh14/>
In 1975, the baseball field's outfield fences were moved 10 feet (3 m) closer to home plate, in an attempt to boost home run numbers.<ref name=Meh14/> The bullpens were moved to multiple locations throughout the stadium's history; however, their first position was also their final one—beyond the right-field fence.<ref name=Meh14/> A Pittsburgh Post-Gazette story in 1970 stated that the new stadium boasted 1,632 floodlight bulbs.<ref name=slabctp>Template:Cite news</ref>
at Three Rivers
Due to Three Rivers Stadium's multi-purpose design, bands including Alice Cooper, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, The Rolling Stones, and The Who hosted concerts at the venue.<ref name="Led Zeppelin Official Website">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="Meh15">Template:Harvard citation no brackets</ref> On August 11, 1985,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band hosted the largest concert in Pittsburgh history, when they performed for 65,935 on-lookers.<ref name="CNNimp">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> And in 1992, the Pittsburgh Penguins celebrated their second Stanley Cup victory at the Stadium.<ref name=Meh15/> The stadium hosted various Jehovah's Witnesses conventions, including international conventions in 1973 and 1978, and a centennial conference in 1984. A Billy Graham Crusade took place at Three Rivers in June 1993.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> The venue also served as the premiere of the 1994 Disney film Angels in the Outfield which, despite being based around the California Angels, paid homage to the original 1951 film, which featured the Pirates in "heavenly" need.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Three Rivers Stadium had a beverage contract with Coca-Cola throughout its history. It was during the Steelers' stay in Three Rivers that the now famous "Mean Joe" Greene Coke commercial aired, leading to a longstanding relationship between the two. When Heinz Field opened, Coca-Cola also assumed the beverage contract for that stadium (the Pirates signed a deal with Pepsi for PNC Park before signing with Coke again in 2014), and also became the primary sponsor for the Steelers' team Hall of Fame, the Coca-Cola Great Hall. After the initial 10-year contract expired, Heinz Field contracted with Pepsi for exclusive pouring rights, breaking a 50-year tradition with the Steelers.
ReplacementEdit
By the early 1990s, multipurpose stadiums had gone out of fashion. They were considered by many to be ugly and obsolete, as well as not financially viable. Joining a wave of sports construction that swept the United States in the 1990s, both the Pirates and Steelers began a push for a new stadium. This eventually culminated in the Regional Renaissance Initiative, an 11-county 1997 voter referendum to raise the sales tax in Pittsburgh's Allegheny County and ten adjacent counties 0.5% for seven years to fund separate new stadiums for the Pirates and Steelers, as well as an expansion of the David L. Lawrence Convention Center and various other local development projects. After being hotly debated throughout the entire southwestern Pennsylvania region the initiative was soundly defeated in all 11 counties; only in Allegheny County was it even close (58-42).
The initiative's defeat led to the development of "Plan B", an alternate funding proposal that used a combination of monies from the Allegheny Regional Asset District (an extra 1% sales tax levied on Allegheny County), state and federal monies and a number of other sources. Despite polls which showed that the public was opposed to this plan as well, on February 3, 1999, the state funding portion of "Plan B" passed the Pennsylvania State House and Senate, clearing the way for construction.
Ground was broken for the new stadiums in 1999.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> On October 1, 2000, the Pirates were defeated 10–9 by the Chicago Cubs in their final game at Three Rivers Stadium.<ref name=SNfacts/> After the game, former Pirate Willie Stargell threw out the ceremonial last pitch (he died the following April hours before the first regular season game was played at PNC Park).<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Two months later on December 16, 2000, the Steelers concluded play at Three Rivers Stadium, with a 24–3 victory over the Washington Redskins.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Three Rivers Stadium was imploded on February 11, 2001, at 8:03 a.m. on a chilly Template:Convert day. Over 20,000 people viewed the implosion from Point State Park. Another 3,000-4,000 viewing from atop Mount Washington and an uncounted number of people viewed the demolition from various high points across the city. Mark Loizeaux of Controlled Demolition, Inc. pushed the button that set off the 19-second implosion, while Elizabeth and Joseph King pushed the "ceremonial old fashioned dynamite plunger".<ref>Template:Cite newsTemplate:Dead link</ref> The demolition cost $5.1 million and used Template:Convert of explosive.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> With the newly constructed Heinz Field only Template:Convert away, effects from the blast were a concern. Doug Loizeaux, Mark's younger brother and vice president of Controlled Demolition, Inc., was happy to report that there was no debris within Template:Convert of Heinz Field.
At the time of the demolition, Three Rivers Stadium still had $27.93 million in debt ($Template:Inflation million today), some of it from the original construction but the rest from renovations in the mid-1980s, bringing more criticism to the public funding of sports stadiums. The debt was finally retired by 2010.<ref>Pens gone, but Igloo $9.3 million in debt Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (May 14, 2010)</ref><ref>Three Rivers Stadium: The concrete will crumble but the memories will live on Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (September 29, 2000)</ref>
Like most stadiums demolished during this time whose replacements were located nearby (including the Civic Arena over a decade later), the site of Three Rivers Stadium mostly became a parking lot. Much like the Pittsburgh Penguins would do with the site of Civic Arena, the Steelers retained development rights to the site of Three Rivers, and would later build Stage AE on portions of the site, as well as an office building that hosts the studios for AT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh, the headquarters of StarKist Tuna, and the regional headquarters of Del Monte Foods. In 2015, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette moved into a new office building also built on a portion on the site after 53 years in the former Pittsburgh Press building and more than two centuries in Downtown.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
On September 30, 2012, members of the Society for American Baseball Research marked and painted the home plate and second base of the former stadium on the 40th Anniversary of Roberto Clemente's 3,000th hit. First and third bases could not be marked as the West General Robinson Street now runs over those locations.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
On December 23, 2012, on the 40th anniversary of the Immaculate Reception, the Steelers unveiled a monument at the exact spot where Franco Harris made the reception in the parking lot and corresponding sidewalk. The yard lines were also painted on the sidewalks.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In the process of marking the yard lines, the second base was accidentally painted over.
In 2022, the faded home plate print and the missing second base were replaced by metal plaques created by the Society for American Baseball Research. The pitcher's mound was also marked for the first time. The new plaques were officially revealed on September 30, 2022, the 50th Anniversary of Roberto Clemente's 3,000th hit.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
In 2011, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reported that the Three Rivers Stadium website was still active, 11 years after the facility's demolition.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The newspaper has revisited the issue and reported several times that the website remained active.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In 2020, nearly twenty years after the stadium had been demolished, the site had finally been taken down due to the domain expiring. However, an archive of the original site still exists, albeit at a different domain name.
Seating capacityEdit
Template:Col-beginTemplate:Col-break
| scope="row" style="Template:Baseball primary style;"| Years | scope="row" style="Template:Baseball primary style;"| Capacity |
|---|---|
| scope="row" style="Template:Baseball secondary style;"|1970 | check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }} |
| scope="row" style="Template:Baseball secondary style;"|1971–1978 | check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }} |
| scope="row" style="Template:Baseball secondary style;"|1979 | check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }} |
| scope="row" style="Template:Baseball secondary style;"|1980 | check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }} |
| scope="row" style="Template:Baseball secondary style;"|1981–1982 | check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }} |
| scope="row" style="Template:Baseball secondary style;"|1983 | check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }} |
| scope="row" style="Template:Baseball secondary style;"|1984 | check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }} |
| scope="row" style="Template:Baseball secondary style;"|1985 | check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }} |
| scope="row" style="Template:Baseball secondary style;"|1986–1987 | check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }} |
| scope="row" style="Template:Baseball secondary style;"|1988–1989 | check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }} |
| scope="row" style="Template:Baseball secondary style;"|1990–1992 | check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }} |
| scope="row" style="Template:Baseball secondary style;"|1993–2000 | check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }} |
| scope="row" style="Template:NFLPrimaryStyle;"| Years | scope="row" style="Template:NFLPrimaryStyle;"| Capacity |
|---|---|
| scope="row" style="Template:NFLAltPrimaryStyle;"|1970–1979 | check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }} |
| scope="row" style="Template:NFLAltPrimaryStyle;"|1980–1982 | check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }} |
| scope="row" style="Template:NFLAltPrimaryStyle;"|1983–1990 | check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }} |
| scope="row" style="Template:NFLAltPrimaryStyle;"|1991–2000 | check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }} |
Template:Col-breakTemplate:Col-end
Stadium usageEdit
PanthersEdit
The Pitt Panthers played at Three Rivers Stadium on multiple occasions. The Panthers played their full home schedule there for the 2000 season, going 7–4. They played there in the following games:
| style="text-align:center; Template:CollegePrimaryStyle;"|Date | style="text-align:center; Template:CollegePrimaryStyle;"|Winning Team | style="text-align:center; Template:CollegePrimaryStyle;"|Result | style="text-align:center; Template:CollegePrimaryStyle;"|Losing Team | style="text-align:center; Template:CollegePrimaryStyle;"|Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| November 28, 1974 | #10 Penn State | 31-10 | #18 Pitt Panthers | 48,895 |
| November 22, 1975 | #10 Penn State | 7-6 | #17 Pitt Panthers | 46,846 |
| November 26, 1976 | #1 Pitt Panthers | 24-7 | Penn State | 50,250 |
| September 9, 1982 | #1 Pitt Panthers | 7-6 | #5 North Carolina | 54,449 |
| November 27, 1998 | West Virginia | 52-14 | Pitt Panthers | 42,254 |
| September 2, 2000 | Pitt Panthers | 30-7 | Kent State | 31,089 |
| September 16, 2000 | Pitt Panthers | 12-0 | Penn State | 61,211 |
| September 23, 2000 | Pitt Panthers | 29-17 | Rutgers | 30,890 |
| October 21, 2000 | Pitt Panthers | 42-26 | Boston College | 31,567 |
| November 4, 2000 | North Carolina | 20-17 | Pitt Panthers | 43,872 |
| November 24, 2000 | Pitt Panthers | 38-28 | West Virginia | 46,569 |
PiratesEdit
Three Rivers Stadium opened on July 16, 1970, but the Pirates lost 3–2 to the Cincinnati Reds in front of 48,846 spectators.<ref name="Lev50">Template:Harvard citation no brackets</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The first pitch was thrown by Dock Ellis—a strike—to Ty Cline.<ref name="Meh42">Template:Harvard citation no brackets</ref> The first hit in the stadium was by Pittsburgh's Richie Hebner, in the bottom of the first inning.<ref name=Meh42/> The Pirates lifted their television blackout policy for home games so that local fans could see the inaugural game.<ref>Template:Harvard citation no brackets</ref> The Pirates' lowest season of attendance was 1985, at an average of 9,085.<ref name="Att">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The average attendance would peak in 1991, when the Pirates averaged 25,498 per game.<ref name=Att/> Game one of the 1970 NLCS, at Three Rivers Stadium, was the first postseason baseball game to be played on an artificial surface.<ref name="Lev51">Template:Harvard citation no brackets</ref> The following season, the Pirates advanced to the World Series against the Baltimore Orioles. Three Rivers Stadium hosted game four, in which the Pirates defeated the Orioles in the first night game in the history of the World Series.<ref name=Lev51/> Pittsburgh hosted its third All-Star Game in 1974. The National League won the game 7–2 and the Pirates' Ken Brett was the winning pitcher.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 1979, the Pirates again won a World Championship, yet again defeating the Baltimore Orioles in a seven-game World Series. Games 3, 4 and 5 of the Series were played at Three Rivers. 15 years later, the midsummer classic returned in 1994. With 59,568 in attendance, the largest crowd to ever attend a baseball game at the stadium,<ref name=Lev50/> the National League won 8–7 in the tenth inning. On July 6, 1980, the Pirates beat the Chicago Cubs 5–4 in 20 innings—the most innings ever played at the stadium. The longest game at the stadium was played on August 6, 1989, when Jeff King hit a walk-off home run 5 hours and 42 minutes into the 18-inning contest, as the Pirates once again beat the Cubs 5–4.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> On September 30, 1972, Pirates' right-fielder Roberto Clemente got his 3,000th hit at Three Rivers Stadium, three months before his death.<ref name=Lev51/>
Only 13 home runs were ever hit into the upper deck of Three Rivers Stadium. Willie Stargell is the all-time leader in upper deck shots at the stadium with four; Jeff Bagwell hit two, while Bob Robertson, Bobby Bonilla, Devon White, Greg Luzinski, Glenallen Hill, Howard Johnson, and Mark Whiten (his home run struck the facade) hit one each.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
On July 12, 1997, the Pirates defeated the Houston Astros 3-0 on a walk-off home run in the bottom of the tenth inning by Mark Smith, which ended the first combined extra innings no-hitter in Major League Baseball history by Francisco Cordova and Ricardo Rincon.
It was at this venue in 1998 where Sammy Sosa hit his Cub-franchise record 57th homer of the season, besting Hack Wilson, whose record stood for 68 years.
SteelersEdit
The Pittsburgh Steelers played their first game in Three Rivers Stadium on September 20, 1970—a 19–7 loss to the Houston Oilers.<ref name=SNfacts/> Throughout their 31 seasons in Three Rivers Stadium, the Steelers posted a record of 182–72, including a 13-5 playoff record, and defeated every visiting franchise at least once from the stadium's opening to close, enjoying perfect records there against seven teams. The Steelers sold out every home game from 1972 through the closing of the stadium, a streak which continues through 2008.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The largest attendance for a football game was the 1994 AFC Championship Game on January 15, 1995, when 61,545 spectators witnessed the Steelers lose to the San Diego Chargers.<ref name=SNfacts/> On December 23, 1972, Three Rivers Stadium was site to the Immaculate Reception, which became regarded as one of the greatest plays in NFL history.<ref name="SNim">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Three Rivers Stadium hosted seven AFC Championship Games from 1972 to 1997;<ref name=SNfacts/><ref name=Num3/> the Steelers won four.<ref name="pro-football-reference">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In the 1995 AFC Championship Game, the Steelers' Randy Fuller deflected a Hail Mary pass intended for Indianapolis Colts receiver Aaron Bailey as time expired, to send the franchise to Super Bowl XXX.<ref name="Num3">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> A Steelers symbol recognized worldwide, the Terrible Towel debuted on December 27, 1975, at Three Rivers Stadium. The Steelers would move to Heinz Field after it was closed.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
ReferencesEdit
BibliographyEdit
External linksEdit
- Official website (Archive)
- Thirty Years of Stadium Rock – Pittsburgh Music History
- Pittsburgh Post-Gazette story on opening
- July 17, 1970 Pittsburgh Press
- July 16, 1970 Pittsburgh Press
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