The Blast Furnace The House thatClemente Built | |
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 View from south in 1999 | |
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| Address | 792 W General Robinson St |
|---|---|
| Location | Pittsburgh,Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Coordinates | 40°26′48″N80°0′46″W / 40.44667°N 80.01278°W /40.44667; -80.01278 |
| Owner | Pittsburgh |
| Operator | Pittsburgh Stadium Authority |
| Capacity | Football: 59,000 Baseball: 47,971 |
| Field size | Left Field — 335 ft / 102 m Left-Center — 375 ft / 114 m Center Field — 400 ft / 122 m Right-Center — 375 ft / 114 m Right Field — 335 ft / 102 m Wall height — 10 ft / 3 m  |
| Surface | Tartan Turf (1970–1982) AstroTurf (1983–2000) |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | April 25, 1968; 57 years ago (1968-04-25) |
| Opened | July 16, 1970; 55 years ago (1970-07-16) |
| Closed | December 16, 2000; 24 years ago (2000-12-16) |
| Demolished | February 11, 2001; 24 years ago (2001-02-11) |
| Construction cost | US$55 million ($472 million in 2024 dollars[1]) |
| Architect | Deeter Ritchy Sipple Michael Baker Jr. |
| Structural engineer | Osborn Engineering |
| Services engineer | Elwood S. Tower Consulting Engineers[2] |
| General contractor | Huber, Hunt & Nichols/Mascaro[3] |
| Tenants | |
| Pittsburgh Pirates (MLB) (1970–2000) Pittsburgh Steelers (NFL) (1970–2000) Duquesne Dukes (1971)[4] Pittsburgh Maulers (USFL) (1984) Pittsburgh Panthers (NCAA) (2000) | |
| Designated | November 26, 2007[5] |
Three Rivers Stadium was amulti-purpose stadium inPittsburgh,Pennsylvania, United States, from 1970 to 2000. It was home to thePittsburgh Pirates ofMajor League Baseball (MLB) and thePittsburgh Steelers of theNational Football League (NFL).
Built to replaceForbes Field, which opened in 1909, the US$55 million ($471.6 million in 2024) multi-purpose facility was designed to maximize efficiency. Ground was broken in April 1968 and construction, often behind schedule, took 29 months.[6] The stadium opened on July 16,1970, with a Pirates game. In the1971 World Series, it hosted the first World Series game played at night. The following year, the stadium was the site of theImmaculate Reception. The final game in the stadium was won by the Steelers on December 16,2000. Three Rivers also hosted thePittsburgh Maulers of theUnited States Football League and theUniversity of Pittsburgh Panthers football team for a single season each.[7][8]
After its closing, Three Rivers was imploded in 2001, and the Pirates and Steelers moved into new dedicated stadiums:PNC Park and Heinz Field (nowAcrisure Stadium), respectively.
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.[9] The Pittsburgh Pirates played their home games atForbes Field, which opened in 1909,[10] and was the second oldest venue in the National League (Philadelphia'sShibe Park/Connie Mack Stadium was oldest, having opened only two months prior to Forbes). The Pittsburgh Steelers, who had moved from Forbes Field toPitt Stadium in 1964, were large supporters of the project.[9] For their part, according to longtime Pirates announcerBob Prince, the Pirates wanted a bigger place to play in order to draw more revenue.[11]
In 1958, the Pirates sold Forbes to theUniversity of Pittsburgh for $2 million ($21.8 million today); it wanted the land for expanded graduate facilities.[11] As part of the deal, the university leased Forbes back to the Pirates until a replacement could be built.[12] An early design of the stadium included plans to situate the stadium atop a bridge across theMonongahela River. It was to call for a 70,000-seat stadium with hotels, marina, and a 100-lane bowling alley.[13] Plans of the "Stadium over the Monongahela" were eventually not pursued.[14] A design was presented in 1958 which featured an open center field design—through which fans could view Pittsburgh's "Golden Triangle".[15] A site on the city'sNorthside was approved on August 10, 1958, due to land availability and parking space,[15][16][17] the latter of which had been a problem at Forbes Field.[9] The same site had hostedExposition Park, which the Pirates had left in1909.[18] The stadium was located in a portion of downtown difficult to access;[11] political debate continued over theNorth Side Sports Stadium and the project was often behind schedule and over-budget.[15][19] Arguments were made by commissioner (and formerAllegheny County Medical Examiner) William McCelland that the Pirates and Steelers should fund a higher percentage of the $33 million project ($319.8 million today). Due to lack of support, however, the arguments faded.[15][20]
Ground was broken in 1968 on April 25,[15][21][22] and due to the Steelers' suggestions, the design was changed to enclose center field.[15] Construction continued, though it became plagued with problems such as thieves stealing materials from the building site.[15] In April 1969, construction was behind schedule and the target opening date of April1970 was deemed unlikely to be met.[23] That November, Arthur Gratz asked the city for an additional $3 million ($25.7 million today), which was granted.[24] 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.[24] The stadium was named in February 1969 for its location at theconfluence of theAllegheny River andMonongahela River, which forms theOhio River.[25][26] It would sometimes be calledThe House That Clemente Built after Pirates' right-fielderRoberto Clemente.[27]
In their first game after theAll-Star Break in1970, thePirates opened the stadium against theCincinnati Reds on Thursday, July 16; who won, 3–2.[28][29] 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.[30] 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 parkdowntown 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.[30]
Duringbatting practice on that day, a stray foul ball hit a woman named Evelyn Jones in the eye while she was walking the stadium'sconcourse. She sued the Pirates and their subsidiary that managed the stadium, arguing that theBaseball 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 thePennsylvania 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.[31]
Three Rivers Stadium was similar in design to other stadiums built in the 1960s and 1970s, such asRFK Stadium in Washington,Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium in AtlantaShea Stadium in New York,Riverfront Stadium inCincinnati, theHouston Astrodome,Veterans Stadium inPhiladelphia, andBusch Memorial Stadium inSt. Louis, which were designed as multi-purpose facilities to maximize efficiency.[32][33] Due to their similar design these stadiums were nicknamed "cookie-cutter" or "concrete doughnut" ballparks.[11] The sight lines were more favorable to football; almost 70% of the seats in the baseball configuration were in fair territory.[11] It originally seated 50,611 for baseball,[11] but several expansions over the years brought it to 58,729.[34] In 1993, the Pirates placed tarps on most of the upper deck to create a better baseball atmosphere, reducing capacity to 47,687.[11][35][36]
Three Rivers was the first multi-purpose stadium and the first in either the NFL or MLB to feature3M'sTartan Turf (then a competitor to the dominantAstroTurf), which was installed for opening day.[37][38] It had a dirt skin infield on the basepaths for baseball through1972,[28] until converted to "sliding pits" at the bases for1973.[39] Renovations for the start of the1983 baseball season included replacing the Tartan Turf with AstroTurf, the center fieldStewart-Warner scoreboard being removed and replaced with new seating—while a newDiamond Vision (headquartered in nearbyWarrendale) 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.[40][41] The field originally used "Gamesaver vacuum vehicles" to dry the surface, though they were later replaced by an underground drainage system.[38]
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.[38] Thebullpens were moved to multiple locations throughout the stadium's history; however, their first position was also their final one—beyond the right-field fence.[38] APittsburgh Post-Gazette story in 1970 stated that the new stadium boasted 1,632 floodlight bulbs.[42]
Due to Three Rivers Stadium's multi-purpose design, bands includingAlice Cooper,Led Zeppelin,Pink Floyd,The Rolling Stones, andThe Who hosted concerts at the venue.[43][44] On August 11, 1985,[45]Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band hosted the largest concert in Pittsburgh history, when they performed for 65,935 on-lookers.[46] And in 1992, thePittsburgh Penguins celebrated their secondStanley Cup victory at the Stadium.[44] The stadium hosted variousJehovah's Witnesses conventions, including international conventions in 1973 and 1978, and a centennial conference in 1984. ABilly Graham Crusade took place at Three Rivers in June 1993.[47] The venue also served as the premiere of the 1994Disney filmAngels in the Outfield which, despite being based around theCalifornia Angels, paid homage to theoriginal 1951 film, which featured the Pirates in "heavenly" need.[48]
Three Rivers Stadium had abeverage contract withCoca-Cola throughout its history. It was during the Steelers' stay in Three Rivers that the now famous"Mean Joe" GreeneCoke commercial aired, leading to a longstanding relationship between the two. WhenHeinz Field opened, Coca-Cola also assumed the beverage contract for that stadium (the Pirates signed a deal withPepsi forPNC Park before signing with Coke again in 2014), and also became the primary sponsor for the Steelers' teamHall 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.
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 theDavid 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 theAllegheny 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.[49][50] On October 1, 2000, thePirates were defeated 10–9 by theChicago Cubs in their final game at Three Rivers Stadium.[36] After the game, former PirateWillie Stargell threw out the ceremonial last pitch (he died the following April hours before the first regular season game was played at PNC Park).[51] Two months later on December 16, 2000, theSteelers concluded play at Three Rivers Stadium, with a 24–3 victory over theWashington Redskins.[52]
Three Rivers Stadium wasimploded on February 11, 2001, at 8:03 a.m. on a chilly 21 °F (−6 °C) day. Over 20,000 people viewed the implosion fromPoint State Park. Another 3,000-4,000 viewing from atopMount Washington and an uncounted number of people viewed the demolition from various high points across the city. Mark Loizeaux ofControlled Demolition, Inc. pushed the button that set off the 19-second implosion, while Elizabeth and Joseph King pushed the "ceremonial old fashioned dynamite plunger".[53] The demolition cost $5.1 million and used 4,800 pounds (2,180 kg) of explosive.[54][55] With the newly constructedHeinz Field only 80 feet (24 m) 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 40 feet (12 m) of Heinz Field.
At the time of the demolition, Three Rivers Stadium still had $27.93 million in debt ($49.6 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.[56][57]
Like most stadiums demolished during this time whose replacements were located nearby (including theCivic Arena over a decade later), the site of Three Rivers Stadium mostly became aparking lot. Much like thePittsburgh Penguins would do with the site of Civic Arena, the Steelers retained development rights to the site of Three Rivers, and would later buildStage AE on portions of the site, as well as an office building that hosts the studios forAT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh, the headquarters ofStarKist Tuna, and the regional headquarters ofDel Monte Foods. In 2015, thePittsburgh Post-Gazette moved into a new office building also built on a portion on the site after 53 years in the formerPittsburgh Press building and more than two centuries in Downtown.[58]
On September 30, 2012, members of theSociety for American Baseball Research marked and painted thehome 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.[59]
On December 23, 2012, on the 40th anniversary of theImmaculate Reception, the Steelers unveiled a monument at the exact spot whereFranco Harris made the reception in the parking lot and corresponding sidewalk. The yard lines were also painted on the sidewalks.[60] 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.[61][62]
In 2011, thePittsburgh Tribune-Review reported that the Three Rivers Stadiumwebsite was still active, 11 years after the facility's demolition.[63] The newspaper has revisited the issue and reported several times that the website remained active.[64][65] 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.
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ThePitt Panthers played at Three Rivers Stadium on multiple occasions. The Panthers played their full home schedule there for the2000 season, going 7–4. They played there in the following games:
| Date | Winning Team | Result | Losing Team | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| November 28, 1974 | #10Penn State | 31-10 | #18Pitt Panthers | 48,895 |
| November 22, 1975 | #10Penn State | 7-6 | #17Pitt Panthers | 46,846 |
| November 26, 1976 | #1Pitt Panthers | 24-7 | Penn State | 50,250 |
| September 9, 1982 | #1Pitt Panthers | 7-6 | #5North 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 |
Three Rivers Stadium opened on July 16, 1970, but the Pirates lost 3–2 to theCincinnati Reds in front of 48,846 spectators.[35][66] The first pitch was thrown byDock Ellis—a strike—toTy Cline.[67] The first hit in the stadium was by Pittsburgh'sRichie Hebner, in the bottom of the first inning.[67] The Pirates lifted their televisionblackout policy for home games so that local fans could see the inaugural game.[68] The Pirates' lowest season of attendance was1985, at an average of 9,085.[69] The average attendance would peak in 1991, when the Pirates averaged 25,498 per game.[69] Game one of the1970 NLCS, at Three Rivers Stadium, was the first postseason baseball game to be played on an artificial surface.[14] The following season, the Pirates advanced to theWorld Series against theBaltimore 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.[14] Pittsburgh hosted its thirdAll-Star Game in1974. The National League wonthe game 7–2 and the Pirates'Ken Brett was the winning pitcher.[70] 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 in1994. With 59,568 in attendance, the largest crowd to ever attend a baseball game at the stadium,[35] the National League won 8–7 in the tenth inning. On July 6,1980, the Pirates beat theChicago 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, whenJeff 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.[71] On September 30, 1972, Pirates' right-fielderRoberto Clemente got his3,000th hit at Three Rivers Stadium, three months before his death.[14]
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, whileBob Robertson,Bobby Bonilla,Devon White,Greg Luzinski,Glenallen Hill,Howard Johnson, andMark Whiten (his home run struck the facade) hit one each.[72]
On July 12, 1997, the Pirates defeated theHouston 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 inMajor League Baseball history byFrancisco Cordova andRicardo Rincon.
It was at this venue in 1998 whereSammy Sosa hit his Cub-franchise record 57th homer of the season, bestingHack Wilson, whose record stood for 68 years.
"No matter what happens, when they tear Three Rivers down, a monument ought to be built there. Even if they end up building a hockey rink there, they should put some kind of a monument to that area where the Immaculate Reception took place."
The Pittsburgh Steelers played their first game in Three Rivers Stadium on September 20,1970—a 19–7 loss to theHouston Oilers.[36] 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.[74] The largest attendance for a football game was the 1994 AFC Championship Game on January 15, 1995, when 61,545 spectators witnessed theSteelers lose to theSan Diego Chargers.[36] On December 23, 1972, Three Rivers Stadium was site to theImmaculate Reception, which became regarded as one of the greatest plays in NFL history.[73] Three Rivers Stadium hosted sevenAFC Championship Games from 1972 to 1997;[36][75] the Steelers won four.[76] In the1995 AFC Championship Game, theSteelers'Randy Fuller deflected aHail Mary pass intended forIndianapolis Colts receiverAaron Bailey as time expired, to send the franchise toSuper Bowl XXX.[75] A Steelers symbol recognized worldwide, theTerrible Towel debuted on December 27, 1975, at Three Rivers Stadium. The Steelers would move toHeinz Field after it was closed.[77]
| Events and tenants | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Home of thePittsburgh Pirates 1970 – 2000 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Home of thePittsburgh Steelers 1970 – 2000 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Home of thePittsburgh Panthers 2000 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Host of theMLB All-Star Game 1974 1994 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Host ofAFC Championship Game 1973 1976 1979–1980 1995–1996 1998 | Succeeded by |
Former stadiums of the National Football League | |
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| Early era: 1920–1940 |
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| Post-war and pre-merger era: 1941–1969 |
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| Current era: 1970–present |
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| Stadiums used by NFL teams temporarily |
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†= Team's stadium under construction or refurbishment at time | |
Authority control databases: Geographic |
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