In 1995, when the Pirates were three seasons into their twenty year losing streak and playing at a decaying Three Rivers Stadium, while PNC Park was barely a gleam in Mayor Tom Murphy's eye, a group of Pittsburgh Chapter SABR members set about the task of determining the exact location of home plate of long gone and pretty much forgotten Exposition Park, where the Pirates played their home games from 1890 to 1909. (Disclaimer: This was before I became a member of SABR, so I can take absolutely no credit for this.) I wrote about this little venture back in October 2016, and you can reference it here:
Home plate was located, and it sits in a parking lot at the corner of General Robinson Street and Tony Dorsett Way. As noted in that 2016 post, the spot was commemorated by this vinyl marker:
Well, weather, traffic, and, most likely, snow plows got the best of that marker, and in less than a year it was gone, and only a faint outline of yellow paint marked the hallowed spot.
Thus began a quest, or, rather, the continuation of a quest by my friend Len Martin, one of those SABR guys who located the spot back in 1995, to make sure that this spot was permanently marked and would stand forever. Len designed and commissioned a stainless steel home plate, initiated a Go Fund Me campaign to finance it (59 people donated $2,630 towards this effort), and on Tuesday, December 18, the Home Plate pictured at the top of this post was installed. After allowing 24 hours for the concrete to set and having finishing touches applied to the concrete, the marker was unveiled on Thursday, December 20.
None of this would have happened of not for the efforts, the passion, and the sheer determination of Len Martin. It was Len who took it upon himself to make sure that this project didn't just die when that home plate was spray painted onto a Three Rivers Stadium parking lot in 1995. It was Len who enlisted the assistance of the Heinz History Center (and thank you, Craig Britcher!) in these efforts, Len who designed the home plate marker, and, most importantly, Len who met with and secured the cooperation and approval of Pittsburgh parking magnate Merrill Stabile, who owns the parking lot.
So, CONGRATULATIONS and big kudos to Len.
Why do something to remember a ball park that has been gone for over 100 years? Well, if you respect history, why NOT do something like this? Marking the spot where Honus Wagner stood at the plate and faced Cy Young in the first modern World Series in 1903, may not be as important as, say, the spot where Abraham Lincoln delivered his famous address in Gettysburg, but it IS history, and as such, it's pretty important, so I am glad that this was done, and happy to have been involved with this project, however peripherally.
Here are some photos that I took this past Tuesday and Thursday of this event.
The hole is dug!
Len Martin, Jack Becker of AT&T Sports,
Andy Terrick, and Craig Britcher
Look for this story on "Inside Pirates Baseball"
early in the 2019 season!
The progression of the pouring of the concrete
and setting of the marker.
Awaiting the unveiling!
That's Pirates president Frank Coonelly in the gray suit.
Our pal John Sebastian (green jacket) joined us that day.
That's Len Martin wearing the Pirates cap.
I think Len is negotiating with Frank for
a lifetime free parking pass to all PNC Park events.
Play Ball!!
Nice historical summary and report of this event. Bravo.
ReplyDeleteVery nice writeup. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteWHO'S ON FIRST?
ReplyDeleteWHO'S ON FIRST?
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