Thursday, October 23, 2008
Old Ballparks' Exact Positioning, Volume Whatever +2: Forbes Field
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Pittsburgh's Forbes Field was tough. The wall from left-center to right still stands, and then a brick line on the sidewalk shows where the wall was from the left field foul pole out to almost center field. I found the brick line (see Street View here), though the wall is obscured by trees. From there I measured the distances back to home plate, and added in the grandstand. Forbes Field seems like it was really cool. Here's a good shot of it (also with someone's drawing over it!). There's also a famous shot of kids watching the game from high above the park (pic #19 in this gallery).
This is a good aerial shot, to compare to the modern map. You can see all the trees that were out beyond center field, still there today. And that fountain, out beyond left-center. Home plate still exists, in a building, though its position is a little off to avoid it being in a bathroom.
(Note: On the map, where it says "Forbes Field," that's referring to the Little League field whose diamond you see. But it also says "Forbes Field" if you zoom in to where I show the old park being.)
Labels: old ballpark locations
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Can't believe I missed this post the other day. As I've probably mentioned about 25 times in comments already, I went to grad school in Pittsburgh in the late 80's (Carnegie Mellon) and lived about 1.5 miles away from where Forbes Field was (at this location: http://maps.google.com/maps?client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&hl=en&q=5550%20fifth%20avenue%20pittsburgh%20pa&gbv=2&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=il) I can't believe after 20 years I can still remember that address. If Forbes Field had still existed, I might have staying in Pittsburgh after graduation. Home Plate is still there, in the lobby of the University of Pittsburgh student union; I stood on it a few times. The portion of the left field wall where Mazeroski's walk off homer cleared the fence is, as you note, still there and marked with a plaque; I think somewhere I have a picture of me doing my imitation of Yogi Berra watching it go over.
In that first linked pic, the brick building beyond the trees in left field is the Carnegie Museum. That's Schenley Park beyond the center field fence, and in the distance beyond that is the Carnegie Mellon campus.
In that first linked pic, the brick building beyond the trees in left field is the Carnegie Museum. That's Schenley Park beyond the center field fence, and in the distance beyond that is the Carnegie Mellon campus.
Ok, a bit more fun with my old Pittsburgh stomping grounds. They used to film Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood right by Forbes Field and the Pitt campus, and right down the street from my apartment:
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=4802+Fifth+Avenue+Pittsburgh+PA+15213&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=34.259599,56.601563&ie=UTF8&ll=40.451535,-79.944248&spn=0.008034,0.013819&z=16&layer=c&cbll=40.447257,-79.944638&panoid=s-7kp01e3es3abV_R1X5MQ&cbp=1,181.98115680245883,,0,5
Also, Fred Rogers himself used to live right across the street from the building I went to grad school in:
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=5070+frew+street+Pittsburgh+PA+15213&sll=40.440686,-79.941368&sspn=0.001004,0.002747&layer=c&ie=UTF8&ll=40.44039,-79.94177&spn=0.002009,0.003455&t=h&z=18&cbll=40.440182,-79.941089&panoid=jr8iLKHpLlEK9y9JWj4bWg
Pretty sure that's the right street address, I know he lived in the brick high rise. So, we actually were his neighbors...
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=4802+Fifth+Avenue+Pittsburgh+PA+15213&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=34.259599,56.601563&ie=UTF8&ll=40.451535,-79.944248&spn=0.008034,0.013819&z=16&layer=c&cbll=40.447257,-79.944638&panoid=s-7kp01e3es3abV_R1X5MQ&cbp=1,181.98115680245883,,0,5
Also, Fred Rogers himself used to live right across the street from the building I went to grad school in:
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=5070+frew+street+Pittsburgh+PA+15213&sll=40.440686,-79.941368&sspn=0.001004,0.002747&layer=c&ie=UTF8&ll=40.44039,-79.94177&spn=0.002009,0.003455&t=h&z=18&cbll=40.440182,-79.941089&panoid=jr8iLKHpLlEK9y9JWj4bWg
Pretty sure that's the right street address, I know he lived in the brick high rise. So, we actually were his neighbors...
wow, you lived in Mr Rogers' Neighborhood, nice. Thanks for all this Forbes/Fred info.
That's a crazy garden at that Tepper School in the last link.
That's a crazy garden at that Tepper School in the last link.
Hey, do you know how to do link tags? I'll tell anyone who doesn't:
Type the right facing pac-man (less than), followed by a href="http://whatever.com" (left pac-man)whatevertextyouwant(right pac man)/a followed by the left facing pac man.
And if you can't remember that, you can go to tinyurl.com and it will tell you how to turn your long url into a tiny one.
Type the right facing pac-man (less than), followed by a href="http://whatever.com" (left pac-man)whatevertextyouwant(right pac man)/a followed by the left facing pac man.
And if you can't remember that, you can go to tinyurl.com and it will tell you how to turn your long url into a tiny one.
Yeah, the Tepper School is where I took classes and graduated from. Back in my day, it was a much smaller building, and that garden didn't exist. On the other side of the garden is the drama school, with many famous alumni such as Jack Klugman, Ted Danson, Holly Hunter, Frank 'Riddler' Gorshin, and the dude who plays Skylar on Heroes. Pee Wee Herman applied to the drama school, but didn't get accepted.
Thanks for the link instructions...have to see if I can follow them.
Thanks for the link instructions...have to see if I can follow them.
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