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97-478: At the start of the 20th century, city and county officials began to realize that the current structure which housed the city and county government offices was insufficient for the city's rapid growth. The offices at that time were located in the Smithfield Street City Hall building, which was built in 1868-1872. The demand for new offices grew exponentially with the incorporation of Allegheny City into

194-409: A "Greater Pittsburg" in a special election held on June 12, 1906 and was effected on December 9, 1907, in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court 's landmark decision Hunter v. City of Pittsburgh handed down on November 19 that year. It was approved by the federal government in 1911. The annexation was controversial at the time, as an overwhelming majority of Allegheny City residents were opposed to

291-523: A bus garage. By the middle of the 19th century, the "Made in Allegheny" label could be found not only on basic iron but on rope, plows, cotton cloth, wool, food, paper, paint, steam engines, wagons and carts, meat, soap, candles, lumber, linseed oil, furniture and a host of other diversified products. Railroad lines were built along the north side of the Allegheny for the Pittsburgh, Fort Wayne and Chicago and

388-560: A few years, the nickname caught on with Pittsburgh newspapers. The nickname was first acknowledged on the team's uniforms in 1912. After almost two decades of mediocre baseball, the Pirates' fortunes began to change at the turn of the 20th century. The Pirates acquired several star players from the Louisville Colonels , who were slated for elimination when the N.L. contracted from 12 to 8 teams. (The franchises did not formally consolidate;

485-469: A gold "P" returned in 1987 and has been the team's primary cap ever since. After Kevin McClatchy purchased the team in 1996, the Pirates added a third jersey and utilized red as an accent color, including red brims on the team's caps. A sleeveless white jersey with pinstripes was worn as an alternate home jersey from 2005 to 2010, and a red alternate jersey was added for the 2007 and 2008 seasons. In 2009 ,

582-480: A home, away, two alternate uniforms and a City Connect uniform. The Pirates continued to wear the camo cap on occasion with the home white uniform. They also unveiled their City Connect uniform, featuring a gold top and black pants with a gold "P" cap with black brim. The jersey itself features the abbreviation of Pittsburgh "PGH". A closer look of the jersey feature the Three Elements. The inverted "Y", representing

679-550: A look, but it quickly became popular throughout the league, and the pullover style would become the prominent look of 1970s and 1980s baseball. The Pirates ditched the pullover style in favor of the traditional button-down style in 1991, one of the last teams to switch. In 1976, the National League celebrated its 100th anniversary. To coincide with it, certain NL teams wore old-style pillbox hats complete with horizontal pinstripes . After

776-455: A new, baseball-only stadium was constructed. The Pirates played their final game at Three Rivers on October 1, 2000, and the stadium was demolished the following winter. The site is currently occupied by parking lots and Stage AE , although one of the stadium's entrance markers remains standing near Acrisure Stadium . In 2012, members of the Society for American Baseball Research marked and painted

873-448: A pinstripe jersey that had "Pirates" running vertically down the placket. The team's name would not appear on the club's uniforms again until they were added to the road uniforms in 1933, this time written horizontally in a more ornate style. An image of a pirate's head appeared on the home and road jerseys for the 1940 and 1941 seasons (this image would be reused for the team's logo in the 1980s and 1990s), and "Pittsburgh" first appeared on

970-455: A plan by John Redick . The lots were sold in Philadelphia by Pennsylvania 's state government or given as payment to Revolutionary War veterans. It was incorporated as a borough in 1828 and as a city in 1840. Prior to the 1850s, most of the area was still largely farmland, but was subdivided into residential lots, first for the growing German population and later for Croat immigrants. It

1067-435: A re-colored bandana, yellow to match the theme of the jersey, and is worn with a black cap featuring the "P" logo outlined in black and yellow. In addition to these road uniforms, the Pirates continue to wear their white uniforms, the black alternate with the gold "P", and the camo alternate for games played at PNC Park. In 2023, the Pirates retired the camo home alternate to comply with the new "4+1" rule, restricting teams to

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1164-552: A remarkably deep pitching staff, brought the Pirates back to relevance in the 1920s. The Pirates won their second title in 1925 , becoming the first team to come back from a 3–1 deficit in the World Series. The Pirates returned to the World Series in 1927 but were swept by the Murderer's Row Yankees . The Pirates remained a competitive team through the 1930s but failed to win the pennant, coming closest in 1938 when they were passed by

1261-445: A white set with black-and-gold pinstripes. The pants, tops and caps could all be worn interchangeably for different looks; the Pirates wore four different uniform combinations in the 1979 World Series . The pinstripes came off the white uniforms in 1980, but the Pirates continued to utilize the three uniform set until the 1985 season, when the team returned to the straightforward home whites/road grays combination. The solid black cap with

1358-409: Is also the third oldest stadium currently used by a major league team after Fenway Park , built in 1912, and Wrigley Field , built in 1914. Built in a Florida Spanish Mission style, LECOM Park underwent two major renovations in 1993 and 2008, the latter of which added lights. The park was formerly named "McKechnie Field," for Bradenton resident and Baseball Hall of Fame great Bill McKechnie , who led

1455-478: Is also unique in that most of the furniture was designed by the building's architect, Hornbostel. The Office of the Mayor, Council Chamber, and Supreme Court Room all feature 1917 furniture still in use today. On the seventh floor of the building is a massive mural completed in 1940 entitled "Justice" by award-winning artist Harry Scheuch . Pittsburgh Pirates great and future Hall of Famer Honus Wagner helped promote

1552-518: Is remembered for several famous home runs: the final three homers of Babe Ruth 's career on May 25, 1935 and Bill Mazeroski's championship-winning blast in Game 7 of the 1960 World Series . The park also hosted football games for the Pittsburgh Steelers and University of Pittsburgh "Pitt" Panthers . Located in a sparsely populated area of the city when it opened in 1909, by the 1960s Forbes Field

1649-409: The 2018 season , now white with camo green wordmarks, numbers, piping, and patches. Ahead of the 2020 season , the Pirates revived the script "Pittsburgh" wordmarks on their gray road and new black alternate road jerseys, which were unveiled on January 24, 2020. Script wordmarks had previously been seen on the road jerseys from 1990 until 2000. The alternate road jersey also features a Pirate wearing

1746-584: The Allegheny River from Pittsburgh. The team joined the minor league International Association in 1877, only to fold the following season. On October 15, 1881, Denny McKnight held a meeting at Pittsburgh's St. Clair Hotel to organize a new Allegheny club, which began play in 1882 as a founding member of the American Association . Chartered as the Allegheny Base Ball Club of Pittsburgh,

1843-630: The Carnegie Free Library of Allegheny in Allegheny City. St. Anthony Chapel Built on Troy Hill between 1880 & 1892 by Father Suitbert Mollinger, the chapel houses the largest collection of religious relics outside of the Vatican and features life sized Stations of the Cross statues. Allegheny was the location of Exposition Park and Recreation Park , which were the earliest home fields of

1940-513: The Chicago Cubs in the final week of the season . Despite the prowess of Ralph Kiner as a slugger, the Pirates were mostly miserable in the 1940s and 1950s. Branch Rickey was brought in to rebuild the team, which returned to the World Series in 1960 . They were outscored over the course of the series by the Yankees , yet the Pirates won on a walk-off home run by Bill Mazeroski in the bottom of

2037-861: The Cleveland Guardians stems from the close proximity of both cities, and features some carryover elements from the longstanding rivalry in the National Football League between the Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers . Because the Guardians' designated interleague rival is the Reds and the Pirates' designated rival is the Tigers, the teams have only played periodically. The teams played one three-game series each year from 1997 to 2001 and periodically between 2002 and 2022, generally only in years in which

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2134-519: The Detroit Tigers . While the Pirates and Tigers only became "natural rivals" because the other AL and NL Central teams were already paired up, it has become popular with fans of both teams, possibly due to the rivalry between the National Hockey League 's Detroit Red Wings and Pittsburgh Penguins . The two teams have several other connections as well. The Tigers' AA Minor League affiliate,

2231-535: The Milwaukee Brewers for a Wild Card spot in 2014 and faced off against the Chicago Cubs in the 2015 National League Wild Card Game . The Cubs were major rivals for the Pirates earlier in their history, as both were among the best teams in baseball in the early 1900s and the Cubs eliminated the Pirates from the pennant race in the last week of the 1938 season . The Pirates play an annual interleague series against

2328-531: The National Register of Historic Places in 2004. The Teutonia Männerchor is a private membership club with the purpose of furthering choral singing, German cultural traditions and good fellowship. The club features a number of heritage activities and celebrations, including choral singing in German and folk dancing. The Priory is the name for two historic landmarks – the 1852 St. Mary's German Catholic Church and

2425-824: The Old Post Office Building , and the Buhl Planetarium buildings were not demolished. Major portions of the neighborhoods of Allegheny West , Manchester , Central Northside , California-Kirkbride ( Old Allegheny Rows ), and East Allegheny are listed on the National Register of Historic Places , including the Mexican War Streets in Central Northside. Allegheny was an industrial city and had numerous commercial areas, churches, and social organizations, packing houses, tanneries, soap factories and glue factories that provided opportunities for employment to

2522-640: The Pittsburgh Pirates professional baseball team (founded as the Allegheny Base Ball Club). On the North Side of Pittsburgh today are PNC Park , home of the Pittsburgh Pirates, and Acrisure Stadium (formerly Heinz Field), home of the Pittsburgh Steelers . These facilities replaced Three Rivers Stadium , which was the shared home of both teams. The Felix Brunot mansion on Stockton Avenue

2619-571: The Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad railroads in Allegheny. When workers in Pittsburgh struck against the Pennsylvania Railroad after wage cuts in July 1877, railroad workers on these lines also went on strike. The Teutonia Männerchor Hall in the East Allegheny (Deutschtown) neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, is a building constructed in 1888. It was listed on

2716-564: The Players' League 's Pittsburgh Burghers . The Players' League collapsed after the season, and the players were allowed to go back to their old clubs. However, the Alleghenys also scooped up highly regarded second baseman Lou Bierbauer , who had previously played with the A.A.'s Philadelphia Athletics . Although the Athletics had failed to include Bierbauer on their reserve list, they loudly protested

2813-599: The Wild Card Game . They were eliminated in five games in the next round by the St. Louis Cardinals . That season, the Pirates also became the seventh MLB team to reach 10,000 all-time wins. On Opening Day 2015 the Pirates' loss was the team's 10,000th making the Pirates the fourth MLB team to achieve this distinction, following the Philadelphia Phillies , Atlanta Braves , and the Chicago Cubs . The Pirates returned to

2910-419: The first modern World Series ever played in 1903 but by the end of the decade the wooden structure was too small for the Pirates' growing fanbase. Exposition Park hosted several minor league teams before being razed prior to 1920. The site is currently occupied by a parking lot and several restaurants, although a historical marker near the intersection of West Gen. Robinson Street and Tony Dorsett Drive notes it

3007-669: The home plate and first base of the former stadium on the 40th Anniversary of Roberto Clemente's 3,000th hit. Since 1969, the Pirates have held Spring Training at LECOM Park in Bradenton, Florida , which is also used for the Pirates' minor league team, the Bradenton Marauders . Constructed in 1923, LECOM Park is the oldest stadium still in use for Spring Training and the second-oldest minor league park, behind only Jackie Robinson Ballpark in Daytona Beach , which dates to 1914. It

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3104-467: The inaugural World Series in 1903 and winning their first title in 1909 behind Honus Wagner . The Pirates took part in arguably the most famous World Series ending, winning the 1960 World Series against the New York Yankees on a walk-off home run by Bill Mazeroski , the only time that Game 7 of the World Series has ever ended with a home run. They won again in 1971 behind Roberto Clemente ,

3201-673: The 1922 film In the Name of the Law by catching baseballs thrown off the roof of City Hall. Mayor Magee and the City Hall were featured in 1924's Fording the Lincoln Highway . 1992's Lorenzo's Oil used the building to shoot scenes depicting Johns Hopkins Hospital. Many scenes of the Bruce Willis and Sarah Jessica Parker 1993 police drama Striking Distance were filmed both inside and on

3298-562: The 1980s and returned to post-season play in the early 1990s behind young players like Barry Bonds , Bobby Bonilla , and Doug Drabek . The Pirates won three straight division titles from 1990 to 1992 but lost in the National League Championship Series each time, notably coming within one out of advancing to the World Series in 1992 . Several of the team's best players, including Bonds and Drabek, left as free agents after that season. With salaries rising across baseball,

3395-529: The 2010s, the two teams frequently hit each other with pitches , occasionally resulting in brawls. From 2013 to 2015, the Pirates battled with the St. Louis Cardinals for the Central Division title, with the Cardinals narrowly winning the division each year. The two teams faced off in the 2013 National League Division Series , which the Cardinals won in five games. The Pirates had a contentious battle with

3492-491: The 2013 National League Wild Card Game. The Pirates additionally posted a losing record in 20 consecutive seasons from 1993 to 2012 , a record streak in both MLB and the four major North American professional sports leagues. The Pirates currently have the fifth-longest World Series championship drought, the longest pennant drought in the National League, and the longest League Championship Series appearance and division championship drought in all of baseball. From 1882 to 2024,

3589-414: The 9th inning in Game 7. As of 2022, it is the only Game 7 walk-off home run in World Series history. Led by right fielder Roberto Clemente , the Pirates remained a strong team throughout the 1960s but did not return to the World Series until 1971 . Playing in the new Three Rivers Stadium , the Pirates defeated the favored Baltimore Orioles behind Clemente's hitting and the pitching of Steve Blass . In

3686-402: The Alleghenys' move. In an official complaint, an AA official claimed the Alleghenys' signing of Bierbauer was "piratical". This incident quickly accelerated into a schism between the leagues that contributed to the demise of the A.A. Although the Alleghenys were never found guilty of wrongdoing, their allegedly "piratical" act gained them the occasional nickname "Pirates" starting in 1891. Within

3783-519: The City of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County approving a joint venture to purchase the land and both occupy the new building. The architect for the new building was to be chosen through a competition, only accepting architects residing and doing business within Allegheny County. Regional favoritism was used in the building's construction as well, as in 1914 Mayor Joseph Armstrong claimed that all material for

3880-553: The City of Pittsburgh in 1907, which added 130,000 new residents to the city. In 1909 plans for a new City Hall began. Mayor William A. McGee proposed selling the current offices in the Smithfield Street City Hall and the Public Safety building, and using these funds to buy the Allegheny County Courthouse and use it as the space for construction of a new City Hall. By 1912 the plans moved forward substantially with both

3977-546: The Erie SeaWolves, located near Pittsburgh, is a former affiliate of the Pirates and has retained the logo of a wolf wearing a pirate bandanna and eye patch. Additionally, Jim Leyland, former manager of both the Pirates (1986–1996) and the Tigers (2005–2013), remains popular in Pittsburgh where he resides. The Pirates led the regular-season series, 36–29. The two teams played in the 1909 World Series . An on-and-off rivalry with

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4074-610: The Grant Street entrance to the building. Most notable is the nighttime scene of Dennis Farina 's supervisor character arguing with Willis' "Tom Hardy" over the "Polish Hill" documents. Scenes of the 1997–98 Superman remake Superman Lives were slated to be filmed in the building's "crystal palace" grand mezzanine and serving as Daily Planet offices but production was delayed by Warner Brothers . [REDACTED] Media related to Pittsburgh City-County Building at Wikimedia Commons Allegheny, Pennsylvania Allegheny City

4171-435: The Pirates began wearing an alternate black jersey with a gold "P" at both home and on the road. From 2013 to 2019, the Pirates wore throwback uniforms for Sunday home games: the early 70s pullover uniforms from 2013 to 2015, and the gold top/black pants from the late 70s from 2016 to 2019. Since the 2015 season , the Pirates have worn an alternate camo jersey for select home games. The camouflage alternates were updated for

4268-479: The Pirates have an overall record of 10,839–10,819–140 (.500 winning 'percentage'). The Pirates are also often referred to as the "Bucs" or the "Buccos" (derived from buccaneer , a synonym for pirate ). Since 2001 the team has played its home games at PNC Park , a 39,000-seat stadium along the Allegheny River in Pittsburgh's North Side . The Pirates previously played at Forbes Field from 1909 to 1970 and at Three Rivers Stadium from 1970 to 2000. Since 1948

4365-410: The Pirates helped popularize the look. Coinciding with the move into Three Rivers Stadium in 1970, the team switched to a darker shade of gold and changed their caps from black to gold with a black brim; they also introduced pullover nylon/cotton jerseys and beltless pants as part of their new uniform set (later to become polyester doubleknit). The Pirates became the first team in baseball to sport such

4462-566: The Pirates in 1925 ; since 2017 it has been named for the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine , which has its main campus in Erie, Pennsylvania , and also a campus in Bradenton. Pirate City , the site of the Pirates' Spring Training complex, is located a few miles east of LECOM Park. The Pirates have had many uniforms and logo changes over the years, with the only consistency being the "P" on

4559-574: The Pirates' colors have been black, gold and white, derived from the flag of Pittsburgh and matching the other major professional sports teams in Pittsburgh, the Steelers and the Penguins . Professional baseball in the Pittsburgh area began in 1876 with the organization of the Allegheny Base Ball Club , an independent (non-league) club based in a then-separate city called Allegheny City , across

4656-467: The Pittsburgh Pirates entered the NL in 1887, four years after the Phillies. The Phillies and the Pirates remained together after the National League split into two divisions in 1969. During the period of two-division play (1969–1993), the two National League East division rivals won the two highest numbers of division championships, reigning almost exclusively as NL East champions in the 1970s and again in

4753-517: The Seals of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County, frontiersman Guyasuta, and Pittsburgh's oldest surviving building, the Fort Pitt Blockhouse. The room's ornate elevator doors feature a series of reliefs detailing the previous homes of municipal government. The reliefs age with the buildings they clutch, reaching adulthood with the present City-County Building and Allegheny County Courthouse. The building

4850-492: The Steelers. Like other multi-purpose stadiums popular at the time, Three Rivers featured extensive box seats, a turf playing field, and moveable seating sections to accommodate both football and baseball. Three Rivers ended up being much better suited for the former than the latter, and the Pirates struggled to draw fans despite their on-field success in the 1970s. By the 1990s, the Pirates were threatening to leave Pittsburgh unless

4947-576: The University of Pittsburgh for education, astronomical research, and public lectures and tours. Pittsburgh Pirates The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh . The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central Division . Founded as part of the American Association in 1881 under

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5044-456: The World Series in 1909 , defeating the Detroit Tigers for their first-ever world title. That year, the Pirates moved from Exposition Park to one of the first steel and concrete ballparks, Forbes Field . As Wagner aged, the Pirates began to slip down the National League standings in the 1910s, culminating in a disastrous 51–103 record in 1917; however, veteran outfielder Max Carey and young players Pie Traynor and Kiki Cuyler , along with

5141-420: The adjacent 1888 home for Bavarian Benedictine priests and brothers. Once a largely German parish, the church later merged with nearby Italian and Polish congregations. The church and rectory have since closed. The buildings are operated as a banquet hall and a bed-and-breakfast . Although Penn Brewery began in 1987, it is housed in the old Eberhardt & Ober Brewery (1882–1906) buildings. Penn Brewery makes

5238-428: The annexation bill passed into law. Allegheny City residents tried unsuccessfully for years to have the annexation overturned in court. The population of Pittsburgh rose from 321,616 in 1900 to 533,905 in 1910, which included the 132,283 who lived in Allegheny in 1910, when the last separate census of Allegheny was taken. When the two cities were joined, both of the old ward systems were discarded. A new ward system

5335-571: The award-winning Penn Pilsner and a number of other specialty beers. The " tied house " (brewery owned restaurant) features a full German menu and live music. Saint Nicholas Croatian Catholic Church , nestled in the hillside above the Allegheny River, was the first Croatian Church built in the United States. The structure was razed in January 2013. Ridge Avenue, in its heyday between 1890 and 1910,

5432-428: The ballpark cost $ 216 million to construct and is named for Pittsburgh-based PNC Financial Services . PNC Park's listed capacity is 38,747 for baseball, although standing-room only space can accommodate more than 40,000 fans; the biggest crowd in stadium history was the 2015 National League Wild Card Game , when 40,889 fans saw the Cubs defeat the Pirates 4–0. Widely considered to be among the best baseball stadiums in

5529-455: The building occurred with a ceremony on July 6, 1915, with County Commissioner I. K. Campbell striking the first blow with a pick and Joseph G. Armstrong Jr. lifting the first shovel of dirt. Both the pick and the shovel were later silver plated and preserved as mementos in the office of the Mayor . Following significant progress in construction a cornerstone laying ceremony was planned to coincide with

5626-529: The building should come from manufactures who produce and are located in Pittsburgh, and that all labor employed should be obtained or taken from Allegheny County. The plans for the development of the new building even extended to some of the prominent organization within Pittsburgh such as the Carnegie Library , and the Civic Club of Allegheny County who both had plans for space in the new building. Construction

5723-504: The celebration of Pittsburgh's Centennial. On March 26, 1916, the celebration of the 100th anniversary of incorporation was held in Pittsburgh and a parade wound through downtown Pittsburgh ending at a steel-framework of what would become the new City-Council Building. Three cornerstones were laid during the celebration, including one for the City, one for the County, and one for the workers, each of which contained time capsules. The construction on

5820-519: The change did not last beyond that season. Along with the San Francisco Giants , the Pirates are one of two pre-expansion National League teams that completely changed their colors, although red returned as an "accent color" in 1997 and remained until 2009. In the late 1950s, the team adopted sleeveless jerseys. While not an innovation by the team (the honor goes to the Cincinnati Reds ),

5917-479: The city of Allegheny. Robinson, who contrary to some popular tellings did not actually serve in the Mexican War , subdivided his land and named the new streets after the battles and generals (Buena Vista Street, Filson Way, Monterey Street, Palo Alto Street, Resaca Place, Sherman Avenue, Taylor Avenue) of that war. Through his foundation matching fund, Andrew Carnegie contributed to the financing and construction of

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6014-577: The commissioning of Edward B. Lee, a respected Pittsburgh architect, with Palmer, Hornbostel, & Jones as associated architects. The completed design was done by Henry Hornbostel . The building was designed in the Beaux Arts style, with elements of the City Beautiful Movement . The City-County building is a representation of a distinctly American extrapolation of the Beaux Arts mode. Hornbostel

6111-552: The concept of the "White City". The City-County Building was one of Pittsburgh's first attempts at incorporating the City Beautiful Movement into its urban design. Some of the most significant design elements of the building include the Grand Lobby, which is a naturally lit atrium with a 47-foot high barrel-vaulted ceiling. The ceiling is held up by bronze columns crafted by Louis Tiffany Studios. They feature at their bases,

6208-402: The country, several outlets have praised PNC Park for its location, limestone and steel façade, and views of both the action on the field and the Pittsburgh skyline. PNC Park was the first two-deck ballpark to be built in the United States since Milwaukee County Stadium opened in 1953; as a result, fans in the upper deck are closer to the action than at most ballparks, with the highest seat in

6305-402: The early 1990s. The Pirates nine, the Phillies six; together, the two teams' 15 championships accounted for more than half of the 25 NL East championships during that span. After the Pirates moved to the National League Central in 1994, the teams face each other only in two series each year and the rivalry has diminished. However, many fans, especially older ones, retain their dislike for

6402-404: The first Latin-American enshrined in the National Baseball Hall of Fame , and in 1979 under the leadership of Willie Stargell . Since their last World Series in 1979, the Pirates have largely endured a period of great struggle. Since then, they have only had eleven winning seasons, six postseason appearances, three division titles, and have advanced just once in the postseason with a victory in

6499-410: The first-level concourse. PNC Park has a reputation as a pitcher's park, with a deep left field that juts out to more than 410 feet from home plate. Right field is closer, but the wall is 21 feet high, nicknamed the Clemente Wall after former right-fielder Roberto Clemente , who wore number 21. Statutes of Clemente, Willie Stargell , Bill Mazeroski and Honus Wagner are located at several entrances to

6596-454: The merger. Previous Pennsylvania law had directed that a majority of the voters in each merging municipality had to approve an annexation agreement. In 1906, the State Assembly passed a new law that authorized annexations if a majority of the total voters in both combined municipalities approved the merger. The annexation was rejected by the residents of Allegheny City by a 2:1 margin, but was approved by much more populous Pittsburgh residents, and

6693-426: The name Pittsburgh Alleghenys, the club joined the National League in 1887 and was a member of the National League East from 1969 through 1993. The Pirates have won five World Series championships, nine National League pennants , nine National League East division titles and made three appearances in the Wild Card Game . The Pirates were among the best teams in baseball at the start of the 20th century, playing in

6790-412: The new building finished in 1917, and was completed under budget. In April 1917, the City Law Department was the first to switch into the new building, with the rest of the remaining offices allocated by June. The building was nominated in January 2016 to become a City Historic Site by Preservation Pittsburgh . In 1914, a competition was held for a new Pittsburgh City Hall. The 16-entry competition led to

6887-400: The observatory to the Western University of Pennsylvania (now the University of Pittsburgh ) in 1867, after which it was used for astrophysical, solar, and planetary studies. The observatory maintained a successful subscription time service to railroads via telegraph for many years. A new Allegheny Observatory was built between 1900 and 1912 in today's Riverview Park. It is owned and operated by

6984-402: The other team, with regional differences between Eastern and Western Pennsylvania still fueling the rivalry. The Pirates' biggest divisional rival is the Cincinnati Reds , given the two teams' proximity, the carryover of the cities' football rivalry , and the fact that the Reds and Pirates have met six times in the postseason, most recently in the 2013 National League Wild Card Game . In

7081-491: The player acquisitions were separate transactions.) Among those players was Honus Wagner , who would become one of the first players inducted to the Baseball Hall of Fame . The Pirates were among the best teams in baseball in the early 1900s, winning three consecutive National League pennants from 1901 to 1903 and participating in the first modern World Series ever played , which they lost to Boston . The Pirates returned to

7178-532: The postseason in 2014 and 2015 and lost the Wild Card game both times and have not qualified for the playoffs since then. Since 2001, the Pirates have played their home games at PNC Park , located on the banks of the Allegheny River in Pittsburgh's North Side neighborhood. The park was built as a replacement for the aging Three Rivers Stadium , a dual-purpose stadium that had been designed for functionality rather than aesthetics. Funded mainly through taxpayer money,

7275-414: The present Pittsburgh neighborhoods of Allegheny Center , Allegheny West , Brighton Heights , California-Kirkbride , Central Northside , Chateau , East Allegheny , Fineview , Manchester , Marshall-Shadeland , North Shore , Perry South , Spring Hill–City View , and Troy Hill ; most of Perry North ; and parts of Northview Heights and Spring Garden . Allegheny was laid out in 1788 according to

7372-464: The primarily German immigrants who settled there. The H.J. Heinz Company built its factory in Allegheny City, close to the Chestnut Street bridge (this has been replaced by the 16th Street Bridge ). Heyl & Patterson Inc. , a manufacturer of railcar dumpers and ship unloaders, also established a factory in Allegheny City. The surviving structures are now occupied by a furniture warehouse and

7469-486: The road uniforms in 1942. In 1948, the team broke away from the patriotic "Red, White, & Blue" color scheme when they adopted the current black & gold color scheme, to match that of the colors of the Flag of Pittsburgh and, to a lesser extent at the time, the colors of the then-relatively unknown Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League . The Pirates had made a similar change to black and gold in 1924, but

7566-403: The same year on September 1, the Pirates became the first team to field an all-Black and Latino lineup. Despite Clemente's death after the 1972 season, the Pirates were one of the dominant teams of the decade, winning the newly created National League East in 1970 , 1971 , 1972 , 1974 , 1975 , and 1979 . Powered by sluggers such as Willie Stargell , Dave Parker , and Al Oliver , the team

7663-524: The season, the Pirates were the only team to adopt the hats permanently, alternating between a black hat and a gold hat for several seasons. The Pirates switched back to a brighter shade of gold for the 1977 season, and became one of the first teams to wear third jerseys , following the Oakland Athletics . Starting in 1977 , the Pirates had uniform styles which included two different caps and three different uniforms: an all-black set, an all-gold set, and

7760-415: The small-market Pirates struggled to keep pace with the sport and they posted a losing record for 20 consecutive seasons, a record among North American professional sports teams. Even the opening of a new stadium in 2001, PNC Park , did little to change the team's fortunes. The Pirates finally returned to the postseason in 2013 behind National League MVP Andrew McCutchen , defeating the Cincinnati Reds in

7857-399: The stadium 88 feet (27 m) above the playing surface. Fans in the lower deck are also closer to the field: the batter is closer to the seats behind home plate than to the pitcher, and seating along the baselines is 45 feet from the bases at their closest point. A four-level steel rotunda down the left field line offers extensive standing room only space, and action on the field can be seen from

7954-420: The stadium's home plate entrance. The Pirates' first home was Exposition Park , located a couple blocks west of the current location of PNC Park. The Pirates split their early years between that ballpark and Recreation Park , which was located further inland from the flood-prone Allegheny River. The Pirates moved back to Exposition Park for good in 1891, and remained there until the 1909 season. The park hosted

8051-483: The stadium. In addition to hosting Pirate games, PNC Park hosted the 2006 MLB All-Star Game and has been the site of several concerts. PNC Park is located near several major highways and parking is available in the blocks around the ballpark. Fans can also walk to the stadium from downtown Pittsburgh via the Clemente Bridge , or take Pittsburgh Light Rail to the system's North Side station , located just outside

8148-402: The team was listed as "Allegheny" in the standings, and was sometimes called the "Alleghenys" (rarely the "Alleghenies") in that era's custom of referring to a team by its pluralized city or club name. After five mediocre seasons, Pittsburgh became the first A.A. team to switch to the older National League in 1887. Before the 1890 season, almost all of the Alleghenys' best players bolted to

8245-464: The team's cap. Like other teams in Major League Baseball, the Pirates predominantly favored a patriotic red, white and blue color scheme through the first half of the 20th Century. During this time, the Pirates predominantly wore a blue cap, with either a red or white P. The uniforms were plain, often including a simple "P" if anything at all. The team's name was first acknowledged in 1912, with

8342-546: The three rivers that meet in Pittsburgh ( Allegheny , Monongahela , and Ohio ). The astroid, or the diamond shape star represents the famous "Steelmark" logo and the Check or the Checkbox, represents the Seal of Pittsburgh. The rivalry between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Pirates was considered by some to be one of the best rivalries in the National League until 1994. It began when

8439-556: Was a municipality that existed in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania from 1788 until it was annexed by Pittsburgh in 1907. It was located north across the Allegheny River from downtown Pittsburgh , with its southwest border formed by the Ohio River , and is known today as the North Side . The city's waterfront district, along the Allegheny and Ohio rivers, became Pittsburgh's North Shore neighborhood. The area of Allegheny City included

8536-424: Was commonly referred to as "Deutschtown", derived from the German word Deutsch , referring to the language and ethnicity. Allegheny annexed adjoining municipalities such as the boroughs of Manchester, Spring Garden and Duquesne, and the areas that became Brighton Heights, Observatory Hill, Perry Hilltop, Summer Hill, Spring Hill and Troy Hill. The annexation of Allegheny by Pittsburgh began with voting in favor of

8633-457: Was established made up of 27 wards. In the new ward system, Allegheny was divided into wards 21 to 27. Its past territory is easily seen by viewing a map of the city wards. In the 1960s, Pittsburgh undertook a massive urban redevelopment project that demolished the historic core of Allegheny City, leaving only the Commons of Allegheny Center and its surrounding neighborhoods. The Carnegie Library ,

8730-491: Was known as "Millionaires' Row". After 20 years, the area began to decline as some residents moved further out. The entire North Side community began to fray after having been annexed by Pittsburgh in 1907. In the late 19th century, Allegheny became known for its stately homes, occupied by some of the area's wealthy families. One such area became known as The Mexican War Streets. The Mexican War Streets were laid out in 1847 by William Robinson Jr. , who had earlier been mayor of

8827-501: Was known for this architectural style, and architectural historian James Van Trump has stated that Hornbostel kept the principles of the Beaux Arts central with his designs, but also frequently departed from the precepts, and integrated elements of other styles akin to industrially-inspired brutalism . The design of the building was also influenced by the City Beautiful Movement. This movement featured urban planning with soaring Neoclassical buildings, clean and orderly designs, and included

8924-689: Was nicknamed "The Lumber Company." Behind Stargell's leadership and the disco song "We Are Family" (which the team adopted as its theme song), the Pirates came back from a 3–1 deficit to once again defeat the Orioles in the 1979 World Series for the franchise's fifth championship. During the 1979 championship season, a Pittsburgh player was designated as Most Valuable Player in every available category: All-Star Game MVP (Dave Parker), NLCS MVP (Willie Stargell), World Series MVP (Willie Stargell), and National League MVP (Willie Stargell, shared with Keith Hernandez of St. Louis). The Pirates sank back into mediocrity in

9021-605: Was once used as a station on the Underground Railroad . Fugitive slaves from the South stopped here for food and shelter. While Pennsylvania was a free state, many slaves continued to Canada to gain more distance from slavecatchers. The original Allegheny Observatory was built in 1859 near Perrysville Avenue, by prominent Allegheny citizens who formed the Allegheny Telescope Association. The association donated

9118-503: Was postponed for more than a year though as the general contracting firm of W. F. Trimble & Sons filed an injunction claiming that the selection of James L. Stuart as consulting and supervising engineer was done through an improper bidding process. The case was eventually decided by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court and resolved by a legislative act, and development on the building was allowed to continue. The groundbreaking on

9215-407: Was reduced to 35,000 in its later years). Pirates owner Barney Dreyfuss "hated cheap home runs and vowed he'd have none in his park", which led him to design a large playing field for Forbes Field. When a large grandstand was constructed down the right field line in the early 1920s, reducing the distance to 300 feet from home plate, Dreyfuss had a 28-foot screen erected. Despite this, Forbes Field

9312-514: Was surrounded by the University of Pittsburgh campus. The Pirates left the ballpark midway through the 1970 season and the stadium was demolished the following year. Sections of the outfield wall remain standing along Roberto Clemente Drive, and the home plate used in the stadium's final game remains preserved in the University of Pittsburgh's Posvar Hall . The Pirates moved into the multipurpose Three Rivers Stadium in 1970, which they shared with

9409-501: Was the location of the first World Series. In the middle of the 1909 season, the Pirates moved into Forbes Field in Oakland , which would serve as the club's home for the next 61 years. Built at a cost of $ 1 million, the park was the first three-tiered steel-and-concrete ballpark in the nation. Forbes Field was expanded several times over the decades, with capacity almost doubled from its initial 23,000 in 1909 to 41,000 in 1925 (although it

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