Forbes Field
A Borrowed Diamond for Black and Gold: Steelers’ Wartime Stand at Forbes Field.
Forbes Field was a historic baseball stadium located in the Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh, serving as the home of the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1909 until 1970. While primarily known as the birthplace of baseball legends like Roberto Clemente and Honus Wagner, it holds a unique place in Steelers lore as the temporary home of the franchise during World War II.
During the war years, specifically in 1943 and part of 1944, the Steelers shared Forbes Field with the Pirates due to severe player shortages and facility constraints across the league. This era, encompassing the 'Steagles' merger season, saw the team play select games in this iconic brick-and-steel structure before eventually finding a permanent footing at purpose-built venues like Three Rivers Stadium.
- Primary Sport
- Baseball (Pittsburgh Pirates)
- Secondary Use
- American Football (Pittsburgh Steelers - WWII era)
- Location
- Oakland, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Steelers Tenure
- 1943-1944 (Intermittent)
- Status
- Demolished (1971)
- Legacy
- Home of the 'Steagles' merger games
Lore & Background
Forbes Field stands as a monument to Pittsburgh's sporting resilience, constructed in 1909 with a distinctive reinforced concrete design that set the standard for modern architecture. For the Steelers, its significance is rooted in the tumultuous years of the early 1940s when the NFL saw teams merge just to survive. The stadium’s vast outfield dimensions and towering left-field wall provided an unusual backdrop for gridiron action, forcing players to adapt their game to a space designed for baseball.
While the Steelers would eventually move to larger, purpose-built venues like Three Rivers Stadium in 1970, their time at Forbes Field represents a critical chapter of adaptation. The structure itself was demolished in 1971, but its concrete outfield wall remains preserved as part of the University of Pittsburgh campus, standing as a silent witness to both baseball's golden age and football's struggle for survival.
In Their Own Story
The fog rolled off the Monongahela, settling low over the Oakland neighborhood. It was November 1943, and the air smelled of damp wool and coal smoke rather than fresh-cut grass. On the field at Forbes Field, a group of men in Steelers jerseys—some missing teammates to the front lines, others playing on borrowed time—huddled near the third-base line. The grandstands were thin with fans, many seats empty due to rationing and travel restrictions. A player kicked a football toward the distant left-field wall, the leather thud echoing off the brick facade that had once witnessed Babe Ruth's home runs. There was no roar of the crowd, only the disciplined clatter of cleats on the warning track. In this borrowed cathedral of baseball, the Steelers fought not for a championship, but simply to keep the spirit of Pittsburgh alive.
Reader's Guide
For supporters of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Forbes Field represents a poignant chapter of resilience during the darkest days of World War II. While it was never the team's permanent home like Three Rivers or Acrisure Stadium, its role in hosting the franchise's wartime games is etched into the franchise's history. Fans visiting Pittsburgh today can view the iconic left-field wall preserved on the University of Pittsburgh campus near Schenley Park. It serves as a tangible link to the era when the team fought to keep their identity alive amidst global conflict.
Did You Know?
- Forbes Field was one of the first stadiums built with reinforced concrete and steel, revolutionizing sports architecture in 1909.
- During the 1943 'Steagles' merger season, the Steelers played home games at Forbes Field to compensate for wartime roster shortages.
- The legendary left-field wall still stands today on the University of Pittsburgh campus, accessible to fans as a historic landmark.
- Forbes Field hosted its final baseball game in 1970, closing an era that spanned over six decades.