The 1896 Pittsburgh Pirates, featuring Louis Bierbauer (2nd row, 2nd from left). It was the
Bierbauer controversy, in 1891, that earned the organization the name "Pirates."

The Pittsburgh Pirates

An "Act of Piracy" it was called after Manager Ed Hanlon signed a loose infielder claimed by the American Association. Thus the Pittsburgh Pirates came into being. The year was 1891, and the Alleghenys, as they had been known, were last in the National League, but improving. In the previous season they had accomplished the distinctive feat of winning 23 games while losing 113.

The Alleghenys were organized in 1876 as the city's first professional baseball club. Five years later they were playing in the new American Association, called the "Beer and Whiskey League" because most of its six teams were backed by liquor distillers. In 1887, they joined the National League and moved into Exposition Park, a former race track on the banks of the Allegheny River.

A Pirates baseball game at Exposition Park, which stood on the North Shore from 1890 to 1915.

The hapless Alleghenys were the league's worst team, always finishing in last place. Then, in 1891, they acquired Louis Bierbauer, the disputed player, and became known around the league as the Pirates. The term stuck and soon was adopted as the team's official name. The alleged theft helped the team to their only winning season of the 19th century, a second place finish in 1893.

The Pittsburgh Pirates and Boston Red Sox at the 1903 World Series. The Pirates lost the series, five games to three.

In 1900, Barney Dreyfuss brought his team up from Louisville and merged with the Pirates. The Pittsburgh franchise became instant winners, claiming National League Pennants from 1901 to 1903. They won Pittsburgh's first World Series title in 1909 and posted winning seasons in the first fourteen years of the 20th century.

  
Honus Wagner and the 1909 Pirates brought the first World Series title home to the City of Pittsburgh.

In the decades that followed, Pittsburgh won five more NL Pennants (1925, 1927, 1960, 1971, 1979) and another four World Series championships. Thirteen Pirates are enshrined in the Baseball Hall of Fame and many other HOF members had affiliations with the club.

The Pittsburgh Pirates Field of Dreams - Front: Bob Friend, Kiki Cuyler, Willie Stargell, Roberto Clemente,
Ralph Kiner and Elroy Face. Back - Fred Clarke, Vernon Law, Paul Waner, Lloyd Waner, Wilbur Cooper,
Honus Wagner, Pie Traynor, Arky Vaughan, Max Carey, Bill Mazeroski and Danny Murtaugh.
The dream venue chosen is Forbes Field, which stood in Oakland from 1909-1970.

Then, after unsuccessful playoff runs in 1990, 1991 and 1992, the storied franchise embarked on a monumental losing streak. From 1993 through 2012, the Pittsburgh Pirates posted losing seasons. The twenty-year slide was the longest of any professional franchise in North American sports history.

During those two decades of depression, the Pirates often resembled the hapless Alleghenys of the late-1800s, and fans worried that the club may have to resort to another act of piracy to somehow climb out of the cellar of despair.

When all seemed lost, Manager Clint Hurdle, Andrew McCutchen and a scrappy group of young ballplayers came together and posted a spectacular 94-68 record in 2013. The Pirates not only broke the losing streak, they earned a playoff spot. After a wild card victory over Cincinnati, the Battling Buccos bowed out to St. Louis in the Divisional Series, three games to two.

The 2013 Pirates ended "The Streak" and brought the winning tradition back to da 'Burgh.

After twenty years of pent-up frustration, the Jolly Roger once again flew with pride over the City of Pittsburgh and the long-dormant Pirate Fever proved to be alive and well. Wild Card playoff appearances followed in 2014 and 2015 before the team fell back into a losing rythym.

Several key players from those winning teams were traded away. After the 2017 season, when management traded pitcher Gerritt Cole and outfielder Andrew McCutchen, fans knew that the long road to recovery had begun again. Who knows what the future holds in store for the Pirate faithful, but one thing is for certain, our beloved Buccos have built quite a fantastic legacy in their 130-plus years as a professional franchise.

The Pirates Mural features Kiki Cuyler, Ralph Kiner, Fred Clarke, Max Carey, Paul Waner, Lloyd Waner, Danny Murtaugh,
Josh Gibson, Arky Vaughn, Willie Stargell, Pie Traynor (kneeling), Bill Mazeroski, Roberto Clemente and Honus Wagner.
The mural is located underneath the Boulevard of the Allies viaduct at Ross Street and Second Avenue.

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Pittsburgh - The City of Champions

So what's in a name? The Pittsburgh Pirates may be synonymous with Major League Baseball, but the legacy of the Pirates of Pittsburgh reaches beyond the baseball diamond and also has roots in two other well-known professional sports.

When modern NFL professional football came to the city on September 20, 1933, the first game was played at Forbes Field in front of 25,000 fans. The final score: New York Giants 23, Pittsburgh Pirates 2. The team, owned by Arthur J. Rooney, changed their name to Steelers in 1940.

Thirty-nine years later, the Pittsburgh Steelers combined with the Pittsburgh Pirates to give the city a new name. After the Pirates won the 1979 MLB championship and the Steelers won the 1979 NFL championship, Pittsburgh became known as the "City of Champions."

"City of Champions" proved a difficult title to hold on to. In the 1980s, the Pirates quickly fell into obscurity and the Steeler's championship years had run their course. In 1991 and 1992, the resurgent Pirates and the Pittsburgh Penguins came close to bringing the prestigious double-title back to the 'Burgh. Mario Lemieux and the Penguins hoisted the Stanley Cup as champions of the NHL after both seasons, but the Pirates fell short of a trip to the World Series in three consecutive playoff appearances.

  
Mario Lemieux of the Penguins was Mr. Hockey in 1992, while former-Pirate Sid Bream, then with the Atlanta Braves,
slides in safely at home plate to defeat Pittsburgh in Game 7 of the 1992 National League championship series.

Then came 2009, the year of Big Ben and Sid the Kid. In February, Ben Roethlisberger led the Steelers to their second Super Bowl championship of the new millenium and sixth overall. The Penguins followed in June when Sidney Crosby and the Comeback Kids brought the Stanley Cup to Pittsburgh for the third time. On June 12, 2009, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, holder of the Lombardi Trophy and the Stanley Cup, was once again dubbed the "City of Champions."

  
Ben Roethlisberger hoists the Lombardi Trophy and Sidney Crosby brings home the Stanley Cup, both in 2009.

History taught us that the official title was as fleeting this time as it was thirty years ago. Like before, it was here and then it was gone. Then, after nearly a decade, Sidney Crosby led the Penguins to two more Stanley Cup Championships in 2017 and 2018, but Big Ben and the Steelers came up short both years in the NFL playoffs, falling in the AFC championship game in 2017 and the divisional playoffs in 2018.

But, when all is said and done, what's really in a name? For those of us who live in the land of Black and Gold, Pittsburgh will ALWAYS be the City of Champions and we're proud of it.

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What's In A Name?
A Final Note On The Pittsburgh Pirates

The Pittsburgh Penguins joined the National Hockey League as an expansion team in 1969. This was not, however, Pittsburgh's first entry in the league. Back in 1925, the City of Pittsburgh became the seventh franchise in the young NHL, which was entering only it's ninth season. The club lasted a mere five seasons before being sold and relocated in 1930. The name of the city's first NHL team was ... The Pittsburgh Pirates!

The NHL Pittsburgh Pirates are shown below on Opening Night, December 2, 1925.

Believe it or not, the Pirate naming saga does not end with the NHL Pirates. In 1907, the Western Pennsylvania Hockey League, the first professional ice hockey league in North America, was in need of two new teams in order to continue as a viable association. One of the teams to enter the league was called the Pittsburgh Lyceum, and the other team was the Pittsburgh Pirates. The franchise competed for only one season.

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History of Pittsburgh Professional Sports Franchises

The City of Pittsburgh has always been a a town with a rich professional sports history. It doesn't matter if the event is baseball, football, hockey or any of a variety of other athletic competitions, Pittsburghers have always rallied to support the home team. Historically, collegiate athletics have always been popular among the home crowd. But, when it comes to professional sports, Steel City fans can take fanaticism to fantastic levels.

The National Pastime

Professional baseball in North America began in 1871. Here in Pittsburgh, athletic clubs formed independant professional teams beginning in 1876. The Pittsburgh Alleghenies Baseball Club was established in October 1881, and became a charter member of the American Association.

In 1887, the team left the A.A. to join the big East Coast cities in the emerging National League. The Alleghenies, would soon changed their name to the Pittsburgh Pirates. They were the City of Pittsburgh's first official professional sports franchise and one of the longest standing clubs in the history of the game.

Birthplace Of Professional Football And Ice Hockey

On a national level, the origin of professional football has its roots right here in Pittsburgh. On November 12, 1892, a player from Chicago and three-time Yale All-American named William "Pudge" Heffelfinger signed a contract, and was paid a $500 bonus, to play in a game for the Allegheny Athletic Association against the Pittsburgh Athletic Club. He was the first footballer to be openly employed to play the game.

The milestone is honored with a plaque near the location of old Recreation Park on the North Side. The teams were members of the Western Pennsylvania Circuit, a loose association of reportedly amateur Athletic Clubs operating in the local area.

After 1892, the member clubs all began the practice of covertly recruiting and signing players to contracts. In 1896, the Allegheny Athletic Club, owned by William Chase, became the first openly professional team. From then on the practice of member clubs paying players became standard, and the league was hence known as the Western Pennsylvania Professional Football League.

           
Pudge Heffelfinger, the first professional football player, and William Chase,
the first sole owner of a professional football team.

The sport of professional ice hockey also has its origin in Pittsburgh. The Western Pennsylvania Hockey League, at the turn the 20th Century, was the first association to openly employ professionals. Pittsburgh was the first city in North America to have an artificial ice surface, located in the Schenley Park Casino. Ice Hockey was later played at the Duquesne Gardens. In 1925, the Pittsburgh Pirates hockey club was granted the seventh franchise in the fledgling National Hockey League.

Another Pittsburgh Professional First

Another little-known first for the city of Pittsburgh was the introduction of sideline cheerleaders to the world of NFL football. The Pittsburgh Steelerettes were formed in 1961 in an effort to prop up sales for the then-struggling franchise. The girls were students at the Robert Morris School of Business. The conservatively-dressed Steelerettes cheered at home games until the group was disbanded in 1970.

Over A Century Of Steel City Sports

Let's face it. Professional sports are big in the 'Burgh, and it's not just baseball, football and hockey. Over the past century-plus, the City has been represented in a number of professional franchises in a variety of sports.

Basketball, soccer, team tennis, lacrosse, roller derby, rugby, roller hockey, women's football and arena football have all seen pro teams here in Pittsburgh. Many of these organizations have lasted only a year or two. Some, like the Pittsburgh Riverhounds soccer club and the Pittsburgh Passion football team, have been around for several years and have prospered.

Over sixty individual professional franchises have been identified as being
from Pittsburgh. This is not an all-inclusive list. There may be more.
These are the teams that we've uncovered so far:

Baseball

Pittsburgh Pirates (1882-present)
Homestead Grays (1912-1950)
Pittsburgh Crawfords (1930-1938)
Pittsburgh Keystones (1922)
Pittsburgh Rebels (1914-1915)
Pittsburgh Stogies (1913)
Pittsburgh Filipinos (1912)
Pittsburgh Burghers (1890)
Pittsburgh Stogies (1884)

Hockey

Pittsburgh Penguins (1967-present)
Pittsburgh Hornets (1961-1967)
Pittsburgh Hornets (1937-1956)
Pittsburgh Yellow Jackets (1935-1937)
Pittsburgh Shamrocks (1935-1936)
Pittsburgh Yellow Jackets (1930-1932)
Pittsburgh Pirates (1925-1930)
Fort Pitt Hornets (1924-1925)
Pittsburgh Yellow Jackets (1915-1925)
Pittsburgh Duquesnes (1908-1909)
Pittsburgh Bankers (1907-1909)
Pittsburgh Lyceum (1907-1909)
Pittsburgh Athletic Club (1907-1909)
Pittsburgh Pirates (1907-1908)
Pittsburgh Professionals (1904-1907)
Pittsburgh Victorias (1902-1904)
Pittsburgh Keystones (1901-1904)
Pittsburgh Bankers (1899-1904)
Western University of Pennsylvania (1896-1900)
Pittsburgh Casino (1896)
Pittsburgh Athletic Club (1896-1904)
Pittsburgh Duquesne (1896-1901)

Football

Pittsburgh Steelers (1945-present)
Pittsburgh Maulers (1984)
Card-Pitt (1944)
Phil-Pitt Steagles (1943)
Pittsburgh Steelers (1940-1942)
Pittsburgh Americans (1936-1937)
Pittsburgh Pirates (1933-1939)
Pittsburgh Lyceum (1906-1910)
Pittsburgh Stars (1902)
Homestead Athletic Club (1895-1901)
Duquesne Country and Athletic Club (1895-1900)
Pittsburgh Athletic Club (1891-1898)
Allegheny Athletic Association (1890-1896)

Basketball

Steel City Yellow Jackets (2014-present)
Pittsburgh Bullets (2011-present)
Pittsburgh Phantoms (2009-2010)
Pittsburgh Xplosion (2005-2008)
Pittsburgh Piranhas (1994-1995)
Pittsburgh Condors (1970-1972)
Pittsburgh Pipers (1969-1970)
Pittsburgh Pipers (1967-1968)
Pittsburgh Rens (1961-1963)
Pittsburgh Ironmen (1946-1947)

Soccer

Pittsburgh Riverhounds (1999-present)
Pittsburgh Stingers (1994-1995)
Pittsburgh Spirit (1978-1986)
Pittsburgh Phantoms (1967)

Arena Football

Pittsburgh Power (2011-2014)
Pittsburgh River Rats (2007)
Pittsburgh Gladiators (1987-1990)

Women's Football

Pittsburgh Passion (2003-present)
Three Rivers Xplosion (2011-present)
Pittsburgh Force (2009-2014)
Steel City Renegades (2010-2011)

Team Tennis

Pittsburgh Triangles (1974-1977)

Semi-Pro Football

Pittsburgh Colts (1979-present)
Pittsburgh Lyceum (1911-1924)
J.P. Rooneys (1921-1932)

Rugby

Pittsburgh Sledgehammers (2011)
Pittsburgh Vipers (2010)

Roller Hockey

Pittsburgh Phantoms (1994)

Roller Derby

Steel City Derby Demons (2006-present)

Lacrosse

Pittsburgh CrosseFire (2000)
Pittsburgh Bulls (1990-1993)

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Pittsburgh Sports Logos Throughout The Years

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Pittsburgh Pirate Baseball Logos Since 1900

Pittsburgh Pirate Alternate Logos Since 1936

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Pittsburgh Penguins Hockey Logos Since 1967

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Pittsburgh Steelers Football Logos Since 1933

During World War II, The Art Rooney and the Pittsburgh Steelers were forced by financial necessity to merge with other teams in order to continue operations. In 1943, the team merged with the Philadelphia Eagles to form a team called the Pittsburgh-Philadelphia Steagles. In 1944, the team merged with the Chicago Cardinals to for a team called Card-Pitt. In 1945, with the war over, the Pittsburgh Steelers once again stood on their own.

The Pittsburgh Steelers and The Steelmark Logo

Regarding logos, while some teams prefer to change their standard every ten years or so, the Pittsburgh Steelers football franchise has only had one logo. The Steelmark was introduced in 1962. Prior to that the team's helmets were solid gold, with no emblem.

The Steelers are the only NFL team that puts its logo on just one side of the helmet (the right side). A year after the introduction of the Steelmark, in 1963, the team switched to black helmets to make their new logo stand out. It's been that way ever since. When you come up with a winner, stick with it!

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Pittsburgh Championship Rings

To the victors go the spoils. Below are images of the championship rings awarded
to the Pittsburgh Pirates, Pittsburgh Penguins and Pittsburgh Steelers
after their title winning seasons. Diamonds and Gold!

Pittsburgh Pirates
(1909, 1925, 1960, 1971, 1979)

Note: The 1925 Pittsburgh Pirates received a championship pin instead of a championship ring.

For a website that shows images of all of the World Series rings over the years.
<www.worldseriesrings.net>

Youtube Videos:
World Series Highlights - 1903
World Series Highlights - 1925
A Look Back At The 1925 World Series
Bill Mazeroski's World Series Winning Homer - 1960
Radio Broadcast - Game 7 - 1960 World Series
Final Three Innings - Game 7 - 1960 World Series
Full Broadcast - Game 7 - 1971 World Series
Full Broadcast - Game 7 - 1979 World Series

The 1909 Pittsburgh Pirates.

  
The 1925 and the 1960 Pittsburgh Pirates.

  
The 1971 and the 1979 Pittsburgh Pirates.

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Pittsburgh Penguins
(1991, 1992, 2009, 2016, 2017)

Youtube Videos:
Full Broadcast - Game 6 - 1991 Stanley Cup Finals
Pittsburgh Penguins 1991-1992 Highlights
Full Broadcast - Game 7 - 2009 Stanley Cup Finals
Full Broadcast - Game 6 - 2016 Stanley Cup Finals
Pittsburgh Penguins 2017 Stanley Cup Champions

  
The 1990/1991 and the 1991/1992 Pittsburgh Penguins.

The 2008/2009 Pittsburgh Penguins.

  
The 2015/2016 and the 2016/2017 Pittsburgh Penguins.

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Pittsburgh Steelers
(1974, 1975, 1978, 1979, 2005, 2008)

For a website that shows images of all of the Super Bowl rings, including
both the rings awarded to the winning team and the losing team.
<www.sports-rings.com>

Youtube Videos:
Franco Harris' Immaculate Reception - 1972
1974 Pittsburgh Steelers Highlights
Pittsburgh Steelers Super Bowl IX Full Game
1975 Pittsburgh Steelers Highlights
Pittsburgh Steelers Super Bowl X Highlights
1978 Pittsburgh Steelers Highlights
Pittsburgh Steelers Super Bowl XIII Full Game
1979 Pittsburgh Steelers Highlights
Pittsburgh Steelers Super Bowl XIV Full Game
Pittsburgh Steelers Super Bowl XL Highlights
Pittsburgh Steelers Super Bowl XLIII Full Game

  
The 1974 and the 1975 Pittsburgh Steelers.

  
The 1978 and the 1979 Pittsburgh Steelers.

  
The 2005 and the 2008 Pittsburgh Steelers.

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Other Pittsburgh Championship Sports Teams

Baseball

Homestead Grays

NNL Champions - 1931, 1937, 1938, 1939,
1940, 1941, 1942, 1943, 1944, 1945, 1948

World Series Champions - 1943, 1944, 1948

  
The 1931 and the 1937 Homestead Grays.

  
The 1939 and the 1942 Homestead Grays.

The 1943 Homestead Grays.

Pittsburgh Crawfords

NNL Champions - 1935, 1936

Pittsburgh Filipinos

USBL Champions - 1913

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Basketball

Pittsburgh Pipers

ABA Champions - 1967/68

The 1967-68 Pittsburgh Pipers, featuring MVP Connie Hawkins.

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Hockey

Pittsburgh Hornets

AHL Calder Cup Champions - 1951/1952,
1954/1955, 1966/1967

The 1951-52 Pittsburgh Hornets.

  
The 1954-55 and the 1966-67 Pittsburgh Hornets.

Pittsburgh Yellow Jackets

USAHA Champions - 1923/1924, 1924/1925

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Women's Football

Pittsburgh Passion

NWFA Champions - 2007; IWFA Champions - 2014, 2015

  
The 2007 and 2014 Pittsburgh Passion, owned by former-Steeler Franco Harris.

The 2015 Pittsburgh Passion, back-to-back IWFL Champions.

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Team Tennis

Pittsburgh Triangles

WTT Champions - 1975

  
The 1975 Pittsburgh Triangles (left); Evonne Goolagong and Coach Vic Edwards hoist the WTT Cup in 1975.
Triangles General Manager Dan McGibbeny stands in the back.

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Western Pennsylvania Hockey League

The original professional hockey league, made up of athletic clubs from Western
Pennsylvania. Players from across North America were contracted to play.
The season title-holder was considered the national champion.

Pittsburgh Bankers

WPHL Champions - 1902/03, 1907/08

The 1907/1908 Pittsburgh Bankers.

Pittsburgh Athletic Club

WPHL Champions - 1898/99, 1899/00, 1900/01

The 1900/1901 Pittsburgh Athletic Club.

Pittsburgh Keystones

WPHL Champions - 1901/1902

The 1901/1902 Pittsburgh Keystones.

Pittsburgh Duquesne

WPHL Champions - 1908/1909

Pittsburgh Victorias

WPHL Champions - 1903/1904

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Western Pennsylvania Professional Football Circuit

The original professional football league, made up of athletic clubs from Western
Pennsylvania. Players from around the country were contracted to play.
The season title-holder was considered the national champion.

Pittsburgh Lyceum

WPPFC Champions - 1907, 1908

Pittsburgh Stars

WPPFC/NFL Champions - 1902

Homestead Athletic Club

WPPFC Champions - 1900, 1901

Duquesne Country and Athletic Club

WPPFC Champions - 1895, 1898, 1899

Pittsburgh Athletic Club

WPPFC Champions - 1891

Allegheny Athletic Association

WPPFC Champions - 1890, 1892, 1894, 1896

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Semi-Pro Football

Pittsburgh Colts

GFL Champions - 2009

J.P. Rooneys

WPSIFC Champions - 1931, 1932

Note: The J.P. Rooneys team was founded in 1921 by Art Rooney, who was a player-coach. Rooney played alongside his two brothers, James and Dan. Originally known as Hope-Harvey, then Majestic Radios, in 1931 the name was changed to J.P. Rooneys.

In 1933, the team morphed into the Pittsburgh Pirates when Rooney paid the $2,500 franchise fee and brought NFL football to the Steel City. Several of the J.P. Rooney players joined the roster of the city's new professional football team. In 1940, the team name was changed to the Pittsburgh Steelers.