PITTSBURGH -- When reliving the greatest sports moments that have happened in the city of Pittsburgh, two near the top of the list are the Immaculate Reception and Roberto Clemente's 3,000th hit. The former is the signature play of the Steelers franchise, and Clemente’s double and triumphant pose at second base is perhaps the most iconic Pirates photo.
The two moments happened at the defunct Three Rivers Stadium and less than three months apart in 1972, but what fans might not have known is that the two plays occurred just feet from one another. There had been a marker for where Franco Harris caught the deflected pass by the Gold Lots between PNC Park and Acrisure Stadium. Now, there are markers for where second base, home plate and the pitcher’s mound were at the legendary stadium.
The date of the event, April 17, was deliberate, marking the 70th anniversary of Clemente’s Major League debut and first hit.
“April 17 is a day of deep significance for baseball and Pittsburgh,” Len Martin, the event co-organizer, said. “Roberto Clemente’s first hit set a brilliant career in motion, and the memory of his 3,000th hit at this very location connects us directly to his story.”
Martin, fellow fans Tom Rooney and Chuck Kolling, local politicians and Matthew Craig, the CEO of the Young Preservationists Association, helped spearhead the fan-driven event Thursday, with Pirate fans, the team and the local chapter of the Society for American Baseball Research invited to attend. Dozens came to commemorate the day, share stories from Three Rivers Stadium and offer a tribute to The Great One.
"When we can celebrate the history and legacy of the Pirates, the Pirates players, the Pirates organization, the championships and all that happened at Three Rivers Stadium, I think those are always special days and memories for us,” Pirates team president Travis Williams said. “We're honored to be a part of it today, and especially being able to honor the legacy and history of Roberto Clemente and what he means to Pittsburgh.”
Clemente’s memory and legacy were at the forefront of the event, but it was a celebration of the baseball history at Three Rivers Stadium. Eighty-four Hall of Fame players played at that ballpark, if you include the Class of 2025 (and Pirate Dave Parker). Thirteen Hall of Fame managers sent signs from the dugouts. Three no-hitters were thrown, including the most recent by the Pirates, authored by Francisco Córdova and Ricardo Rincón on July 12, 1997.
Plenty of memories were made on that mound, so it was only fitting that two franchise pitching and broadcast icons, Steve Blass and Bob Walk, shared the rubber for a photo op as the first two to stand foot on that mound since the park’s demolition after the 2000 Steelers season. Blass had his own moment on the mound shortly after, but he was pointed the wrong direction towards where the cameras were rather than where home plate was. A fan joked that Blass couldn’t find the plate again. Patient zero of Blass-itis joined the group in a laugh.
But Clemente was at the forefront, and the Clemente Foundation is deepening its investment in Pittsburgh to further its impact in the area. That includes expanding its programming, with youth baseball clinics and a Roberto Clemente Legacy dinner both set to take place this fall.
It was impossible to know in April 1955 what Pittsburgh had in the rookie Clemente. He was a Rule 5 pick, a complete unknown. He would blossom into a Hall of Fame player and one of sport’s greatest humanitarians. Decades after his debut, his MVP, the World Series championships he brought the city and more, his impact is still felt in Pittsburgh, and there’s now another marker of his playing career.
“I believe my parents are smiling down on us today, filled with pride, love and peace, because Pittsburgh didn't just gain a player in 1955. It gained a legend,” Roberto Clemente Jr. said. “That love story, it never ended. It still lives in all of us."