More than 200 fans and a healthy handful of former Pittsburgh Pirates, Pittsburgh Crawfords and Homestead Grays showed up for the unveiling of a state historic marker at Center Field Plaza in Oakland yesterday.

The last remnants of the old ballpark, which saw its last Pirates game in 1970, were touched up for the event. A replica of Forbes Field's entrance gate and ticket window, was erected by members of Carpenters District Council at nearby Mazeroski Field.

Not even razing this ballpark could keep it from drawing fans. Since 1985 there has been a tradition, launched by the late Saul Finkelstein, of returning to the site each Oct. 13 with an audiotape of that famed Series game.

The Pirates weren't the only baseball team to play at Forbes Field. The Homestead Grays did, too. So along with former Pirates Steve Blass, Grant Jackson, Bobby Del Greco, Don Schwall, Bob Friend, Manny Sanguillen and Nellie King, the late great Pittsburgh slugger Josh Gibson, who played for both the Crawfords and Grays, was represented by his great-grandson Sean Gibson. He introduced former Negro League players Theodore Toles, Mamie "Peanut" Johnson, James Tillman and Wallace "Bucky" Williams.

Related story

All-Star Week Coverage

Multimedia Index