Historical markers describe important football, baseball milestones

'First Professional Football Game' marker.

This week’s featured historical markers are two separate markers that I encountered while on vacation last week in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Both markers are located just a few yards from one another on Art Rooney Avenue, just a stone’s throw from Heinz Field and a short walk from PNC Park.

The first marker is titled “FIRST PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL GAME” and was erected in 2005 by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. The other marker is titled “THREE RIVERS STADIUM” and was erected in 2006 by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. 

There was text on both sides of each marker, but both sides of each respective marker is identical. What follows is the complete text from both markers.

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“FIRST PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL GAME: On Nov. 12, 1892, at Recreation Park, a few blocks NW of here, the Allegheny Athletic Association defeated the Pittsburgh Athletic Club, 4-0. The winning touchdown was scored by William ‘Pudge’ Heffelfinger, who received $500 for playing. He was the first football player known to have been paid outright, and pro football traces its origins from this game.”

'Three Rivers Stadium' marker. 

“THREE RIVERS STADIUM: Opened on July 16, 1970. Home to the Pirates, who won two World Series, and the Steelers, who won four Super Bowl Championships, creating Pittsburgh’s ‘City of Champions’ identity. It was the site of Robert Clemente’s 3,000th hit, Sept. 30, 1972, and Franco Harris’s legendary ‘Immaculate Reception,’ Dec. 23, 1972. A multi-use facility, it also hosted many concerts and special events prior to demolition on Feb. 11, 2001.”

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I encountered these markers Wednesday of last week while in Pittsburgh to see the Pirates play the Arizona Diamondbacks. We parked in the huge parking lot between PNC Park and Heinz Field and came upon the markers while walking past Heinz Field to the North Shore Trail. I wasn’t looking for historical markers, but it was hard to miss these two.

We encountered the “Three Rivers Stadium” marker first, and the “First Professional” marker was probably less than 100 feet away on the same side of the street. Oddly, both were somewhat hard to photograph because they were somewhat higher than most historical markers, and they were also close to a number of sizable trees.

William ‘Pudge’ Heffelfinger’s name caught my eye immediately, and I became convinced that he had some connection to Alabama. Since returning home, I’ve tried to track down this connection, but haven’t had any luck. He was born in Minnesota, played his college ball at Yale and coached at Cal, Lehigh and Minnesota. If anyone out there knows of any connection between ‘Pudge’ and Alabama, please let me know. Then again, I'm probably confusing him with such early Alabama players as All-American Bully Van de Graaff.

In the end, visit this site next Wednesday to learn about another historical marker. I’m also taking suggestions from the reading audience, so if you know of an interesting historical marker that you’d like me to feature, let me know in the comments section below.