| Statue of Honus Wagner | |
|---|---|
| J. P. "Honus" Wagner | |
 | |
| Artist | Frank Vittor |
| Year | 1955 |
| Medium | Bronze sculpture |
| Subject | Honus Wagner |
| Location | PNC Park Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
The statue of Honus Wagner was dedicated by the Pittsburgh Pirates to honor their Baseball Hall of Fame shortstop Honus Wagner. Created by sculptor Frank Vittor, it originally stood outside Forbes Field but now stands outside the home plate entrance of PNC Park, the Pirates' current ballpark. [1]
The statue was created by sculptor Frank Vittor and was sponsered by the Pittsburgh Professional Baseball Association as "as a lasting tribute to his character and abilities." It was dedicated on April 30, 1955, at Schenley Park, just outside the left-field fence of Forbes Field, with then-MLB Commissioner Ford Frick in attendence. During the ceremony, Frick said:
Honus Wagner as an individual contributed as much as any man who ever lived in baseball. I am proud for Honus, I am proud for baseball, and proud of Pittsburgh in recognizing the contribution Honus made to the game. [1]
The statue was relocated to Three Rivers Stadium in 1972 and again to PNC Park in 2001 where it currently stands, just outside the home plate entrance. [1]
Inside the statue, sealed in a tube, are a list of names of former and then-current Pirates' players who gave contributions to the statue at the time of its dedication. [1]
The statue has the following inscription on it:
J.P. "HONUS"WAGNER
ERECTED IN 1955
BY THE FANS OF AMERICA
IN HONOR OF A BASEBALL IMMORTAL
A CHAMPION AMONG CHAMPIONS
WHOSE RECORD ON AND OFF THE
PLAYING FIELD OF THE NATIONAL GAME
WILL EVER STAND AS A MONUMENT
TO HIS OWN GREATNESS
AND AS AN EXAMPLE AND INSPIRATION TO THE YOUTH
OF OUR COUNTRYSPONSORED BY
SO THAT FUTURE PIRATE FANS WILL BE REMINDED OF
THE PITTSBURGH PROFESSIONAL BASEBALL ASSOCIATION
RELOCATED BY THE PITTSBURGH BASEBALL CLUB
FROM SCHENLEY PARK TO THREE RIVERS STADIUM
AND REDEDICATED JULY 21, 1972
HONUS WAGNER'S CONTRIBUTIONS TO BASEBALL IN PITTSBURGH.
Source: [2]
The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Founded as part of the American Association in 1881 under the name Pittsburgh Alleghenys, the club joined the National League in 1887 and was a member of the National League East from 1969 through 1993. The Pirates have won five World Series championships, nine National League pennants, nine National League East division titles and made three appearances in the Wild Card Game.
Johannes Peter "Honus" Wagner, sometimes referred to as Hans Wagner, was an American baseball shortstop who played 21 seasons in Major League Baseball from 1897 to 1917, almost entirely for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Wagner won his eighth batting title in 1911, a National League record that remains unbroken to this day, and matched only once, in 1997, by Tony Gwynn. He also led the league in slugging six times and stolen bases five times. Wagner was nicknamed "the Flying Dutchman" due to his superb speed and German heritage. This nickname was a nod to the popular folk-tale made into a famous opera by the German composer Richard Wagner. In 1936, the Baseball Hall of Fame inducted Wagner as one of the first five members. He received the second-highest vote total, behind Ty Cobb's 222 and tied with Babe Ruth at 215.
Forbes Field was a baseball park in the Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, from 1909 to June 28, 1970. It was the third home of the Pittsburgh Pirates, the city's Major League Baseball (MLB) team, and the first home of the Pittsburgh Steelers, the city's National Football League (NFL) franchise. From 1909 to 1924, the stadium also served as the home football field for the University of Pittsburgh "Pitt" Panthers. The stadium sat on Forbes Avenue, named for British general John Forbes, who fought in the French and Indian War and named the city in 1758.
Schenley Park is a large municipal park in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It is located between the neighborhoods of Oakland, Greenfield, and Squirrel Hill. It is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places as a historic district. In 2011, the park was named one of "America's Coolest City Parks" by Travel + Leisure.
PNC Park is a baseball stadium on the North Shore of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It is the fifth home ballpark of Major League Baseball's Pittsburgh Pirates. Opened during the 2001 MLB season, PNC Park sits along the Allegheny River with a view of the Downtown Pittsburgh skyline. Constructed of steel and limestone, it has a natural grass playing surface and can seat 38,747 people for baseball. It was built just to the east of its predecessor, Three Rivers Stadium, which was demolished in 2001.
Exposition Park was the name given to three historic stadiums, located in what is today Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The fields were used mainly for professional baseball and American football from c. 1879 to c. 1915. The ballparks were initially located on the north side of the Allegheny River in Allegheny City, Pennsylvania. The city was annexed into Pittsburgh in 1907, which became the city's North Side, located across from Pittsburgh's downtown area. Due to flooding from the nearby river, the three stadiums' exact locations varied somewhat. The final version of the ballpark was between the eventual sites of Three Rivers Stadium and PNC Park.
Bernhard "Barney" Dreyfuss was an executive in Major League Baseball who owned the Pittsburgh Pirates franchise from 1900 to his death. He was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2008.
The following is a history of the Pittsburgh Pirates of Major League Baseball.
Schenley Plaza is a public park serving as the grand entrance into Schenley Park in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
A panther is the animal that serves as the official mascot of the University of Pittsburgh and used as a nickname for both athletic teams as well as other organizations and affiliates of the university. The mascot is generally referred to as the Pittsburgh Panther or Pitt Panther, while the costumed panther mascot is also named "Roc". Up to 20 physical representations of panthers can be found in and around the university's campus and athletic facilities.
The 1909 Pittsburgh Pirates season was the 28th season for the Pittsburgh Pirates franchise, during which they won the National League pennant with a record of 110–42 and their first World Series over the Detroit Tigers. Led by shortstop Honus Wagner and outfielder-manager Fred Clarke, the Pirates scored the most runs in the majors. Wagner led the league in batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, and runs batted in. Pirates owner Barney Dreyfuss opened the Pirates' new ballpark, named Forbes Field, on June 30, 1909.
Frank Vittor was an American sculptor, known for his "preference for the heroic and colossal".
A statue of Christopher Columbus is installed in Pittsburgh's Schenley Park, in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania.
Bill Mazeroski's 1960 World Series home run was a baseball play that occurred in Game 7 of the 1960 World Series on October 13, 1960, at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Leading off the bottom of ninth, in a 9–9 tie and with the count one ball, zero strikes, Mazeroski hit a line drive toward deep left field that cleared the wall for a solo home run. Mazeroski homered off of New York Yankees pitcher Ralph Terry to end the Series, giving the Pirates a 10–9 win and their first championship since 1925. It is the only time that Game 7 has ended in a walk-off home run in World Series history.
In 2010, the Pittsburgh Pirates unveiled a 14-foot, 2,000-pound statue of Baseball Hall of Fame second baseman Bill Mazeroski, commemorating the 50th anniversary of his walk-off home run in Game 7 of the 1960 World Series, one of the most iconic moments in baseball and sports history.
In 1994, the Pittsburgh Pirates unveiled a 12-foot statue of Baseball Hall of Fame outfielder Roberto Clemente, just before the 1994 Major League Baseball All-Star Game which was hosted by the Pirates in Three Rivers Stadium.
 | This public art article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
