Exposition Park (Pittsburgh)
Encyclopedia
Exposition Park was a baseball park
in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania from 1890 to circa 1915. It was located on the north side of the Allegheny River
across from Pittsburgh's downtown area. Prior to the construction of this version of Exposition Park, two previous ballparks of the same name were similarly situated along the Allegheny. 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
, somewhat closer to the Three Rivers site.
Built for use of the Pittsburgh Burghers
of the Players' League, the third incarnation of Exposition Park was the second home of the Pittsburg Pirates
(during those years the team and the city were known as Pittsburg, with no "H"), the city's Major League Baseball
(MLB) franchise. The Pirates played home games at the stadium from 1891 to 1909, when they moved to Forbes Field
. In 1903, Exposition Park was the first National League ballpark to host a World Series game. The Western University of Pennsylvania (WUP)—known today as the University of Pittsburgh
—played home football
games at Exposition Park, and also used the park as a home field for the university's baseball team
.
—which was annexed by the city of Pittsburgh and later became known as the North Side—along the Allegheny River
. Named for other "expositions" that would be shown there, including horse racing
and circus
es, it was the first venue in Pittsburgh that hosted baseball. In 1882, the Pittsburgh Pirates—then known simply as Allegheny, or informally as "the Alleghenys"—began play at Exposition Park, however, after one season a fire and flooding of the field from the nearby River forced a second park to be built. Despite its reason for construction Exposition Park II was built closer to the River. The Alleghenys played at the second incarnation of the park until they moved to Recreation Park
in 1884, which was several blocks north and out of the flood plain.
constructed a baseball park near the former site of Exposition Park I and II—approximately two blocks west of the current PNC Park
. The stadium included a roofed wooden grandstand around the infield, and open bleacher sections extending to the right and left field corners. Total capacity was about 10,000 spectators. The seats faced the Allegheny River and the Point
. The Burghers played at the stadium during the 1890 Players' League season—the team and league's only season in existence. The Pirates moved to Exposition Park the following season. In 1906, the Pirates were the first baseball team to cover their field with a tarp during inclement weather, and though the field was kept dry from the rain, the Allegheny River still caused problems.http://www.huffingtonpost.com/len-berman/top-5-sports-stories_b_565949.html Flooding sometimes covered the entire outfield with inches of standing water, causing ground rules that gave any ground ball hit into the outfield an automatic single. During a July 4, 1902 doubleheader against Brooklyn, an Allegheny flood caused water to rise to thigh level in center and right fields, and about head level in deep center. Players occasionally caught a ball and dove under the water. The Pirates won both games of the doubleheader. Exposition Park was 450 feet (137 m) to the center field fence and 400 feet (122 m) in left and right field. Ham Hyatt
is believed to be the only person to hit a ball over the right field fence. Monument Hill, which overlooked the field, allowed spectators a free view of the game. In 1908, due to the large amounts of people that attended Pirates games, team owner Barney Dreyfuss began looking for a location to construct a new Pirates stadium. The Pirates' final game at the stadium was played in 1909, the Pirates defeated the Cubs who they played the following day to open up Forbes Field
. The Pittsburgh Filipinos called Exposition Park their home in 1912. The Filipinos lasted just over a month after folding with the United States Baseball League
. In 1914, the Pittsburgh Rebels
began play at Exposition Park. In 1915, the Rebels—despite improving from the previous season—disbanded due to financial loss (as did the entire Federal League). Exposition Park continued to host Semi-professional
baseball games, as well as other events, but "was eventually razed".
After parts of 62 seasons in the Oakland district, baseball and football returned to the north side of the Allegheny River when Three Rivers Stadium
opened. The site of the final incarnation of Exposition Park, relative to Three Rivers and the later PNC Park, was in between the two venues. Exposition Park had been on the southwest corner of South Avenue (later Robinson) to the north (first base) and School Street (later Scotland) to the east (third base). To the south (left field) was some open space and railroad tracks and the Allegheny. To the west (right field) was some open space and then Grant Street (later Galveston). That open space would eventually be the site of Three Rivers. To put it another way, the site of Exposition Park was the northeast corner of the parking lot east of Three Rivers.
In 1995, members of the Society for American Baseball Research
placed a plaque where home plate is believed to have been located, in honor of one of the two sites of the first World Series (the other being in Boston). In 1998, a Pennsylvania Historical marker
was placed at the site of the park. Interstate 279
currently runs over portions of the site of Exposition Park just before crossing the Allegheny River
along the Fort Duquesne Bridge
.
of the Pittsburgh Burghers hit the first home run at Exposition Park. On April 24, 1891, Fred Carroll
hit the first home run by a Pirate in the stadium. Under the management of Fred Clarke
the Pirates won the National League pennant in 1901, 1902, and 1903. After the 1903 season, Dreyfuss and Boston Pilgrims's owner Henry Killilea
organized a best of nine game series to match the two pennant winners against each other. The first World Series
held three games in Boston before moving to Exposition Park with the Pirates leading the series 2–1. On October 6, 1903, 7,600 people attended the first World Series
game in a National League stadium—the Pirates won by one run. The following day 12,000 people attended the game, forcing some spectators to stand behind a rope in the outfield. The Pirates lost three of four games at Exposition Park and eventually the Series. In 1907, Pittsburg's pitcher Nick Maddox
threw a no-hitter
at Exposition Park. The final Pirates game at Exposition Park was played against the Chicago Cubs on June 24, 1909. The Pirates won the game 8–1 in front of 5,545 people, with George Gibson achieving the final National League hit in the ballpark.
The Western University of Pennsylvania (WUP), which would later be known as the University of Pittsburgh
, played its first official game at Exposition Park on October 11, 1890 when Shadyside Academy failed to show up for their game with the Allegheny Athletic Association
. The Allegheny A.A. made a call to WUP team founder Bert Smyers
to bring the WUP team to the park as a replacement. The WUP team was subsequently defeated 38-0. The WUP football team began playing games more regularly at Exposition Park around 1900, occasionally playing in other local venues. Prior to the 1903 season, Arthur Mosse
was recruited from the University of Kansas
to become the team's new coach. In addition to players that Mosse brought with him, WUP also recruited players from Geneva College
to play on the team. Mosse's first season was a disappointment as the WUP football team went 0–8–1 and supporters of the team disbanded leaving the team $500 in debt. George Hubbard Clapp
then organized a voluntary $5 "athletic fee" to be paid by students in order to allow the debt to be repaid and the school's football team to play home games at Exposition Park during the next season in order to give the WUP team a more permanent and stable home. Mosse and university officials then obtained a lease to play at Exposition Park during the fall from Pirates owner Barney Dreyfuss for 20% of the admission fee. The 1904 WUP team, the first full season in which WUP played at Exposition Park, saw WUP achieve a remarkable turnaround that included a 10–0 record in which they outscored opponents 407 to 5 and finished second in the state behind the University of Pennsylvania
. Prior to home games at Exposition Park, WUP students would organize parades through downtown streets prior to marching across a bridge to the game. A gong, used to announce the beginning of Pirates games, was also sounded prior to the opening kickoff of WUP football contests.
Baseball park
A baseball park, also known as a baseball stadium, ball park, or ballpark is a venue where baseball is played. It consists of the playing field and the surrounding spectator seating...
in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania from 1890 to circa 1915. It was located on the north side of the Allegheny River
Allegheny River
The Allegheny River is a principal tributary of the Ohio River; it is located in the Eastern United States. The Allegheny River joins with the Monongahela River to form the Ohio River at the "Point" of Point State Park in Downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania...
across from Pittsburgh's downtown area. Prior to the construction of this version of Exposition Park, two previous ballparks of the same name were similarly situated along the Allegheny. 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
Three Rivers Stadium
Three Rivers Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania from 1970 to 2000. It was home to the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Pittsburgh Steelers, the city's Major League Baseball franchise and National Football League franchise respectively.Built as a replacement to...
and PNC Park
PNC Park
PNC Park is a baseball park located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It is the fifth home of the Pittsburgh Pirates, the city's Major League Baseball franchise. It opened during the 2001 Major League Baseball season, after the controlled implosion of the Pirates' previous home, Three Rivers Stadium...
, somewhat closer to the Three Rivers site.
Built for use of the Pittsburgh Burghers
Pittsburgh Burghers
The Pittsburgh Burghers were a baseball team in the Players' League, a short-lived Major League that existed only for the 1890 season. The team included a number of players who had jumped from the National League's Pittsburgh Alleghenys , including Hall of Famers Pud Galvin, Ned Hanlon, and Jake...
of the Players' League, the third incarnation of Exposition Park was the second home of the Pittsburg Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
(during those years the team and the city were known as Pittsburg, with no "H"), the city's Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
(MLB) franchise. The Pirates played home games at the stadium from 1891 to 1909, when they moved to Forbes Field
Forbes Field
Forbes Field was a baseball park in the Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, from 1909 to 1971. It was the third home of the Pittsburgh Pirates Major League Baseball team, and the first home of the Pittsburgh Steelers, the city's National Football League franchise...
. In 1903, Exposition Park was the first National League ballpark to host a World Series game. The Western University of Pennsylvania (WUP)—known today as the University of Pittsburgh
University of Pittsburgh
The University of Pittsburgh, commonly referred to as Pitt, is a state-related research university located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded as Pittsburgh Academy in 1787 on what was then the American frontier, Pitt is one of the oldest continuously chartered institutions of...
—played home football
Pittsburgh Panthers football
Pittsburgh Panthers football is the intercollegiate football team of the University of Pittsburgh, often referred to as "Pitt", located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Traditionally the most popular sport at the university, Pitt football has played at the highest level of American college football...
games at Exposition Park, and also used the park as a home field for the university's baseball team
Pittsburgh Panthers baseball
Pittsburgh Panthers baseball is the NCAA Division I intercollegiate baseball program of the University of Pittsburgh, often referred to as "Pitt", located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Pitt baseball team competes in the Big East Conference and plays their home games at Charles L. Cost Field in...
.
Exposition Park I and II
The first stadium known as Exposition Park was built in Allegheny, PennsylvaniaAllegheny, Pennsylvania
Allegheny City was a Pennsylvania municipality located on the north side of the junction of the Allegheny and Ohio rivers, across from downtown Pittsburgh. It was annexed by Pittsburgh in 1907...
—which was annexed by the city of Pittsburgh and later became known as the North Side—along the Allegheny River
Allegheny River
The Allegheny River is a principal tributary of the Ohio River; it is located in the Eastern United States. The Allegheny River joins with the Monongahela River to form the Ohio River at the "Point" of Point State Park in Downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania...
. Named for other "expositions" that would be shown there, including horse racing
Horse racing
Horse racing is an equestrian sport that has a long history. Archaeological records indicate that horse racing occurred in ancient Babylon, Syria, and Egypt. Both chariot and mounted horse racing were events in the ancient Greek Olympics by 648 BC...
and circus
Circus
A circus is commonly a travelling company of performers that may include clowns, acrobats, trained animals, trapeze acts, musicians, hoopers, tightrope walkers, jugglers, unicyclists and other stunt-oriented artists...
es, it was the first venue in Pittsburgh that hosted baseball. In 1882, the Pittsburgh Pirates—then known simply as Allegheny, or informally as "the Alleghenys"—began play at Exposition Park, however, after one season a fire and flooding of the field from the nearby River forced a second park to be built. Despite its reason for construction Exposition Park II was built closer to the River. The Alleghenys played at the second incarnation of the park until they moved to Recreation Park
Recreation Park (Pittsburgh)
Recreation Park, originally known as Union Park, was a stadium located in Allegheny City, Pennsylvania, before its 1907 annexation into the city of Pittsburgh, in the latter 19th century to the early 20th century. It was the first official home to the Pittsburgh Pirates, the city's Major League...
in 1884, which was several blocks north and out of the flood plain.
History
While the Pittsburgh Pirates were playing home games at Recreation Park, owners John Beemer and M. B. Lennon of the Pittsburgh BurghersPittsburgh Burghers
The Pittsburgh Burghers were a baseball team in the Players' League, a short-lived Major League that existed only for the 1890 season. The team included a number of players who had jumped from the National League's Pittsburgh Alleghenys , including Hall of Famers Pud Galvin, Ned Hanlon, and Jake...
constructed a baseball park near the former site of Exposition Park I and II—approximately two blocks west of the current PNC Park
PNC Park
PNC Park is a baseball park located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It is the fifth home of the Pittsburgh Pirates, the city's Major League Baseball franchise. It opened during the 2001 Major League Baseball season, after the controlled implosion of the Pirates' previous home, Three Rivers Stadium...
. The stadium included a roofed wooden grandstand around the infield, and open bleacher sections extending to the right and left field corners. Total capacity was about 10,000 spectators. The seats faced the Allegheny River and the Point
Point State Park
Point State Park is a Pennsylvania state park on in Downtown Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, USA, at the confluence of the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers, forming the Ohio River....
. The Burghers played at the stadium during the 1890 Players' League season—the team and league's only season in existence. The Pirates moved to Exposition Park the following season. In 1906, the Pirates were the first baseball team to cover their field with a tarp during inclement weather, and though the field was kept dry from the rain, the Allegheny River still caused problems.http://www.huffingtonpost.com/len-berman/top-5-sports-stories_b_565949.html Flooding sometimes covered the entire outfield with inches of standing water, causing ground rules that gave any ground ball hit into the outfield an automatic single. During a July 4, 1902 doubleheader against Brooklyn, an Allegheny flood caused water to rise to thigh level in center and right fields, and about head level in deep center. Players occasionally caught a ball and dove under the water. The Pirates won both games of the doubleheader. Exposition Park was 450 feet (137 m) to the center field fence and 400 feet (122 m) in left and right field. Ham Hyatt
Ham Hyatt
Robert Hamilton Hyatt was a Major League Baseball player who played first base from 1909 to 1918.Hyatt started his professional baseball career with the Vancouver Beavers of the Northwestern League. In 1908, he hit .323 with 15 home runs; he led the league in hits, home runs, and runs scored...
is believed to be the only person to hit a ball over the right field fence. Monument Hill, which overlooked the field, allowed spectators a free view of the game. In 1908, due to the large amounts of people that attended Pirates games, team owner Barney Dreyfuss began looking for a location to construct a new Pirates stadium. The Pirates' final game at the stadium was played in 1909, the Pirates defeated the Cubs who they played the following day to open up Forbes Field
Forbes Field
Forbes Field was a baseball park in the Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, from 1909 to 1971. It was the third home of the Pittsburgh Pirates Major League Baseball team, and the first home of the Pittsburgh Steelers, the city's National Football League franchise...
. The Pittsburgh Filipinos called Exposition Park their home in 1912. The Filipinos lasted just over a month after folding with the United States Baseball League
United States Baseball League
The United States Baseball League was a short-lived hopeful third major-league that was established in New York City in 1912.In March 1912, organizers of the proposed league–described by members of the sports establishment as an "outlaw league"–met in New York's Hotel Imperial. The U.S...
. In 1914, the Pittsburgh Rebels
Pittsburgh Rebels
The Pittsburgh Rebels were a professional baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team was a member of the short-lived Federal League, which was a minor league in 1913 but a full-fledged outlaw major league the next two years...
began play at Exposition Park. In 1915, the Rebels—despite improving from the previous season—disbanded due to financial loss (as did the entire Federal League). Exposition Park continued to host Semi-professional
Semi-professional
A semi-professional athlete is one who is paid to play and thus is not an amateur, but for whom sport is not a full-time occupation, generally because the level of pay is too low to make a reasonable living based solely upon that source, thus making the athlete not a full professional...
baseball games, as well as other events, but "was eventually razed".
After parts of 62 seasons in the Oakland district, baseball and football returned to the north side of the Allegheny River when Three Rivers Stadium
Three Rivers Stadium
Three Rivers Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania from 1970 to 2000. It was home to the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Pittsburgh Steelers, the city's Major League Baseball franchise and National Football League franchise respectively.Built as a replacement to...
opened. The site of the final incarnation of Exposition Park, relative to Three Rivers and the later PNC Park, was in between the two venues. Exposition Park had been on the southwest corner of South Avenue (later Robinson) to the north (first base) and School Street (later Scotland) to the east (third base). To the south (left field) was some open space and railroad tracks and the Allegheny. To the west (right field) was some open space and then Grant Street (later Galveston). That open space would eventually be the site of Three Rivers. To put it another way, the site of Exposition Park was the northeast corner of the parking lot east of Three Rivers.
In 1995, members of the Society for American Baseball Research
Society for American Baseball Research
The Society for American Baseball Research was established in Cooperstown, New York, in August 1971 by Bob Davids of Washington, D.C. The Society's mission is to foster the research and dissemination of the history and record of baseball, while generating interest in the game...
placed a plaque where home plate is believed to have been located, in honor of one of the two sites of the first World Series (the other being in Boston). In 1998, a Pennsylvania Historical marker
Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission is the governmental agency of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania responsible for the collection, conservation and interpretation of Pennsylvania's historic heritage...
was placed at the site of the park. Interstate 279
Interstate 279
Interstate 279 is a north–south Interstate Highway spur that lies entirely within Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. Its southern end is at Interstate 376 at the Fort Pitt Bridge in Pittsburgh, and the north end is in Franklin Park at Interstate 79...
currently runs over portions of the site of Exposition Park just before crossing the Allegheny River
Allegheny River
The Allegheny River is a principal tributary of the Ohio River; it is located in the Eastern United States. The Allegheny River joins with the Monongahela River to form the Ohio River at the "Point" of Point State Park in Downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania...
along the Fort Duquesne Bridge
Fort Duquesne Bridge
The Fort Duquesne Bridge is a steel tied arch bridge that spans the Allegheny River in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It was colloquially referred to as "The Bridge to Nowhere"...
.
Baseball
On June 10, 1890, Jocko FieldsJocko Fields
John Joseph "Jocko" Fields is a former Major League Baseball player. He was born on October 20, 1864 in Cork, Ireland. Jocko made his Major League debut on May 31, 1887. He played for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Pittsburgh Burghers, Philadelphia Phillies and New York Giants. Fields played 341 games in...
of the Pittsburgh Burghers hit the first home run at Exposition Park. On April 24, 1891, Fred Carroll
Fred Carroll
Frederick Herbert Carroll was a catcher and outfielder in Major League Baseball. From 1884 through 1891, he played with the Columbus Buckeyes and for the Pittsburgh teams Alleghenys , Burghers and Pirates . Carroll batted and threw right-handed...
hit the first home run by a Pirate in the stadium. Under the management of Fred Clarke
Fred Clarke
Fred Clifford Clarke was a Major League Baseball player from 1894 to and manager from 1897 to 1915. A Hall of Famer, Clarke played for and managed both the Louisville Colonels and Pittsburgh Pirates. He was a left fielder and left-handed batter.Of the nine pennants in Pittsburgh franchise...
the Pirates won the National League pennant in 1901, 1902, and 1903. After the 1903 season, Dreyfuss and Boston Pilgrims's owner Henry Killilea
Henry Killilea
Henry J. Killilea was one the five men who founded baseball's American League as a major league in 1899. The other members of the group were his brother Matthew Killilea, Connie Mack, Charles Comiskey, and the leader of the effort, Ban Johnson. Their first meeting was held in Killilea's Milwaukee...
organized a best of nine game series to match the two pennant winners against each other. The first World Series
1903 World Series
The 1903 World Series was the first modern World Series to be played in Major League Baseball. It matched the Boston Americans of the American League against the Pittsburgh Pirates of the National League in a best-of-nine series, with Boston prevailing five games to three, winning the last...
held three games in Boston before moving to Exposition Park with the Pirates leading the series 2–1. On October 6, 1903, 7,600 people attended the first World Series
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
game in a National League stadium—the Pirates won by one run. The following day 12,000 people attended the game, forcing some spectators to stand behind a rope in the outfield. The Pirates lost three of four games at Exposition Park and eventually the Series. In 1907, Pittsburg's pitcher Nick Maddox
Nick Maddox
Nicholas Maddox was a professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball from 1907-10 for the Pittsburgh Pirates....
threw a no-hitter
No-hitter
A no-hitter is a baseball game in which one team has no hits. In Major League Baseball, the team must be without hits during the entire game, and the game must be at least nine innings. A pitcher who prevents the opposing team from achieving a hit is said to have "thrown a no-hitter"...
at Exposition Park. The final Pirates game at Exposition Park was played against the Chicago Cubs on June 24, 1909. The Pirates won the game 8–1 in front of 5,545 people, with George Gibson achieving the final National League hit in the ballpark.
Football
University of Pittsburgh
The University of Pittsburgh, commonly referred to as Pitt, is a state-related research university located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded as Pittsburgh Academy in 1787 on what was then the American frontier, Pitt is one of the oldest continuously chartered institutions of...
, played its first official game at Exposition Park on October 11, 1890 when Shadyside Academy failed to show up for their game with the Allegheny Athletic Association
Allegheny Athletic Association
The Allegheny Athletic Association was an athletic club that fielded the first ever professional American football player and later the first fully professional football team. The organization was founded in 1890 as a regional athletic club in Allegheny, Pennsylvania, which is today the North...
. The Allegheny A.A. made a call to WUP team founder Bert Smyers
Bert Smyers
Bertrand "Bert" Hunter Smyers was an attorney and, along with fellow student John Scott, founder of the University of Pittsburgh's football program...
to bring the WUP team to the park as a replacement. The WUP team was subsequently defeated 38-0. The WUP football team began playing games more regularly at Exposition Park around 1900, occasionally playing in other local venues. Prior to the 1903 season, Arthur Mosse
Arthur Mosse
Arthur St. Leger "Texas" Mosse was the 9th head football coach of the Pittsburgh Panthers and the 13th head football coachfor the University of Kansas Jayhawks. While at Pittsburgh, he coached the university to its first undefeated season in 1904...
was recruited from the University of Kansas
University of Kansas
The University of Kansas is a public research university and the largest university in the state of Kansas. KU campuses are located in Lawrence, Wichita, Overland Park, and Kansas City, Kansas with the main campus being located in Lawrence on Mount Oread, the highest point in Lawrence. The...
to become the team's new coach. In addition to players that Mosse brought with him, WUP also recruited players from Geneva College
Geneva College
Geneva College is a Christian liberal arts college in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, United States, north of Pittsburgh. Founded in 1848, in Northwood, Ohio, the college moved to its present location in 1880, where it continues to educate a student body of about 1400 traditional undergraduates in...
to play on the team. Mosse's first season was a disappointment as the WUP football team went 0–8–1 and supporters of the team disbanded leaving the team $500 in debt. George Hubbard Clapp
George Hubbard Clapp
George Hubbard Clapp was an American pioneer in the aluminum industry and also a numismatist.He was born on December 14 in Allegheny City, Pennsylvania, now a part of Pittsburgh, the son of Delia Dennig Hubbard and DeWitt Clinton Clapp, an iron company executive. He graduated from the Western...
then organized a voluntary $5 "athletic fee" to be paid by students in order to allow the debt to be repaid and the school's football team to play home games at Exposition Park during the next season in order to give the WUP team a more permanent and stable home. Mosse and university officials then obtained a lease to play at Exposition Park during the fall from Pirates owner Barney Dreyfuss for 20% of the admission fee. The 1904 WUP team, the first full season in which WUP played at Exposition Park, saw WUP achieve a remarkable turnaround that included a 10–0 record in which they outscored opponents 407 to 5 and finished second in the state behind the University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
. Prior to home games at Exposition Park, WUP students would organize parades through downtown streets prior to marching across a bridge to the game. A gong, used to announce the beginning of Pirates games, was also sounded prior to the opening kickoff of WUP football contests.