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League Affiliation: Federal Association Formerly Known As: Pittsburgh Quarries (1882-86) Founded: 1882 (Border Association - moved to Century League, 1887) Ownership History: Martin Elswich: 1886-1912 |
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PENNANTS |
WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS |
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ABOUT THE PITTSBURGH MINERS The Pittsburgh Miners started out as the Quarries - one of the original clubs of the Border Association. The Quarries spent five seasons in the BA, winning the pennant in 1886 during the height of the "Border Wars" between the BA and the Century League. Quarries owner Martin Elswich, who had joined the Bordermen simply because the Century League wasn't willing to expand into Pittsburgh was an ambitious man always looking for an edge. So when CL President William Whitney approached Elswich during the fall of 1886 about bringing his club into the Century League, Elswich saw an opportunity and made his club the first in history to switch leagues. The Quarries were renamed the Miners after switching and spent the next six seasons as a Century League member and went with the other CL clubs into the Federal Association when the FABL organization was created in 1892. Elswich's club became a turn of the century powerhouse, winning four straight pennants from 1898 to 1901, although they lost the World Series in three of those years (no doubt to much delight amongst the old guard of the Continental Association who were born out of the old BA). Elswich's men won another pennant in '07 before the old man passed away in 1912. His estate sold the club to foundry owner Daniel X. Fitzpatrick who opened a brand-new ballpark made with Fitzpatrick Steel in 1923, naturally naming it after himself. Fitzpatrick sold the team in 1945 and Alphonse Maday took over. Fitzpatrick's daughter married pitcher Tom Barrell, who pitched (albeit briefly) for the Miners. There were rumors at the time that Barrell and his wife would attempt to repurchase the Miners, but this appears to have been simply that: rumor. |
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FITZPATRICK PARK (1923-) BUILT: 1923 CAPACITY: 43100 ADDRESS: 1000 Ft. Duquesne Blvd., Pittsburgh, PA |
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