The first of its kind, Forbes Field was constructed out of concrete and steel unlike the ballparks of that era that were wooden structures and prone to fires. Pirates owner Barney Dreyfuss also made it a three-tier – also the first of its kind – ballpark with a 74 foot tall grandstand. It took only 122 days to build Forbes Field as ground was broken on January 1, 1909 but construction didn’t start till March 1st. It was finished in such a timely fashion that the first game at the newly minted 25,000 seat ballpark was on June 30th.
