Three Rivers Stadium in the Seventies

This multi-purpose ballpark was home to dynasties in two sports during the Me Decade.

by Rich Watson

Pittsburgh’s Three Rivers Stadium was one of the so-called “cookie-cutter” stadiums of the sixties and seventies. Today these parks are remembered less fondly because of their similar design and their artificial turf. They remain a part of history, though, especially for Pittsburgh residents. 

Despite its look, 3RS’ first decade in existence was unforgettable. Legendary athletes from both baseball and football played there, who led their teams to winning seasons.

That Time When a Game at The Astrodome Was Rained Out

The Astrodome was built to avoid weather issues. How could a ballgame get called on account of rain?

by Rich Watson

The Astros were born in 1962 as the Colt .45s, and the city of Houston was glad to have them. Watching games at Colt Stadium, though, was like sitting in a sauna. During the heart of the summer, game-time temperatures in the upper nineties were not unusual.

When co-owner Roy Hofheinz visited the Roman Colosseum, he learned it used to have an awning, called a velarium, to shield the audience from the sun. As a result, he financed and developed the creation of the Astrodome, the first domed sports stadium in the world. 

Prior to Opening Day 1965, the legendary Satchel Paige test-pitched within the dome’s $4.5 million dollar air-conditioning system. He declared it a “pitcher’s paradise.” 

The Colt .45s became the Astros. The dome opened in April. Soon it was also home to the NFL Oilers and many pro and college teams.

Games and other events could be watched at a comfortable seventy-three degrees. Mother Nature, it seemed, had been conquered—until a bizarre incident during the Bicentennial year of 1976.

How and Why Two Yankee Pitchers Once Swapped Wives

They were all really close—maybe a bit too much in the end.

by Rich Watson

Fritz Peterson and Mike Kekich were Yankee pitchers in the late sixties and early seventies. The former had his best year in 1970, when he went 20-11 with a 2.90 earned run average. The latter was less distinguished; he had back-to-back ten-win seasons in 1971-72, with his lowest ERA, 3.70, in 1972.

They, along with their respective wives, Marilyn Peterson and Susanne Kekich, were close friends. In 1972, they went to a party, and afterwards, they acted upon an idea they had only discussed in jest: they traded spouses and went home together, Marilyn with Mike and Susanne with Fritz.

They liked it enough to do it more often. Eventually they moved in with each other and made the swaps permanent. They swapped each other’s children and even their dogs. All four spouses thought the whole thing perfectly natural.

Then Major League Baseball found out.