September 20, 1933: The Pittsburgh Steelers Debut

September 20, 1933: The Pittsburgh Pirates, an expansion team in the NFL, named for the city's baseball team, plays its 1st game. They lose to another team named after a baseball team, the New York Giants, 23-2 at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh.

They were supposed to debut the preceding week, on September 13, against yet another NFL team named after a baseball team, the Cincinnati Reds. But it was postponed due to rain.

These games were set for Wednesdays. Why not Sundays? Playing professional sporting events on Sundays was illegal in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. But Art Rooney founded the team, as did Bert Bell and Lud Wray across the State with the Philadelphia Eagles, that year in anticipation of a bill going through the legislature in Harrisburg, to legalize pro sports on Sundays. It did pass, ensuring that the Eagles and the team that, from 1940 onward, would be known as the Pittsburgh Steelers would have a fair chance to succeed.

Or else they would have had to do what the Eagles, and before them in Philadelphia the Frankford Yellow Jackets, then had to do for home games: Play them on Saturdays, competing with college and high school football.

Pat Freiermuth wearing a modernized copy of the 1933 Pirates' uniform

Under head coach Forrest Douds, the Pirates got their 1st win the next week, on September 27, 14-13 over the Chicago Cardinals at Forbes Field. They finished 3-6-2. It would take until 1942 for them to have a winning record, until 1947 for them to make the Playoffs, until 1972 for them to win a Playoff game, and until the 1974 season for them to win a championship.

It would take until the aforementioned 1972 season for the Steelers to truly catch on as an institution of Pittsburgh culture. But, having finally done so, they have never let go.

UPDATE: The Steelers have a team hall of fame, calling it the Pittsburgh Steelers Hall of Honor. From their founding period, they have inducted team founder Art Rooney, guard Walt Kiesling, and running back Johnny "Blood" McNally.

From the 1940s, they have inducted Rooney, Kiesling as head coach, running back "Bullet" Bill Dudley, and tight end Elbie Nickel. From the 1950s, they have inducted Rooney, Kiesling, Nickel, running back Ray Mathews, defensive tackle Ernie Stautner, and cornerback Jack Butler.

From the 1960s, they have inducted Rooney, Stautner, quarterback Bobby Layne, running backs John Henry Johnson and Dick Hoak, receiver Buddy Dial, center Ray Mansfield, guard Sam Davis and linebacker Andy Russell.

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September 20, 1933 was, as I said, a Wednesday. This was the only NFL game played that day. These 4 baseball games were played:

* The New York Yankees beat the Chicago White Sox, 5-3 at Yankee Stadium. Danny MacFayden went the distance for the win, while future Hall-of-Famer Urban "Red" Faber only lasted 4 innings for the Pale Hose. Tony Lazzeri hit a home run. Lou Gehrig went 0-for-4, and Babe Ruth did not play. For the White Sox, Ralph "Red" Kress hit a home run, while Luke Appling went 1-for-3 with a walk.

* The Brooklyn Dodgers lost to the Pittsburgh Pirates, 3-0 at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh. Bill Swift -- no relation to the later Seattle and San Francisco pitcher of the same name -- pitched a 4-hit shutout, outpitching Walter "Boom-Boom" Beck. Swift later made it up to the Dodgers by helping them win the 1941 National League Pennant. In a weird coincidence, Beck would end his career with the Pirates.

Harold "Pie" Traynor went 4-for-4 with an RBI. But Paul Waner went 0-for-4, and his brother Lloyd Waner did not play.

* The Philadelphia Athletics beat the Detroit Tigers, 2-1 at Shibe Park in Philadelphia. Lefty Grove outpitched Carl Fischer for his 23rd win of the season. Mickey Cochrane went 2-for-4. Jimmie Foxx went 0-for-3 with a walk. In the off-season, A's manager-treasurer-part-owner Connie Mack would sell Cochrane to the Tigers, and Grove to the Boston Red Sox. Two years after that, he would sell Foxx to the Red Sox.

* And the Washington Senators beat the St. Louis Browns, 13-5 at Griffith Stadium in Washington. Henry "Heinie" Manush and Dave Harris each had 3 RBIs.