RAY SWANSON | Keystoner Pirates, Forbes Field, hot dogs, peanuts = nostalgic memories

The ride from Sharpsville to Pittsburgh and on to Forbes Field seemed like an eternity.
If you were a kid growing up with baseball on your mind and the Pirates waiting in the wings, the anticipation was almost unbearable.
It was then that my brother, Bill, and I would make the journey, especially when it was "Buc Night" and the price of admission was only a dollar bill.
We'd hit Millvale, drive directly through town, and park near the old Clark Bar sign.
It was a short jaunt to the field from our parking spot, but the walk was worth it. Hot dog vendors dotted the area, selling their wares.
"Hot dogs, peanuts," they would shout. "Get your hot dogs, peanuts."
Liked the hot dogs
It wasn't a ball game without a hot dog and that famed stadium mustard. Half the time, the dogs were not cooked but they always tasted like a slice of prime rib. Good stuff.
We always checked out Frankie Gustine's Restaurant, located adjacent to the ballpark.
When we grew older, we often dined in the famed restaurant which featured pictures of past and present Pirate players. Many of the players of those years were often at Gustine's, the place to be.
Forbes Field was referred to by the late Buc broadcaster Bob Prince as "The House of Thrills."
The famed Forbes Field had too many memories to expound on, some good, some not so good. The fans, however, were true fans and their demeanor will always be first and foremost in my mind.
A trip with the family
I remember the days when my wife and I would load up the car with the kids, a big thermos and 50 or 60 sandwiches and head for Forbes Field. The sandwiches were usually gone by the end of the first inning.
Forbes Field is now a parking lot. It gave way to Three Rivers Stadium in 1970 and Three Rivers gave way to the Pirates' new field, PNC Park.
My wife recently returned from a trip to Pittsburgh with a postcard bearing a picture of Forbes Field. Not a bad seat in the house.
Forbes Field was dedicated on June 30, 1909. It was considered an immense baseball park with its original seating capacity of 26,000.
I kind of miss the old place, and those baseball great the Pirates used to field. Those really were the good old days.
Augustine returns
At one time, Don Augustine was a standout outside linebacker for the Westminster College football team.
Now, the native of New Springfield and a graduate of Cardinal Mooney High has returned in the capacity of an assistant football coach and the track and field coach.
On the football side, Augustine will be a full-time assistant football coach (defensive line coach), and will coach the men's and women's track and field teams.
A 2001 Westminster graduate, Augustine's new positions became effective on July 18.
Shifted from Temple
He returns to Westminster after serving as an assistant football coach at NCAA Division I Temple University.
He was a three-year letterman as outside linebacker for the Titans from 1998-2000, after transferring from Ohio Northern University.
Augustine was a team captain his senior year, leading the Titans to an 8-2 record in 2000 and tying a school record with three interceptions in one game against Bethany that season.
The new coach also was a mid-distance specialist for the Titan track and field team during his collegiate career.