Final answer:
The claim that both Pittsburgh's professional football and baseball teams were called the Steelers in the 1930s is false. The baseball team is the Pirates and has been so named since the 1890s, while the football team, founded in 1933, was originally the Pittsburgh Pirates before becoming the Steelers in 1940.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that Pittsburgh's professional football and baseball teams were both called the Steelers for a short period in the 1930s is false. Pittsburgh's professional baseball team has been known as the Pirates for a long time. In fact, the Pittsburgh Pirates, a member of the National League since its founding in 1887, have had their team name since the 1890s.
Meanwhile, the city's professional football team, the Pittsburgh Steelers, was originally named the Pittsburgh Pirates as well when founded in 1933 and didn't adopt the Steelers name until 1940. The city's sports history is deeply rooted, with professional teams being a source of unity and a reflection of the civic identity, especially in the times around the 1900s when industries were booming, and cities like Pittsburgh were growing rapidly.