Shibe Park
Connie Mack Stadium
Location	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Broke ground	1908
Opened	April 12, 1909
Closed	October 1, 1970
Demolished	1976
Owner	Connie Mack & Ben Shibe
Operator	Athletic Grounds Co. Philadelphia (ˌfɪləˈdɛlfiə Champions World Series: Chicago Cubs over Detroit Tigers (4-1 Awards and honors Statistical Leaders Events 467 - Anthemius is elevated to Emperor of the Western Roman Empire. Champions World Series: Pittsburgh Pirates over Detroit Tigers (4-3 Awards and honors MLB Statistical Events 331 BC - Alexander the Great defeats Darius III of Persia in the Battle of Gaugamela. Champions Major Leagues World Series MVP Brooks Robinson All-Star Game, July 14 at Riverfront Stadium Champions Major League Baseball World Series: Cincinnati Reds over New York Yankees (4-0 Johnny Bench, MVP Cornelius Alexander Mack ( December 22, 1862  – February 8, 1956) born Cornelius Alexander McGillicuddy, was an American Benjamin Franklin Shibe ( January 23 1838 - January 14 1922) was an American executive in Major League Baseball who was
Surface	Grass
Construction cost	$457,167 USD
Architect	William Steele and Sons
Former names	Shibe Park (1909-1953) Connie Mack Stadium (1953-1976)
Tenants	Philadelphia Athletics (AL) (1909-1954) Philadelphia Phillies (NL) (1938-1970) Philadelphia Eagles (NFL) (1940, 1942-1957)
Capacity	23,000 (1909) 33,608 (1970)
Field dimensions	(1909) Left Field - 360 ft (Opening day), 378 ft (Late 1909) Center Field Corner - 515ft Right Field - 340ft (1925) Left Field - 334 ft Center Field Corner - 468 ft Right Field - 331 ft (1950) Left Field - 334 ft Deep Left Center - 420 ft Center Field - 447 ft Deep Right Center - 405 ft Right Field - 329 ft (1968) Left Field - 334 ft Deep Left Center - 387 ft Center Field - 410 ft Deep Right Center - 390 ft Right Field - 329 ft

Shibe Park, known for the last one-third of its existence as Connie Mack Stadium, was a Major League Baseball park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The United States dollar ( sign: $; code: USD) is the unit of Currency of the United States; it has also been The Oakland Athletics are a professional baseball team based in Oakland, California. The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League ( AL) is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in Year 1909 ( MCMIX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting Year 1954 ( MCMLIV) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1954 Gregorian calendar) The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the United States. The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the National League ( NL) is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball Year 1938 ( MCMXXXVIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Year 1970 ( MCMLXX) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link shows full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The National Football League ( NFL) is the largest professional American football league. Year 1940 ( MCMXL) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full 1940 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Year 1942 ( MCMXLII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Year 1957 ( MCMLVII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1957 Gregorian calendar) Champions World Series: Pittsburgh Pirates over Detroit Tigers (4-3 Awards and honors MLB Statistical Champions Major Leagues World Series MVP Brooks Robinson All-Star Game, July 14 at Riverfront Stadium Champions World Series: Pittsburgh Pirates over Detroit Tigers (4-3 Awards and honors MLB Statistical Champions World Series: Pittsburgh Pirates over Washington Senators (4-3 Negro League World Series: Hilldale Champions Major League Baseball World Series: New York Yankees over Philadelphia Phillies (4-0 All-Star The Year of the Pitcher In Major League Baseball, the trend throughout the 1960s was of increased pitching dominance caused by enforcing a larger strike zone (top of armpit A modern stadium (plural stadiums or stadia in English is a place or venue for (mostly outdoor Sports Concerts or other events consisting Philadelphia (ˌfɪləˈdɛlfiə When it opened April 12, 1909, it became Major League Baseball's first steel-and-concrete stadium. Events 467 - Anthemius is elevated to Emperor of the Western Roman Empire. Year 1909 ( MCMIX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting ^[1]

It was on the block bounded by Lehigh Avenue, 20th Street, Somerset Street and 21st Street. It was thus just five blocks west, corner-to-corner, from Baker Bowl, the home of the Philadelphia Phillies that had opened in 1887. Baker Bowl is the best-known popular name of a Baseball park that formerly stood in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the United States. Year 1887 ( MDCCCLXXXVII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common The stadium hosted two Major League Baseball All-Star Games; in 1943, marking the first time the game had been played at night, and in 1952, with that game holding the distinction of being the only All-Star contest shortened by rain (in this case, to five innings). The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also popularly known as the "Midsummer Classic" is an annual Baseball game between players from the National League Many sporting events did not take place because of World War II. Year 1952 ( MCMLII) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.

History

Shibe Park - Grand Stand Entrance - ca 1913
The George Grantham Bain Collection
Library Of Congress

The Philadelphia Athletics of the American League opened the ballpark in 1909 after abandoning Columbia Park. The Oakland Athletics are a professional baseball team based in Oakland, California. The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League ( AL) is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in Baseball World Series - Pittsburgh Pirates defeat Detroit Tigers, 4 games to 3 Boxing June 19 For other places known as Columbia Park see Columbia Park (disambiguation Columbia Park was a Baseball Stadium that The park was first called Shibe Park, named for Benjamin Shibe, who was one of the initial owners along with Connie Mack. Benjamin Franklin Shibe ( January 23 1838 - January 14 1922) was an American executive in Major League Baseball who was Cornelius Alexander Mack ( December 22, 1862  – February 8, 1956) born Cornelius Alexander McGillicuddy, was an American Mr. Mack eventually acquired full ownership, but kept the name the same. The park was renamed Connie Mack Stadium in 1953 in honor of the gentlemanly and modest Mr. Athletics Marathon September 12 &mdash Enschede Marathon, Netherlands Men's Winner Mack, who by then was known as "The Grand Old Man of Baseball". A statue was erected in 1957 across the street in a park, was moved to Veterans Stadium in 1971, and ultimately to Citizens Bank Park in 2004. Philadelphia Veterans Stadium (informally called "The Vet") was a professional sports facility located at the northeast corner of Broad Street and Pattison Citizens Bank Park is a 43647-seat Baseball -only Stadium in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that opened on April 3, 2004 Events On January 28, International Olympic Committee Vice-President Kim Un-yong is arrested on charges of corruption in Seoul

The park was the site of some special home run feats. Babe Ruth hit one to deep left-center on September 9, 1921, that cleared the then-single bleacher stand, went across the street, and hit a tree, over 500 feet away. George Herman Ruth Jr (February 6 1895 &ndash August 16 1948 also popularly known as " Babe " " The Bambino " and " The Sultan of On May 22, 1930, Ruth hit one to right field over the then-lower wall which landed in an alley behind the second row of flats, again over 500 feet distant. On June 3, 1932, Lou Gehrig hit 4 in one game here. Henry Louis "Lou" Gehrig ( June 19 1903  – June 2 1941) born Ludwig Heinrich Gehrig, was an American Showing no favoritism, he hit two to the left field bleachers, two over the still-short right field wall, and a shot at a fifth with a deep fly to center (whose corner at that time was about 470 feet away), but the center fielder snared it on a running catch. In later years, Richie Allen hit some booming drives over the double-decked bleachers, in the general direction of the 1921 Ruthian shot. For others with the same name see Richard Allen. Richard Anthony Allen (born March 8 1942, in Wampum Pennsylvania

Fans in Shibe Park watching the inaugural game in 1909.

Because the Athletics were popular at the time, sellout crowds encouraged house owners on 20th Street to erect bleachers similar to those now atop the flats at Wrigley Field in Chicago, and charging admission to watch the game. Wrigley Rooftops is a generic name for the rooftops of residential buildings which have Bleachers or seating on them to view baseball games or other major events at Wrigley Wrigley Field is a Baseball Stadium in Chicago, Illinois, United States that has served as the home ballpark of the Chicago This infuriated Mr. Mack (much as it would raise the ire of Cubs management), who was known as a tight owner when it came to finances. Rather than negotiate with the neighbors (as the Cubs later did), Mack filed a lawsuit against the 20th Street house owners. After losing that suit, during the winter of 1933 he ordered the extension of the fence to a height of 33 feet (10 meters), blocking the view of the neighbors, a fence quickly dubbed by writers as the "spite fence". Year 1933 ( MCMXXXIII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. A spite fence is an overly-tall fence typically constructed between adjacent lots by a property owner who is annoyed with or wishes to annoy a neighbor or who wishes to completely obstruct This contrasted with Baker Bowl's infamous right field wall, in that it was not necessary from the standpoint of dimensions (the park was spacious and essentially symmetrical), but strictly for economic reasons. But after the fence went up, the team's fortunes went down, as they seldom contended for the league championship after that. According to To Everything a Season, the fortunes of the neighborhood began to decline as well. Mack had cut the A's off from their neighborhood, to the detriment of both. The Athletics played in the stadium through the 1954 season and relocated to Kansas City in 1955. Kansas City Missouri only Items for the metro area Kansas City Kansas or North Kansas City MO should go on their respective pages The rooftop bleachers became one of the inspirations for a special seating area in Citizens Bank Park when it opened in 2004:

"Rooftop Bleacher Seats"

"The Phillies are bringing back rooftop bleacher seats, a Shibe Park phenomenon of the 1920s when residents of 20th Street built bleacher seats on top of their roofs. The seats are located on top of the buildings along Ashburn Alley. " [1]

As noted earlier, the use of flats as "bleachers" actually began the day the park opened in 1909.

Shibe Park (foreground) and Baker Bowl (background upper right corner).

The National League's Philadelphia Phillies had abandoned Baker Bowl in mid-season 1938, and played at the stadium as co-tenants, playing a doubleheader on July 4 that year, ultimately purchasing the park in the winter of 1954 when the Athletics left Philadelphia, until the stadium was closed after the 1970 season when the team moved to the then-new Veterans Stadium. The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the National League ( NL) is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the United States. Baker Bowl is the best-known popular name of a Baseball park that formerly stood in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Year 1938 ( MCMXXXVIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 836 - Pactum Sicardi, peace between the Principality of Benevento and the Duchy of Naples Artistic Gymnastics 1954 World Championships Men's all-around champion Viktor Chukarin, USSR Women's Artistic Gymnastics World Artistic Gymnastics Championships: Men's all-around champion Eizo Kenmotsu, Japan The final game played there, on October 1 with the Phillies defeating the Montreal Expos 2-1 in 10 innings, was marred by people literally wrecking the stadium before the game ended. Events 331 BC - Alexander the Great defeats Darius III of Persia in the Battle of Gaugamela. Franchise history Creation of the franchise In 1960 Montreal lost its International League team the Montreal Royals (an affiliate of In all, a special post-game ceremony — including a helicopter delivery to The Vet of home plate — was cancelled. The National Football League's Philadelphia Eagles also played at the stadium during most of the 1940s and 50s, including the 1948 NFL Championship game, played in a blizzard where the home team defeated the Chicago Cardinals 7-0 with the only score by a Steve Van Buren touchdown, before moving to Franklin Field in 1958, which made Connie Mack a baseball-only facility, and eventually to The Vet. The National Football League ( NFL) is the largest professional American football league. The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The 1948 National Football League Championship game was the 16th NFL title game played The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale Arizona, just outside of Phoenix. Stephen W Van Buren (born December 28, 1920 in La Ceiba, Honduras) is a former professional American football player who played for Franklin Field is the University of Pennsylvania 's stadium for football, Field hockey, Lacrosse, Sprint football, and Track Year 1958 ( MCMLVIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Philadelphia Veterans Stadium (informally called "The Vet") was a professional sports facility located at the northeast corner of Broad Street and Pattison

Connie Mack Stadium sat empty and unwanted for the better part of six years, suffering fire on August 20, 1971 — the same day the Connie Mack statue was re-dedicated at Veterans' Stadium — along with vandalism and jungle-like growth of weeds. Events 636 - Battle of Yarmouk: Arab forces led by Khalid ibn al-Walid take control of Syria and Palestine It was finally razed in 1976, while Philadelphia was the central point of American Bicentennial celebrations including the Major League Baseball All-Star Game at Veterans Stadium. Athletics For an extensive coverage see 1976 in athletics (track and field Marathon May The United States Bicentennial was celebrated on Sunday July 4, 1976, the 200th Anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also popularly known as the "Midsummer Classic" is an annual Baseball game between players from the National League Philadelphia Veterans Stadium (informally called "The Vet") was a professional sports facility located at the northeast corner of Broad Street and Pattison The ballpark that was once a "church of baseball" is now the site of an actual Christian church, the Deliverance Evangelistic Church.

References

Sources

• To Everything a Season, by Bruce Kuklick
• Philadelphia's Old Ballparks, by Rich Westcott
• Lost Ballparks, by Lawrence Ritter
• baseball annuals
• Connie Mack Stadium at Ballparks.com

External links

• Shibe Park site in North Philadelphia via Google Maps
• Stadium diagram (Clem's Baseball)