Shibe Park

A Complete History of Shibe Park

Ben Shibe, an Athletics stockholder and manufacturer of baseball products, had a dream in mind when he set out to build the first concrete-and-steel stadium in major league history. William Steele and Sons were signed on in 1908 to make the dream a reality and one year later the doors opened to Shibe Park.

Shibe Park, known later as Connie Mack Stadium, was a baseball park located in Philadelphia. It was the home of the Philadelphia Athletics of the American League (AL) and the Philadelphia Phillies of the National League (NL).

When it opened April 12, 1909, it became baseball's first steel-and-concrete stadium. In different eras it was home to "The $100,000 Infield", "The Whiz Kids", and "The 1964 Phold".

The venue's two home teams won both the first and last games at the stadium: the Athletics beat the Boston Red Sox 8—1 on opening day 1909, while the Phillies beat the Montreal Expos 2—1 on October 1, 1970, in the park's final contest.

Shibe Park stood on the block bounded by Lehigh Avenue, 20th Street, Somerset Street and 21st Street. It was five blocks west, corner-to-corner, from the Baker Bowl, the Phillies' home from 1887 to 1938.

Shibe Park hosted eight World Series and two MLB All-Star Games, in 1943 and 1952, with the latter game holding the distinction of being the only All-Star contest shortened by rain (to five innings). In May 1939, it was the site of the first night game played in the American League.

Phillies Hall-of-Fame centerfielder and longtime broadcaster Richie Ashburn remembered Shibe Park, "It looked like a ballpark. It smelled like a ballpark. It had a feeling and a heartbeat, a personality that was all baseball."

Baseball Almanac Top Quote

"There is much less drinking now than there was before 1927 because I quit drinking on May 24, 1927." - Rabbit Maranville

Shibe Park / 1909 - 1953
Connie Mack Stadium / 1953 - 1976

Shibe Park Forever by Andy Jurinko

Major League Occupants in Shibe Park

Philadelphia Athletics

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First Game 04-12-1909
Last Game 09-19-1954
Philadelphia Phillies

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First Game 05-16-1927
Last Game 05-28-1927
First Game 07-04-1938
Last Game 10-01-1970

Shibe Park / 1909 - 1953
Connie Mack Stadium / 1953 - 1976

Shibe Park

Shibe Park Ballpark Capacity

Capacity Changes
(Yearly Attendance Tm 1)
(Yearly Attendance Tm 2)
1909 20,000
1925 33,500
1926 27,500
1929 30,000
1930 33,000
1947 32,750
1948 32,500
1952 33,300
1953 33,166
1960 33,359
1961 33,608
Largest Crowd 41,660 05-11-1947
Smallest Crowd 23 09-08-1916

Shibe Park / 1909 - 1953
Connie Mack Stadium / 1953 - 1976

Shibe Park

Miscellaneous Items of Interest in Shibe Park

A.K.A. 1953+ Connie Mack Stadium
Current Status Demolished 06-1976
Field Surface Grass
First Night Game 05-16-1939
Last Game Ever 10-01-1970
Original Location North West Somerset Street
South West Lehigh Avenue
East North 20th Street
West North 21st Street

Shibe Park / 1909 - 1953
Connie Mack Stadium / 1953 - 1976

Shibe Park

Ballpark Dimensions

Backstop 1909 85'
1942 90'
1943 86'
1956 78'
1960 64'
Left Field 1909 360' - 378'
1921 380'
1922 334'
1926 312'
1930 334'
Left Center 1909 393'
1922 387'
1925 405'
1969 387'
Center Field 1909 515' - 502'
1922 468'
1950 448'
1951 440'
1953 460'
1954 468'
1956 447'
1969 410'
Right Center 1909 393'
1969 390'
Right Field 1909 360' - 340'
1921 380'
1926 307'
1930 331'
1934 329'
Shibe Park History | Connie Mack Stadium History
baseball almanac flat baseball

baseball almanac fast facts

Shibe Park was designed and built by William Steele and Sons. It took less than one year to build the entire ballpark and cost $141,918.92 for the land and $315,248.69 for the stadium itself - ballpark history at its best!

Right center field had a scoreboard that was 400' from home plate, 50' high, and had a 60' Ballantine Beer sign attached to it. Dick Allen was the only player to ever hit a home run over the Ballantine Beer sign and scoreboard.

"Allen didn't just hit homeruns... Connie Mack Stadium featured a two-deck grandstand in left field. Allen crushed balls that landed on or over the roof of these stands on several occasions." - Author Chris Williams in Coulda Woulda Shoulda: Baseball Stories You Haven't Heard (ACTA Publications. 03/01/2017. Chapter 6. Pages 48 and 49. Get it at: Acta or Amazon.)

Did you know that when the park closed in 1970 they removed home plate and placed it in Veterans Stadium for the 1971 regular season?