The first legal, professional Sunday baseball game in Philadelphia featured a matchup between the Phillies and the A’s on April 8, 1934. 15,000 fans looked on as the Phillies won 8-1 at Shibe Park in Philadelphia. Up until this point, blue laws in Pennsylvania deemed Sunday games illegal, as Sunday was intended as a day of worship and rest.
I wonder if those rooftops beyond right field could see into the park? What a place to be a kid!
I didn’t even notice that before, but you’re right. I would have loved to live there!
I wonder if an Anne Frank spirit lived there and wrote it all down sort of like Doris Goodwin’s “Wait till Next Year Memoir.” I’m gonna do a little Shibe Park search. If I find anything, I”l let you know.
Please do! I’m curious to know what you find out.
Seems strange and ominous that the Phillies would play in Shibe Park also named Connie Mack Stadium. Mack being an Athletic and all. I forgot about Bob Uecker playing there. He had some funny and disturbing things to say about the park, mostly the condition and its ornery fans.
There is a memoir book; not from someone who grew up on the rooftops, but Dick Allen home run balls apparently did break windows. Here’s a review of “To Everything a Season; Shibe Park and Urban Philadelphia, 1909-1976.” I think I’ll add it to my next Amazon haul. Maybe with that Seatlle Pilots book you mentioned a few months back.
http://articles.philly.com/1991-07-05/news/25785348_1_shibe-park-bruce-kuklick-connie-mack-stadium
I may have to check that out myself. It looks like it’d make a good companion to the Seattle Pilots book. Also looks like it could be a good snapshot of a microcosm of baseball history.