RetroSeasons recaps past sports seasons through stories, photos, videos, and stats from every team, league, and stadium in history. Coverage includes the NBA, NFL, MLB and NHL, as well as vintage media from defunct teams and leagues.
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 (also known as the Blue Jays from 1944 to 1949) 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. The stadium 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."
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 (also known as the Blue Jays from 1944 to 1949) 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. The stadium 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."
The New York Mets faced off against the Philadelphia Phillies on Wednesday, September 23, 1970,...
New York Mets vs Philadelphia Phillies - Radio Broadcast / The New York Mets faced off against the Philadelphia Phillies on Wednesday, September 23, 1970, at Connie Mack Stadium. The Mets, who had won the World Series in the previous season, were looking to regain their championship form, while the Phillies were in the midst of a rebuilding phase. On the mound for the Mets was Ray Sadecki, a seasoned left-hander who had been acquired from the San Francisco Giants in 1969. For the Phillies, Chris Short, a reliable veteran and two-time All-Star, took the start. This was a time when the league was witnessing a surge in offensive power, marked by an increase in home runs and batting averages.
The game kicked off with a back-and-forth between the two teams. The Phillies drew first blood in the first inning, capitalizing on a Mets' error. The Mets responded in the third inning to even the score. However, the Phillies took a 3-1 lead in the fourth inning, thanks to a two-run homer by Larry Hisle. The Mets clawed back in the sixth inning, tying the game at 3-3, only for the Phillies to regain the lead in the bottom half. The Mets' batters, however, were undeterred. In the eighth inning, Donn Clendenon hit a two-run homer, giving the Mets a lead they would not relinquish.
In the end, the Mets emerged victorious with a 5-4 win. The game was notable for its pitching changes, with the Mets using five pitchers and the Phillies three. Tug McGraw, who would later become a Phillies legend, earned the win for the Mets, while Dick Selma took the loss for the Phillies. Clendenon was the offensive star of the game, with his eighth-inning home run proving to be the game-winner.
The 1970 season was a mixed bag for both teams. The Mets, despite their victory in this game, could not replicate their championship run from the previous year, finishing in third place in the National League East. The Phillies, on the other hand, ended up in the cellar of the same division. However, this season marked the beginning of their slow climb to their first World Series title in 1980. As for the league, the season was dominated by the Cincinnati Reds, who won the National League pennant, and the Baltimore Orioles, who won the World Series. The 1970 season also saw Johnny Bench of the Reds and Boog Powell of the Orioles winning the Most Valuable Player awards in their respective leagues.