With the nation on lockdown because of the coronavirus pandemic, many fans are turning to MLB® The Show™ 20 to satisfy their baseball craving. Like the previous installments in the series, the most recent version of The Show™ gives users the option to play in historic ballparks from generations past.
These parks may no longer be in existence, but employing them as a backdrop in The Show™ transports the gamer to bygone eras of baseball bliss. These parks not only possessed quirky features and alluring architecture; they also had eventful histories worth exploring.
Researching the six classic ballparks featured in MLB® The Show™ 20 has given me profound insight into early 20th century baseball and how the game has evolved in the ensuing decades.
In order to share that knowledge, I have provided the historical background and descriptions of each those parks: the Polo Grounds, Shibe Park, Sportsman’s Park, Crosley Field, Forbes Field, and Griffith Stadium.
MLB teams that played at Shibe Park
- Philadelphia Athletics (1909-1954)
- Philadelphia Phillies (1938-1970)
Distinguishing Features
Often referred to as a “palace,” this Philadelphia ballpark had an exterior that reflected the ornate style of the French Renaissance.
In addition to its brick facade, the outside of the park featured arched windows, Ionic columns, baseball-themed decorative friezes, and terracotta sculptures of owner Ben Shibe and Athletics manager Connie Mack.
There was a restaurant on the ground level, and the park’s most recognizable feature was the domed cupola that housed Mack’s office on the corner of 21st and Lehigh.
The imbalanced dimensions of the ballpark’s interior–specifically its enormous center field–can be attributed to the city block it sat on. The block was 40 feet shorter from east to west than from north to south, which meant that at its deepest, the park’s outfield walls converged 515 feet from home plate.
A Ballpark for the Masses
Although the park’s exterior was opulent, owner Ben Shibe desired that the layout be egalitarian. The venue’s original design included 13,000 pavilion bleacher seats along the foul lines priced at just 25 cents each. There were also two standing-room sections that could accommodate another 17,000 spectators.
The Evening Telegraph praised these decisions, arguing that “those who live by the sweat of their brow should have as good a chance of seeing the game as the man who never rolled up his sleeves to earn a dollar” and that Shibe had created a stadium “for the masses as well as the classes.” This notion was supported by the fact that the park was easily accessible by trolley lines.
Ticket prices were reasonable, but some fans didn’t need to gain entry to watch a game. Homeowners on 20th Street could view the action from their rooftops, with some reporting that those views were preferable to those from within the park.
The Athletics tolerated rooftop seating when attendance figures were strong. Eventual decline in ticket sales led the organization to raise the right-field wall to 34 feet in order to block the view of the field from the 20th Street rooftops. The wall extension enraged fans, who derisively referred to it as the “spite fence” or “Connie Mack’s Spite Wall.”
Notable Games at Shibe
Among the notable events that took place at Shibe Park include the 1943 and 1952 All-Star Games, the first night game in American League history, Lou Gehrig’s four-homer performance, four no-hitters by Athletics pitchers, and Sandy Koufax’s 1964 no-hitter.
Want to learn more about other classic ballparks in The Show™ ? Click these links below to explore!!
