National League Park, commonly referred to as the Baker Bowl after 1923, was a baseball stadium and home to the
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. Since 2004, the team's home sta ...
from 1887 until 1938, and first home field of the
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team plays ...
from 1933 to 1935. It opened in 1887 with a capacity of 12,500, burned down in 1894, and was rebuilt in 1895 as the first ballpark constructed primarily of steel and brick, and first with a cantilevered upper deck. The ballpark's first base line ran parallel to Huntingdon Street; right field to center field parallel to
North Broad Street; center field to left field parallel to Lehigh Avenue; and the third base line parallel to 15th Street. The stadium was demolished in 1950.
1887 construction and 1894 fire
![18870502PI3](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/dc/18870502PI3.jpg)
The Phillies had played at
Recreation Park since their first season in 1883. Phillies owners
Al Reach
Alfred James Reach (May 25, 1840 – January 14, 1928) was an Anglo-American sportsman who, after becoming one of the early stars of baseball in the National Association, went on to become an influential executive, publisher, sporting goods manuf ...
and
John Rogers built the new National League Park at a cost of $80,000 with a capacity of 12,500
to open for the 1887 season.
Philadelphia's Building Inspectors' office issued a permit to Joseph Bird on August 4, 1886 for the construction of a pavilion 130 x 105 feet, one story high, at the northeast corner of Fifteenth and Huntingdon Streets. The pavilion was built of iron and brick and featured two turrets. The ballpark's superintendent would live in one of the turrets.
The new ballpark was to have opened on April 4, 1887 for the preseason
City Series against the Philadelphia Athletics but inclement weather delayed final construction.
The Phillies played their first game in the new ballpark on Saturday, April 30, 1887 in the home opener against the New York Giants. 18,000 tickets were sold for the first game, with 13,000 in the stands and an additional 5,000 fans crowded onto the bicycle track which encircled the field and others in the terraces above left field.
Philadelphia's Mayor
Edwin Henry Fitler
Edwin Henry Fitler (December 2, 1825 – May 31, 1896) was an American businessman and politician from Pennsylvania. He founded Edwin H. Fitler & Company, the largest cordage manufacturer in the United States at the time, and served as a Rep ...
attended along with the city's political and business leadership, and many baseball leaders including New York Giants owner
John B. Day
John Bailey Day (September 23, 1847 – January 25, 1925) was an American tobacco merchant who became an owner and manager in professional baseball of the late 19th century. He was the first owner of the franchise now known as the San Francisco ...
, Brooklyn Dodgers' founder and owner
Charlie Byrne, Baltimore Orioles manager
Billy Barnie
William Harrison Barnie (January 26, 1853 – July 15, 1900), nicknamed "Bald Billy", was an American manager and catcher in Major League Baseball. Born in New York City, he played as a right fielder in the National Association in 1874–75. In 1 ...
, and Philadelphia Athletics manager
Lew Simmons
Lewis Simmons (1838–1911) was an American Major League Baseball manager for the 1886 Philadelphia Athletics of the American Association American Association may refer to:
Baseball
* American Association (1882–1891), a major league active fr ...
. The Phillies defeated New York 15 to 9.
The original layout of the field was different from its shape by 1895. In 1887, the dimensions of the playing field were, left field , center field , and right field . The long left field distance was to the outer wall before the bleachers were added. Center field was much closer than it became later when the center field area was extended over the sunken railroad tracks. The field was surrounded by a quarter-mile [] bicycle track which was wide.
The bicycle track was upgraded in October 1890. During the 1891 baseball season, the Phillies welcomed fans to ride their bicycles to games, check and lock their cycles at the park, and then to use the bicycle track at the end of the game.
Following the 1893 season, the
Reading Railroad
The Reading Company ( ) was a Philadelphia-headquartered railroad that provided passenger and commercial rail transport in eastern Pennsylvania and neighboring states that operated from 1924 until its 1976 acquisition by Conrail.
Commonly calle ...
constructed a railroad tunnel under the intersection of Broad Street and Lehigh Avenue and the ballpark's centerfield, creating the ballpark's distinctive outfield "hump", and elevating the street level along the outfield fences. (This tunnel continues in use today by
SEPTA Regional Rail
The SEPTA Regional Rail system is a commuter rail network owned by the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority and serving the Philadelphia Metropolitan area. The system has 13 branches and more than 150 active stations in Philadelphi ...
's
Main Line
Mainline, ''Main line'', or ''Main Line'' may refer to:
Transportation
Railway
* Main line (railway), the principal artery of a railway system
* Main line railway preservation, the practice of operating preserved trains on an operational railw ...
.) To prevent fans from viewing the games over the right field wall along the now higher Broad Street, the Phillies constructed the high fence prior to the 1894 season.
Fire would destroy the grandstand and bleachers of the original stadium on August 6, 1894. The $80,000 in damage (equal to $ today) was covered fully by insurance. The fire also spread to the adjoining properties, causing an additional $20,000 in damage, equal to $ today.
While the Phillies were playing a short road trip and then staging six home games at the University of Pennsylvania Grounds at 37th and Spruce, a building crew worked around the clock to erect temporary bleachers. The makeshift stands were finished in time for the game on August 18.
1895 reconstruction and expansion
During the 1894–95 off-season, the park was fully rebuilt, seated 18,800, and was dedicated on May 2, 1895.
The Phillies' National League Park was the first ballpark to be constructed primarily of steel and brick. The double decker grandstand was built of steel, brick, and concrete to prevent future fires. The ballpark had outer brick walls on all four sides, three wide steel stairways between decks, and a series of fifteen 30-foot heavy iron girders supporting the platforms and roof of the upper deck. The upper deck was made possible by the use of the
cantilever
A cantilever is a rigid structural element that extends horizontally and is supported at only one end. Typically it extends from a flat vertical surface such as a wall, to which it must be firmly attached. Like other structural elements, a canti ...
system.
Cantilever design was a new architectural technique in stadium construction in 1894, and National League Park was the first to be constructed with it. The ballpark's cantilevered concrete supports eliminated the need for many of the support columns in the pavilion that had made for “obstructed view seating” in the original ballpark and other stadiums. Use of the cantilever design would become, and continues to be standard in the construction of stadiums.
The sweeping curve behind the plate was about , and instead of angling back toward the foul lines, the wide foul ground extended all the way to the wall in right, and well down the left field line. The spacious foul ground allowed for a higher probability of foul flyouts and extended an advantage to pitchers.
Seats were added along the left field wall prior to the 1896 season.
The ballpark was held in such high regard that in April 1897, the ''Philadelphia Inquirer'' reported on Phillies' outfielder
Sam Thompson
Samuel Luther "Big Sam" Thompson (March 5, 1860 – November 7, 1922) was an American professional baseball player from 1884 to 1898 and with a brief comeback in 1906. At , the Indiana native was one of the larger players of his day and was known ...
singing the park's praises to the team's new players as they returned to Philadelphia from spring training, "...Thompson says that if he can see the cantilever just once more he will die happy. Many of the boys have never seen the monument at Broad and Huntingdon streets, and Samuel has given luminous descriptions of the hump, grade, and drainage system."
Prior to the 1897 season, Phillies owner
John Rogers claimed that the ballpark's capacity was 20,008.
During the
August 8, 1903 game against Boston with 10,078 in the stands, an altercation between two drunken men and two teenage girls on 15th Street caught the attention of bleacher fans down the left field line.
Many of the fans ran to the top of the wooden seating area, and the added stress on that section of the bleachers caused it to collapse into the street, killing 12 and injuring 232. This led to additional renovations to the stadium and forced ownership to sell the team.
The Phillies temporarily moved to the
Philadelphia Athletics
The Philadelphia Athletics were a Major League Baseball team that played in Philadelphia from 1901 to 1954, when they moved to Kansas City, Missouri, and became the Kansas City Athletics. Following another move in 1967, the team became the Oaklan ...
' home field,
Columbia Park
Columbia Park or Columbia Avenue Grounds was a baseball park in Philadelphia. It was built in 1901 as the first home of the Philadelphia Athletics, who played there for eight seasons, including two games of the 1905 World Series.
Columbia Park ...
, while their ballpark was repaired. The Phillies played sixteen games at Columbia Park in August and September 1903.
![19040330LEFTFIELD](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/98/19040330LEFTFIELD.jpg)
The Phillies rebuilt the stands prior to the 1904 season which had the effect of reducing capacity. Following the 1903 disaster, Phillies owner
James Potter and the other club officers hosted National League president
Harry Pulliam
Harry Clay Pulliam (February 9, 1869 – July 29, 1909) was an American baseball executive who served as the sixth President of the National League. He served from 1903 until his death in 1909. He was president during the period in which the Nati ...
and the city's baseball writers for a luncheon, and then made an official tour of the ballpark to show off the reconstructed and reinforced left field bleachers. The grandstand improvements were inspected by the City of Philadelphia's Chief Building Inspector and granted his approval.
The Phillies' new ownership refurbished the ballpark further prior to the 1905 season. They had the grandstand painted and every seat cleaned. As they had the previous year before the season, the Phillies had the stands inspected by the chief of the City's Bureau of Building Inspections prior to Opening Day, and publicized his approval that they met all codes.
![Baker Bowl bleachers 1915](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/98/Baker_Bowl_bleachers_1915.jpg)
The Phillies erected field level seats extending from the left field stands around to the centerfield club house before the 1906 season which increased capacity by 3,000 spectators. The ballpark had featured hanging seats in left field on Lehigh Avenue beneath which fans parked carriages, bicycles, and other vehicles; these accommodations were lost with the erection of the new left field stands.
Prior to the 1907 season, a new corrugated roof was placed over half of the grandstand and the visiting team clubhouse was refurbished with new showers and other amenities. Through the 1907 season, the batters eye in centerfield was stonework and reflected the sun. Prior to the 1908 season, the Phillies' painted the stonework green to match the wood fences and reduce the glare; moved the score board to the right field foul line; and for the first time built covered dugouts described as "small pavilion-like sheds erected over the players' bench, completely shutting the bench out from view of the people in the grandstand."
The park was refurbished again prior to the 1909 season with increased seating capacity, new box seats, and renovations to the players' clubhouse. The park itself was painted green which the Philadelphia Inquirer welcomed as an improvement "instead of the old glaring assortment of rainbow colors which predominated in the past."
During a game on May 14, 1927, parts of two sections of the lower deck extension along the right-field line collapsed due to rotted shoring timbers, again triggered by an oversize gathering of people, who were seeking shelter from the rain. While no one died during the collapse, one individual died of heart failure in the subsequent stampede that injured 50. As in 1903, the Phillies rented from the A's while repairs were being made to the old structure.
A small incident occurred overnight on August 2–3, 1935, when a lightning bolt hit the flagpole and splintered it. The reporter wryly observed that if the Phillies were to win the 1935 pennant, they would have no place to hang it. That was a safe proposition, as the Phillies finished in seventh place, 35 1/2 games behind the first place Chicago Cubs.
When the Phillies departed in 1938, the ballpark did not offer motor vehicle parking, and would never feature a separate press box nor public address system. The stadium never featured lights for night games.
The Baker Wall
National League Park was distinguished by its right field wall which at its closest distance was only 280 feet (85 m) from home plate, with right-center only 300 feet (91.5 m) away. Behind the right field wall was
North Broad Street and
North Broad Street train station across the street.
The right field wall came to be known as the Baker Wall after
William Baker who ran the club from 1913 until his death in 1930. The right field wall and screen in its final form was 60 feet (18 m) high. By comparison,
Fenway Park
Fenway Park is a baseball stadium located in Boston, Massachusetts, United States, near Kenmore Square. Since 1912, it has been the home of the Boston Red Sox, the city's American League baseball team, and since 1953, its only Major League Base ...
's left field wall, the
Green Monster
The Green Monster is a popular nickname for the left field wall at Fenway Park, home to the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball. The wall is from home plate and is a popular target for right-handed hitters.
Overview
The wall was part ...
, is 37 feet (11 m) high, and 310 feet (94 m) away.
The wall was an amalgam of different materials. It was originally a masonry structure topped by a wire fence.
With the advent of the
live-ball era
The live-ball era, also referred to as the lively ball era, is the period in Major League Baseball beginning in (and continuing to the present day), contrasting with the pre-1920 period known as the "dead-ball era". The name "live-ball era" comes ...
in 1920, it became significantly easier to hit home runs over the near right field wall. The Phillies extended the barrier upward with masonry, wood, and a metal pipe-and-wire screen. The lower part of the wall was rough and eventually a layer of tin was laid over the entire structure except for the upper part of the screen.
Because of its material, it made a distinctive sound when balls ricocheted off it, as happened frequently. The clubhouse was located above and behind the center field wall.
No batter ever hit a ball over the clubhouse, but
Rogers Hornsby
Rogers Hornsby Sr. (April 27, 1896 – January 5, 1963), nicknamed "The Rajah", was an American baseball infielder, manager, and coach who played 23 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). He played for the St. Louis Cardinals (1915–1926, 1933 ...
once hit a ball through a window.
Name
![19050410PBP](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9e/19050410PBP.jpg)
The proper name of the original ballpark was "Philadelphia Ball Park" while the rebuilt structure from 1895 was "National League Park."
The opening day game program in 1887 called it "Philadelphia Ball Park". Photographs during its later years show a sign on the ballpark's exterior reading "National League Park". The Phillies referred to it as "National League Park" in newspaper advertisements through the final game day, June 30, 1938.
"Huntingdon Street Grounds" was an early common name for the ballpark after the street running behind the first base line and intersecting Broad Street behind home plate where the ballpark's primary entrance was located.
![19230711BakerBowl](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/27/19230711BakerBowl.jpg)
The Philadelphia Inquirer coined the term "Baker Bowl" on July 11, 1923 after then Phillies owner
William F. Baker. Baker had purchased the club in 1913 and would own the club until his death in 1930.
Built for baseball in the dead ball era, it came to be seen as inadequately cramped for the post-1920 live ball era. The ballpark was written about as "The Cigar Box" and "The Band Box", referring to the diminutive size of the outfield. After the close of the Baker Bowl, the terms "cigar box" and "bandbox" were subsequently applied to any "intimate" ballpark (like Boston's
Fenway Park
Fenway Park is a baseball stadium located in Boston, Massachusetts, United States, near Kenmore Square. Since 1912, it has been the home of the Boston Red Sox, the city's American League baseball team, and since 1953, its only Major League Base ...
or Brooklyn's
Ebbets Field
Ebbets Field was a Major League Baseball stadium in the Flatbush section of Brooklyn, New York. It is mainly known for having been the home of the Brooklyn Dodgers baseball team of the National League (1913–1957). It was also home to five p ...
) whose configurations were conducive to players hitting home runs.
The ballpark would also be referred to as "The Hump" in reference to the hill in center field covering the partially submerged railroad tunnel in the street beyond right field that extended through into center field. Outfielders would occasionally feel the rumblings of the trains passing underneath them.
Philadelphia Phillies
![Baker Bowl 1915](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a4/Baker_Bowl_1915.jpg)
During the 51½ seasons the Phillies played there, they managed only one pennant in
1915
Events
Below, the events of World War I have the "WWI" prefix.
January
* January – British physicist Sir Joseph Larmor publishes his observations on "The Influence of Local Atmospheric Cooling on Astronomical Refraction".
*January 1 ...
. The
1915 World Series
The 1915 World Series was the championship series in Major League Baseball for the 1915 season. The 12th edition of the World Series, it matched the American League champion Boston Red Sox against the National League champion Philadelphia Philli ...
was significant in that it was the first time a sitting president attended a World Series game when
Woodrow Wilson
Thomas Woodrow Wilson (December 28, 1856February 3, 1924) was an American politician and academic who served as the 28th president of the United States from 1913 to 1921. A member of the Democratic Party, Wilson served as the president of ...
attended and threw out the first pitch prior to Game 2. The Series was also the first post-season appearance by
Babe Ruth
George Herman "Babe" Ruth Jr. (February 6, 1895 – August 16, 1948) was an American professional baseball player whose career in Major League Baseball (MLB) spanned 22 seasons, from 1914 through 1935. Nicknamed "the Bambino" and "the Su ...
, and the last to be played in a venue whose structure predated the modern World Series.
While they were occasionally at least respectable in the dead-ball era, once the lively ball was introduced the Phillies nearly always finished in last place, substantially helping them towards the 10,000-loss "milestone" they reached on July 15, 2007. It was an extremely hitter-friendly park, making it an especially difficult place to pitch. For a number of years, a huge advertising sign on the right field wall read "The Phillies Use
Lifebuoy
A lifebuoy is a life-saving buoy designed to be thrown to a person in water, to provide buoyancy and prevent drowning. Some modern lifebuoys are fitted with one or more seawater-activated lights, to aid rescue at night.
Other names
Other nam ...
", a popular brand of soap. This led to the oft-reported quip that appended "... and they still stink!" In 1936, a vandal snuck into the Baker Bowl one night and actually wrote that phrase on the Lifebuoy ad. Conventional wisdom ties their failures to the Baker Bowl, but they remained cellar-dwellers in
Shibe Park
Shibe Park, known later as Connie Mack Stadium, was a ballpark 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, 1 ...
as well.
At the ballpark on September 17, 1900, in game 1 of a doubleheader against the Cincinnati Reds, the Phillies were discovered to have been stealing opponents' signs using hidden wires and an electronic device. Phillies’ backup catcher
Morgan Murphy sat in the team’s centerfield clubhouse window which faced home plate. The Phillies ran wires from Murphy, under the field, to a battery-powered device in a box buried underneath the third-base coach’s box. From centerfield, Murphy would spot the opposing catcher’s signals, and then send an electronic signal - once for a fastball and twice for a breaking ball. Phillies infielder
Pearce Chiles
Pearce Nuget Chiles (May 28, 1867 – December 11, 1933), nicknamed "What's The Use", was an American professional baseball player who played as both an outfielder and infielder in the Major Leagues from 1899-1900 for the Philadelphia Phillies.
D ...
coached third-base, received the signal beneath his feet, and signaled to the batter.
Cincinnati’s
Tommy Corcoran
Thomas William Corcoran (January 4, 1869 – June 25, 1960) was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a shortstop from to for the Pittsburgh Burghers (1890), Philadelphia Athletics (1891), Brooklyn Gro ...
had noted Chiles' unusual leg jolts. In the third inning, Corcoran walked to the third-base coach’s box and began digging at the dirt with his cleats. Before the Phillies' groundskeeper could stop him, Corcoran had unearthed the electronic box and showed it to umpire
Tim Hurst
Timothy Carroll Hurst (June 30, 1865 – June 4, 1915) was an American sports official who worked as an umpire (baseball), umpire and manager (baseball), manager in Major League Baseball and as a referee (boxing), boxing referee in championship f ...
. Hurst disciplined no one, signaled the game to continue, and is reported to have shouted, “Back to the mines, men!”.
![Shibe Park and Baker Bowl aerial, September 1929](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/92/Shibe_Park_and_Baker_Bowl_aerial%2C_September_1929.jpg)
On June 9, 1914,
Honus Wagner
Johannes Peter "Honus" Wagner (; February 24, 1874 – December 6, 1955), sometimes referred to as "Hans" Wagner, was an American baseball shortstop who played 21 seasons in Major League Baseball from 1897 to 1917, almost entirely for the Pitts ...
hit his 3,000th career hit in the stadium. Babe Ruth played his final major league baseball game in the Baker Bowl on May 30, 1935, grounding out to first base in his only at bat but getting an assist by throwing a runner out at home plate on a relay play from left field.
When the ballpark first opened, it was praised as among the finest baseball palace in America. Phillies' ownership under Colonel John Rogers invested in the grounds and made continuous improvements the 1890s and the Phillies' owners in the early 1900s did the same. William Baker, the Phillies' owner from 1913 to 1930, neglected the ballpark's maintenance and allowed it to fall into disrepair. Baker died in 1930 in the early days of the Depression, and the Phillies new ownership were not in a position to make badly needed renovations.
The ''
Chicago Tribune
The ''Chicago Tribune'' is a daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States, owned by Tribune Publishing. Founded in 1847, and formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" (a slogan for which WGN radio and television ar ...
'' ran a series of articles on baseball parks during the summer of 1937; the article on the Phillies' ballpark was merciless in its ridicule. Included was the oft-repeated joke of this era that the Phillies had remodeled the clubhouse by installing brand new nails to hang their clothes upon. This was in contrast to the 1890s when the same clubhouse was known for its handball court, pool, trainers' facilities, and locker room.
The ballpark was abandoned during the middle of the
1938 season, as the Phillies chose to move 5 blocks west on Lehigh Avenue to rent the newer and more spacious
Shibe Park
Shibe Park, known later as Connie Mack Stadium, was a ballpark 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, 1 ...
from the
Athletics
Athletics may refer to:
Sports
* Sport of athletics, a collection of sporting events that involve competitive running, jumping, throwing, and walking
** Track and field, a sub-category of the above sport
* Athletics (physical culture), competiti ...
rather than remain at the Baker Bowl. Phillies president
Gerald Nugent
Gerald Paul Nugent, Sr. (October 25, 1892 – November 25, 1970) was the owner of the Philadelphia Phillies baseball team of the National League from 1932 through 1942.
A Philadelphia native, Nugent graduated from Northeast High School, where ...
cited the move as an opportunity for the Phillies to cut expenses as stadium upkeep would be split between two clubs. The final game was played on June 30, when a crowd of only 1,500 spectators watched the Phillies lose to the
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. ...
, 14–1.
At the Baker Bowl, the Phillies finished with a 30–38–1 record against the Athletics in
City Series exhibition games.
Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Ball Park was the first home field of the
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team plays ...
, who played there from
1933
Events
January
* January 11 – Sir Charles Kingsford Smith makes the first commercial flight between Australia and New Zealand.
* January 17 – The United States Congress votes in favour of Philippines independence, against the wis ...
through
1935
Events
January
* January 7 – Italian premier Benito Mussolini and French Foreign Minister Pierre Laval conclude Franco-Italian Agreement of 1935, an agreement, in which each power agrees not to oppose the other's colonial claims.
* ...
. In their three seasons there, they had a 9–21–1 record.
Eagles' owner
Bert Bell
De Benneville "Bert" Bell (February 25, 1895 – October 11, 1959) was the National Football League (NFL) commissioner from 1946 until his death in 1959. As commissioner, he introduced competitive parity into the NFL to improve the league's comme ...
hoped to play home games at larger
Shibe Park
Shibe Park, known later as Connie Mack Stadium, was a ballpark 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, 1 ...
, but negotiations with the Athletics were not fruitful, and Bell agreed to a deal with Phillies' owner Gerry Nugent. For Eagles games, 5,000 temporary seats were erected along the right-field wall. The Eagles played their first game at the ballpark on October 3, 1933, a 40–0 pre-season victory over a U.S. Marines team; the game was played at night under rented floodlights. In the first regular-season game on October 18, 1933, 1,750 fans saw the
Portsmouth Spartans
The professional American football team now known as the Detroit Lions previously played in Portsmouth, Ohio, as the Portsmouth Spartans, from its founding in 1928 to its relocation to Detroit in 1934. Originally drawing players from defunct indepe ...
beat the Eagles, 25–0. Later that season, 17,850 fans watched the Eagles tie the
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) North division. The Bears have won nine NF ...
on Sunday, November 18, 1933. Under
Pennsylvania blue laws, Sunday games had been prohibited.
With the ballpark in poor condition, the Eagles left the ballpark after the 1935 season for the city-owned
Municipal Stadium, which was then only 10 years old and could seat up to 100,000 spectators.
Other tenants
![19250730 Philadelphia Inquirer p18](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0a/19250730_Philadelphia_Inquirer_p18.jpg)
In addition to Phillies baseball and Eagles football, the ballpark served the city as a multipurpose playing field available to other teams.
The ballpark was selected as a neutral host site for Game 6 of the
1888 World Series
The 1888 World Series was an end-of-the-year professional baseball season championship playoff series between the National League champion New York Giants and the old American Association champion St. Louis Browns.
The Giants won, 6 games to 4. ...
played on October 22, 1888. 4,000 fans saw the National League New York Giants defeat the American Association St. Louis Browns including veteran journalist
Henry Chadwick, and popular entertainers
DeWolf Hopper
William DeWolf Hopper (March 30, 1858September 23, 1935) was an American actor, singer, comedian, and theatrical producer. A star of vaudeville and musical theater, he became best known for performing the popular baseball poem "Casey at the Bat". ...
and
Digby Bell
Digby Bell (born Digby Valentine Bell; November 8, 1849 – June 20, 1917) was a popular vaudeville entertainer and Broadway performer at the beginning of the 20th century.
Early life
Bell was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on November 8, 1849.
...
.
In 1894, six of the National League baseball clubs organized the
American League of Professional Football
American League of Professional Football was the first professional soccer league in the United States, existing for one season in 1894. It was also one of the earliest professional leagues in the world. It was created by the owners of the Natio ...
Clubs, a professional soccer league. The league's inaugural game was played at Philadelphia Ball Park on October 6, 1894. The playing field measured 160 by 330 feet, and 500 fans saw New York defeat Philadelphia 5 to 0.
The
Cleveland Spiders
The Cleveland Spiders were an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. The team competed at the major league level from 1887 to 1899, first for two seasons as a member of the now-defunct American Association (AA), followed ...
played nine 'home games' at the ballpark on July 29-30, August 5-6, 8, and 11, 1898.
The minor league baseball
Tri-State League The Tri-State League was the name of six different circuits in American minor league baseball.
History
The first league of that name played for four years (1887–1890) and consisted of teams in Ohio, Michigan and West Virginia.
The second leagu ...
contested its 1904 championship game at the Phillies' ball park. York defeated Williamsport before 3,500 fans.
Central High School's football team opened its season against
Atlantic City High School
Atlantic City High School (ACHS) is a comprehensive public high school in Atlantic City, in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States. It is the lone secondary school of the Atlantic City School District.
The current school building opened i ...
on October 20, 1906 at the park.
During its tenure, the park hosted
Negro league
The Negro leagues were United States professional baseball leagues comprising teams of African Americans and, to a lesser extent, Latin Americans. The term may be used broadly to include professional black teams outside the leagues and it may be ...
games, including four postseason seasons. In 1921, the
Chicago American Giants
The Chicago American Giants were a Chicago-based Negro league baseball team. From 1910 until the mid-1930s, the American Giants were the most dominant team in black baseball. Owned and managed from 1911 to 1926 by player-manager Andrew "Rube" Fo ...
(champions of the Negro National League) played a series against the team considered the best of the East in the
Hilldale Club
The Hilldale Athletic Club (informally known as Darby Daisies) were an American professional Negro league baseball, Negro league baseball team based in Darby, Pennsylvania, west of Philadelphia.
Established as a boys team in 1910, the Hilldales we ...
. The Baker Bowl hosted the first two games of a best-of-six series that Hilldale won three (with one tie).
![19241003 PHILA](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b6/19241003_PHILA.jpg)
Three years later, the venue hosted the first two games of the
1924 Colored World Series
The 1924 in baseball, 1924 Colored World Series was a best-of-nine match-up between the Negro National League (1920–31), Negro National League champion Kansas City Monarchs and the Eastern Colored League champion Hilldale Club, Hilldale. In a te ...
between the
Kansas City Monarchs
The Kansas City Monarchs were the longest-running franchise in the history of baseball's Negro leagues. Operating in Kansas City, Missouri, and owned by J. L. Wilkinson, they were charter members of the Negro National League from 1920 to 193 ...
and the
Hilldale Club
The Hilldale Athletic Club (informally known as Darby Daisies) were an American professional Negro league baseball, Negro league baseball team based in Darby, Pennsylvania, west of Philadelphia.
Established as a boys team in 1910, the Hilldales we ...
that the Monarchs won in ten games. The following year, the two teams met again in the
1925 Colored World Series
The 1925 Colored World Series was the second edition of the championship series in Negro league baseball. The series featured a rematch between the Hilldale Club of Darby, Pennsylvania, champion of the Eastern Colored League (ECL), and the Kansas ...
; the Baker Bowl hosted Game 5 and 6 in a series that saw Hilldale win their first and only World Series. The following year, the Bowl hosted Game 4 and 5 of the
1926 Colored World Series
The 1926 Colored World Series was the championship tournament for the 1926 season of Negro league baseball. It was the third overall Series played. It matched the Chicago American Giants, champions of the Negro National League (1920–1931), and t ...
. It was during a 1929 exhibition with a Negro league team that
Babe Ruth
George Herman "Babe" Ruth Jr. (February 6, 1895 – August 16, 1948) was an American professional baseball player whose career in Major League Baseball (MLB) spanned 22 seasons, from 1914 through 1935. Nicknamed "the Bambino" and "the Su ...
hit two home runs that landed about halfway into the rail yards across the street in right.
Rodeo
Rodeo () is a competitive equestrian sport that arose out of the working practices of cattle herding in Spain and Mexico, expanding throughout the Americas and to other nations. It was originally based on the skills required of the working va ...
s were occasionally held at the park in order to raise additional revenue. That activity and mindset fit with the reported use of sheep to graze on the field during Phillies road trips, in lieu of buying lawn mowers, until sometime in the 1920s.
In 1923, Phillies Park hosted multiple
college football
College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States.
Unlike most ...
games of
Saint Joseph's Hawks football.
Boxing matches were held at the ballpark and attracted large crowds. 35,000 spectators saw
George Godfrey lose on a foul to
Primo Carnera
Primo may refer to:
People
*DJ Premier (born 1966), hip-hop producer, sometimes goes by nickname Primo
*Primo Carnera (1906–1967), Italian boxer, World Heavyweight champion 1933–1934
*Primo Cassarino (born 1956), enforcer for the Gambino cri ...
on June 23, 1930.
Between 1938 and 1950
![SEPTA Main-Line-Signal-29x](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/33/SEPTA_Main-Line-Signal-29x.jpg)
Of all the MLB parks whose permanent structures were built in the 19th century, the Baker Bowl hung on the longest, finally hosting its last game on June 30, 1938, or about 51 1/2 years after it opened. (
Robison Field
Robison Field is the best-known of several names given to a former Major League Baseball park in St. Louis, Missouri. It was the home of the St. Louis Cardinals of the National League from April 27, 1893 until June 6, 1920.
History
Today's Card ...
in St. Louis, the next-longest-lasting 19th-century big-league ballpark, had closed in 1920.)
As early as 1928, the ballpark's site was put forth by the Greater Kensington Business Men's Association as an advantageous location for the city's proposed convention center. The ballpark was across the street from the Reading Railroad's
North Broad station
North Broad station, known as North Broad Street until 1992, is a SEPTA Regional Rail station in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is located at 2601 North Broad Street ( PA 611) in the Cecil B. Moore section of Lower North Philadelphia, and serves ...
and the city's
Broad Street Line
The Broad Street Line (BSL), also known as the Broad Street subway (BSS), Orange Line, or Broad Line, is a subway line owned by the city of Philadelphia and operated by the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA). The line r ...
subway had recently opened. The
Philadelphia Convention Hall and Civic Center
The Philadelphia Convention Hall and Civic Center – more commonly known simply as the Philadelphia Civic Center – was a convention center complex located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It developed out of a series of buildings dedicated to ...
would be built in 1931 near the University of Pennsylvania and Philadelphia's Center City.
After the Phillies moved to Shibe Park, its new owners renamed the lot Philadelphia Gardens and experimented with various types of events. For 1939 the roof and upper deck were peeled off and a midget-car race track was built around the inside perimeter.
In the summer of 1940, an ice rink of regulation hockey dimensions was installed, its underground machinery maintaining a frozen surface and enabling ice skating year round.
The old centerfield clubhouse was remodeled into a piano bar and entertainment venue called "Dick McClain's Alpine Musical Bar" which opened on May 15, 1942 with the Harlem Highlanders. It would remain open until sometime in the summer of 1943.
Local newspapers advertised dancing and skating at the old ballpark site. Temple's hockey team played some of their games at this site also. There were also occasional boxing matches staged there. These enterprises all faded away during World War II.
In February 1946,
Leonard Peto, owner of the former-
Montreal Maroons
The Montreal Maroons (officially the Montreal Professional Hockey Club) were a professional ice hockey team in the National Hockey League (NHL). They played in the NHL from 1924 to 1938, winning the Stanley Cup in 1926 and 1935. They were the la ...
NHL franchise, announced plans to revive the franchise in Philadelphia for the 1946-1947 NHL season as the league's seventh team. By March 1946, Peto and his partners had identified the Phillies' park site for their planned 20,000 uptown arena. However, the group was unable to secure funding for the project and the arena was never built. Philadelphia would eventually receive an
NHL expansion team in 1967.
By 1947, a business called Phillies Auto Mart at Broad and Huntington Streets advertised in the newspaper that prospective buyers could "Try It Out On the Old PHILLIES Ballpark Racing Oval."
On July 11, 1950, one of the still standing structures at the southwest corner of Broad St and Lehigh Ave, repurposed into a bar and taproom, caught fire, and burned the 80-foot long wooden structure to the ground.
Legacy
![20220714NBROADatHUNTINGDON](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/25/20220714NBROADatHUNTINGDON.jpg)
A Pennsylvania Historical marker stands on
North Broad Street just north of West Huntingdon Street, Philadelphia. The marker is titled, "Baker Bowl National League Park" and the text reads,
The Phillies' baseball park from its opening in 1887 until 1938. Rebuilt 1895; hailed as nation's finest stadium. Site of first World Series attended by U.S. President, 1915; Negro League World Series, 1924-26; Babe Ruth's last major league game, 1935. Razed 1950.
![20220714StationWarehouse](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a6/20220714StationWarehouse.jpg)
The marker was dedicated on August 16, 2000, at
Veterans Stadium
Veterans Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, at the northeast corner of Broad Street and Pattison Avenue, part of the South Philadelphia Sports Complex. The seating capacities were 65,358 for footb ...
during an on-the-field
pre-game ceremony
A pre-game ceremony or pre-match ceremony is an on-field ceremony occurring before a sporting event. Such ceremonies may celebrate a past event, honour a retiring athlete, commemorate a deceased athlete, or promote a cause.
Celebrating past event ...
. The marker was unveiled by former Phillies shortstop
Bobby Stevens
Robert Jordan Stevens (April 17, 1907 – December 30, 2005) was an American professional baseball player who played in twelve games for the Philadelphia Phillies during the season.
He played 12 games in 1931, hitting .343 in 35 at-bats w ...
, who played for the team in
1931
Events
January
* January 2 – South Dakota native Ernest Lawrence invents the cyclotron, used to accelerate particles to study nuclear physics.
* January 4 – German pilot Elly Beinhorn begins her flight to Africa.
* January 22 – Sir I ...
, and then–current Phillies pitcher
Randy Wolf
Randall Christopher Wolf (born August 22, 1976) nicknamed "Wolfie", is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Philadelphia Phillies, Los Angeles Dodgers, San Diego Padres, Houston Astros, ...
. The marker was displayed at the Vet through the end of the 2000 season and then moved to the location of the ballpark, just behind where the right field foul pole would be.
Some distinctive buildings visible in vintage photos of the ballpark remain standing and help to mark the ballpark's former location. The most prominent structure is the 10-story-tall, triangular building across Lehigh to the north-northeast, behind what was centerfield. It was originally a
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company (commonly known as Ford) is an American multinational automobile manufacturer headquartered in Dearborn, Michigan, United States. It was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. The company sells automobi ...
building, and was constructed during the 1914 season. Another is the neoclassical North Broad Street Station train depot building across Broad Street from what was the end of the first base grandstand, and where Huntingdon tees into Broad. It opened in 1929 and is visible in later aerial photos of the ballpark. The building itself now houses a homeless shelter.
The active and in-use
North Broad station
North Broad station, known as North Broad Street until 1992, is a SEPTA Regional Rail station in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is located at 2601 North Broad Street ( PA 611) in the Cecil B. Moore section of Lower North Philadelphia, and serves ...
serving
SEPTA Regional Rail
The SEPTA Regional Rail system is a commuter rail network owned by the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority and serving the Philadelphia Metropolitan area. The system has 13 branches and more than 150 active stations in Philadelphi ...
's
Lansdale/Doylestown Line
The Lansdale/Doylestown Line is a SEPTA Regional Rail line connecting Center City Philadelphia to Doylestown in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. Until 1981, diesel-powered trains continued on the Bethlehem Branch from Lansdale to Quakertown, Bethle ...
and
Manayunk/Norristown Line
The Manayunk/Norristown Line is a commuter rail service in Southeastern Pennsylvania, and one of the 13 lines in SEPTA's Regional Rail network. It has the fourth highest ridership and the highest operating ratio (58%) on the SEPTA Regional Rail ...
stands behind the former station building.
The ballpark's site now features a gas station and convenience store where the center-field clubhouse once stood, garages, and a car wash.
Gallery
File:Philadelphia Ball Park in 1887 reprinted 1894 Aug 7.jpg, Philadelphia Ball Park upon its opening in 1887
File:Philadelphia Ball Park interior in 1887 reprinted 1894 Aug 12.jpg, Sketch of the ballpark's interior when it opened
File:Philadelphia Ball Park fire 1894 Aug 7.jpg, Aftermath of the 1894 fire
File:Philadelphia Ball Park BP 1899 Apr 23.jpg, Ed Delahanty BP 1899
File:Umpires at 1915 World Series.jpg, The umpires lined up before a game of the 1915 World Series
The 1915 World Series was the championship series in Major League Baseball for the 1915 season. The 12th edition of the World Series, it matched the American League champion Boston Red Sox against the National League champion Philadelphia Philli ...
at Baker Bowl
References
External links
Ballparks.com: Baker Bowl
{{NFL (1902)
1887 establishments in Pennsylvania
1938 disestablishments in Pennsylvania
Demolished sports venues in Pennsylvania
Defunct baseball venues in the United States
Defunct Major League Baseball venues
Defunct National Football League venues
Defunct sports venues in Philadelphia
Demolished buildings and structures in Pennsylvania
Jewel Box parks
Philadelphia Phillies stadiums
Philadelphia Eagles stadiums
American football venues in Pennsylvania
National Football League (1902) venues
Baseball venues in Pennsylvania
History of Philadelphia
Sports venues completed in 1887