Posts by Byron Bennett
Shibe Park and the Church of Baseball
Shibe Park (later known as Connie Mack Stadium) was home to both the Philadelphia Phillies and Philadelphia Athletics and was located three miles north of Center City Philadephia and only five blocks west of the Baker Bowl. Although the ballpark was demolished decades ago, a state historical marker now marks the spot. The Deliverance Evangelistic…
Read MoreBaker Bowl
The Philadelphia Phillies called the Baker Bowl their home from 1887 to 1938. Demolished a decade later, nothing now remains of the ballpark, although a state historical marker notes its former location. Some of the buildings surrounding the site from that era do help provide perspective of how the ballpark once fit into the neighborhood.…
Read MoreSportsman Park and Herbert Hoover
Baseball was first played at the intersection of Grand Boulevard and Dodier Street in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1867. Originally was called Grand Avenue Ball Grounds, the ballpark name was changed to Sportsman Park in 1876. Several different variants of Sportsman Park existed over the years. Originally the home of the National League St. Louis…
Read MoreForbes Field and the University of Pittsburgh
Baseball fans owe a debt of gratitude to the University of Pittsburgh for having the foresight to keep portions of Forbes Field in place for future generations of fans to appreciate. The university purchased Forbes Field in the 1960’s with the understanding it would tear down the ballpark and develop the land once the Pirates relocated to…
Read MoreStill Hard to Fathom
Just about every day I visit demolitionofyankeestadium.com to view the amazing pictures posted there documenting the destruction of an American icon. The latest pictures show only a small portion of the original stadium structure remaining. As a fan of the game I still cannot believe that the City of New York has failed to retain…
Read MoreGoodbye Tucson
Tucson helped usher in the Cactus League when Bill Veeck brought his recently-acquired Cleveland Indians to Hi Corbett Field to train in 1947. On March 31, 2010, 54 spring seasons later, the Colorado Rockies played their final spring training game in this historic ball park. Although there may be one-off spring training games played in…
Read MoreCy Young Lived Here
While baseball may never have been played here, Cy Young, one of the all time great players, lived and died in this farm house in Peoli, Ohio. A permanent guest of family friends the Bendums, Young moved into the house after his wife Roba died in 1933. The house is owned by Amish now and…
Read MoreSteps To The Past
They lead nowhere now, but these steps at League Park once took Cleveland players from the dugout, underneath the first base grandstands, to clubhouse, and back again. And it is here, at League Park, that I will begin recounting the steps I have taken over the years to find the past hidden within this country’s…
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