Before Babe Ruth, there was Bala Cynwyd’s Ben Shibe, a name every baseball fan should know, writes Clayton Trutor for Main Line Today.
Shibe not only ran the Philadelphia Athletics at the top of their game, he literally reshaped the game.
Shibe was president and part-owner of the A’s from 1901 until he died in 1922. He led the team to six AL pennant victories and three World Series titles. But his impact didn’t stop there. As the founder of a baseball manufacturing empire, Shibe patented the cork-centered ‘live ball’ that changed how the sport was played. The new ball paved the way for power hitters and a new era of home runs.
He also built North Philadelphia’s Shibe Park, later named Connie Mack Stadium, the first steel-and-concrete stadium in America. This became the standard for ballparks nationwide. With its ornate facade and cozy field-to-fan proximity, the park was home to the A’s, Phillies, and Eagles at different points in history.
Shibe never made it into the Baseball Hall of Fame, but his legacy lives on in every shape of the game.
Read more about the Bala Cynwyd man who changed the game of Major League Baseball in Main Line Today.
