It was appropriate that a statue of Connie Mack was unveiled prior to the first Old-Timers Game in Veterans Stadium on Aug. 21, 1971. The theme of that game was left-handers vs. right-handers.
Eerily, the abandoned ballpark was severely damaged by a five-alarm blaze the day before that destroyed the left-field stands, collapsed part of the structure and gutted the iconic venue. The site remained an eye-sore until it was officially demolished.
The 16-ton statue of Connie Mack, the manager of the Philadelphia Athletics for 50 years, was originally unveiled on Opening Day on April 16, 1957, in a small park across Lehigh Avenue from Connie Mack Stadium. The Phillies hosted the Brooklyn Dodgers that night.
Respectively known as “Mr. Mack” and “Mr. Baseball,” he was president and manager of the A’s from their inaugural 1901 season in the American League through 1950 (age 87). He won nine pennants and five World Series. Grand totals: 3,582 wins and 3,814 losses. He was never ejected from a game during his tenure with the A’s.
He was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1937 and was one of 10 to participate in the Hall’s first induction ceremony two years later. Mr. Mack died at age 93 on Feb. 8, 1956, two years after the A’s franchise moved to Kansas City.
Arthur C. Kaufmann, prominent businessman and chairman of the Connie Mack Memorial Committee, originally had the statue cast and teamed with Bill Giles to have it relocated to Veterans Stadium, at the corner of Broad Street and Pattison Avenue.
The iconic 8-foot bronze statue depicts "The Tall Tactician" standing in street clothes (as he famously preferred over a baseball uniform) with one foot on the top step of the dugout, holding and waving a rolled-up scorecard to position his fielders. It was created by Philadelphia-area artist and sculptor Harry Rosin. The base features "Connie Mack’s Sportsman’s Creed" alongside plaques commemorating his 50-year career managing the American League club.
Led by Giles, the statue was refurbished and relocated to the west side of Citizens Bank Park when it opened in 2004. A plaque was added listing the 25 A’s players who were included in the Philadelphia Baseball Wall of Fame at Veterans Stadium, 1978-2003. Mr. Mack was the first A’s inductee, posthumously in 1978.
Connie Mack Jr. of Fort Myers, Fla., participated in the 1971 unveiling, along with Philadelphia Mayor James Tate, Kaufmann, Giles, Phillies owner Bob Carpenter and Old-Timers Game players who played for Mr. Mack.
Old-Timers Game Rosters
Sixteen former players were on the left-handers team (manager Charlie Grimm) and 18 on the right-handers (manager Jimmy Dykes). The special guest: shortstop Davey Bancroft, 79, was one of three survivors of the 1915 National League champion Phillies.
Hall of Famers included Enos Slaughter, Stan Musial, Bob Feller, Monte Irvin, Joe DiMaggio, Satchel Paige. Two future Phillies in the Hall, Richie Ashburn and Robin Roberts, also participated.
The attendance for the Phillies-Dodgers game that Saturday night was 46,633, second to the Vet’s April 10 inaugural crowd of 55.352.