Wall of Fame Day in Hatboro, PA
Ruth Mack Clark, Alice Cunningham, Eddie Joost, Bobby Shantz will be on hand Saturday, June 5, 2004 at 10am to participate in the re-dedication ceremony for the 25 Wall of Fame plaques recently acquired from the Phillies.
The former site of the Phillies Wall of Fame since 1978 was the second level concourse behind home plate at Veterans Stadium. The Wall contained 50 inductees, 25 Athletics and 25 Phillies. The design of their new park Citizens Bank Park did not allow space for the 25 A’s. To compensate the Phillies had a special plaque made with the inscription of the A’s inductees and had it attached to the Connie Mack statue located near Citizens Bank Park.
The Connie Mack statue originally stood at old Connie Mack Stadium. aka Shibe Park and was moved in 1971 to the site of Philadelphia’s new park at the time Veterans Stadium. To view the Connie Mack statue click here.
Ruth Mack Clark Connie Mack’s 90 year old daughter and her daughter Alice Cunningham, along with David Hunt of Hunt’s Auctions, Exton, PA made the first contributions for the necessary funds required to construct a wall that could house the 25 Athletics plaques. That wall will appropriately be named “Connie Mack’s Philadelphia Athletics Wall of Fame. Ruth and Alice will dedicate that wall during the June 5th ceremony’s.
Eddie Joost and Bobby Shantz both Wall of Fame inductees will be present to rededicate their plaques. Sponsors of other plaques including relatives of some of the inductees have indicated their intention to participate.
When the A’s Society learned in January 2003 that the Phillies new ball park would not have space to accommodate the 25 Athletics plaques or any future inductees the Society made an all out effort to insure that the 25 Athletics plaques would remain intact .That goal was obtained in March 2004 when the Society purchased them from the Phillies.
Since September 1996 when the Society was founded its main mission and goal was to perpetuate the memory of Connie Mack’s Philadelphia Athletics . For an organization that brought so much celebrity to this area securing these reminders of Philadelphia’s Most Successful Professional Sports franchise seemed like the proper and only thing do.
For a complete list of the twenty-five Wall of Fame plaques and their sponsors and the contributors to the renovations that made the Connie Mack Philadelphia Athletics Wall of Fame possible.. click here.
Another way you can assist us to offset the cost incurred in building the Wall of Fame would be to send us your contribution of $25. Sponsors of the 25 Wall of Fame plaques or the contributions made for the rebuilding of the wall will have their names inscribed on special plates that will be appropriately attached as a part of “The Connie Mack’s Philadelphia Athletics Wall of Fame.”
For more specific details concerning this entire project contact our Museum/Library/Gift Shoppe Monday-Saturday 10:00A.M. – 3:00P.M. at 215-323-9901 or fax us at 215-323-9902. Our e-mail address is yorkroad6@aol.com.
Philadelphia Athletics Historical Society, Inc.
6 N. York Road
Hatboro, PA 19040
