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Philadelphia: Citizen's Bank Park - Connie Mack Statue

When Connie Mack passed away on February 8, 1956, a groundswell of support rose to find a way to perpetuate his memory and establish a lasting tribute to the “Tall Tactician.” A Connie Mack Memorial Committee was created under the chairmanship of Philadelphia merchant and civic leader Arthur C. Kaufmann. $20k for the statue was raised by and noted sculptor Harry Rosin was selected to create the artwork

 

Rosin's sculpture of an 8-foot Mack with one foot in the dugout and one foot on the top step of it waving his trademark scorecard was placed on a 5-foot pedestal. The statue was originally sitted in a park opposite Shibe Park/Connie Mack Stadium just across Lehigh Avenue. Known as Reyburn Park after former mayor John Reyburn, Philadelphia’s City Council passed a resolution changing the name of it and the adjoining Funfield Recreation Center to “Connie Mack Park and Recreation Center.”

 

The statue was decdicated on April 16, 1957 in a pre-game ceremony before the Phillies’ home opener.before the Phillies’ home opener. When the Phillies vacated Shibe Park after the 1970 season and moved to their new home in South Philadelphia, the Mack statue was moved to Broad Street and Pattison Avenue in front of Veteran's Stadium and redidicated on August 21, 1971.

 

In 1994, the statue moved again as Veterans Stadium was demolished. The Phillies had the statue cleaned, waxed and polished and moved it to its current location on Citizens Bank Way in March 2004 in time for the opening of Citizens Bank Park.

 

The Phillies added a plaque listing all of the Atheltics who were chosen for the Philadelphia Wall of Fame as well as one that reads:

 

“Connie Mack managed the Philadelphia Athletics for 50 years, 1901-50. His teams won nine American League pennants and five World Series. Mr. Mack never wore a uniform, preferring to manage in street clothes while holding a scorecard to signal his players. This statue was unveiled near Connie Mack Stadium on April 16, 1957, moved to Veterans Stadium in 1971 and relocated here March 30, 2004, just before the opening of Citizens Bank Park.”

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Uploaded on June 2, 2008
Taken on June 1, 2008