August 8, 1903: The Baker Bowl Disaster

August 8, 1903: The worst sports-related disaster in American history occurs, at the home field of the Philadelphia Phillies.

The National League baseball team had opened a ballpark on the southwestern corner of Broad Street and Lehigh Avenue, near the North Philadelphia stations of both the Pennsylvania Railroad and the Reading Railroad, in 1887. It burned down in 1894, and was replaced by a stadium of brick and steel, a first. This stadium would be officially known as National League Park, until 1913, when it was renamed Baker Bowl, for team owner William F. Baker.

The shape of the land it was on forced the right field fence to be very close, with no seating behind it. As a result, a high wall was built to discourage "cheap" home runs. For much of its history, this wall was covered with a huge soap advertisement, reading, "The Phillies use LIFEBUOY." The easy response was, "And they still stink!"

Not in 1915, though: They won the Pennant that season, although they lost the World Series to the Boston Red Sox -- who would later have a Lifebuoy ad on their close left field wall, later removed to be plain green, and nicknamed the Green Monster. (And, yes, the joke went with them.)

On August 8, 1903, a doubleheader was scheduled for the park, between the Phillies and the Boston Beaneaters (forerunners of the Atlanta Braves). In the 1st game, the Beaneaters scored 2 runs in the top of the 12th inning, and a Philly comeback resulted in only 1 run, and a 5-4 Boston victory.

The 2nd game was never played. After the 1st game ended, 2 drunks were walking along 15th Street. A group of children began to tease them. One of the drunks grabbed one of the children, a 13-year-old girl, who screamed. This attracted attention from fans on the adjacent 3rd base stands, and 300 of them ran over to get a better view.

This caused the balcony's supports to become detached from their connectors at the wall. The balcony fell 30 feet, killing 12 people and injuring 232 others. It became known as Black Saturday, and is the closest any North American sports venue has come to a disaster on the level of Hillsborough 1989 or Ibrox 1971 in Britain.

The American League's Philadelphia Athletics offered the Phillies the use of Columbia Park while repairs were made. The Phillies played 16 games at Columbia Park before returning home.

The ballpark hosted another disaster on May 14, 1927. Two sections of the lower-deck extension on the right field line collapsed. No one died, but a subsequent stampede injured 50 people, and 1 person died of heart failure.

In 1938, the Phillies moved out of the increasingly unsuitable Baker Bowl, and began groundsharing with the Athletics at Shibe Park. Baker Bowl remained a venue for "midget auto" racing until 1950, and was demolished. Retail is on the site now, including a gas station.

The A's moved out of Shibe Park, and Philadelphia, in 1954. The Phillies remained, renamed the ballpark Connie Mack Stadium, and left in 1970 for Veterans Stadium. A church now occupies the site.

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August 8, 1903 was a Saturday. These other games were played in baseball that day:

* The New York Highlanders beat the Washington Senators, 7-2 at Hilltop Park in Upper Manhattan. The Highlanders officially became the New York Yankees in 1913.

* The New York Giants swept the Brooklyn Sueprbas in a doubleheader at the Polo Grounds. The Giants won the opener, 6-1; and the nightcap, 4-3. The Superbas became the Dodgers in 1911.

* The Boston Americans beat the Philadelphia Athletics, 11-6 at the Huntington Avenue Grounds in Boston. The Americans became the Red Sox in 1908.

* The Detroit Tigers beat the Cleveland Naps, 6-5 in 11 innings at League Park in Cleveland. The Cleveland team was named for its manager and 2nd baseman, Napoleon "Nap" Lajoie. They became the Cleveland Indians in 1915, and the Cleveland Guardians in 2022.

* The Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Chicago Cubs, 2-1 at West Side Park in Chicago.

* The St. Louis Browns beat the Chicago White Sox, 4-2 at South Side Park in Chicago.

* And a doubleheader was split at Robison Field in St. Louis. The St. Louis Cardinals won the 1st game, 5-3. The Cincinnati Reds won the 2nd game, 11-1.