Episode Details

In 190, the Philadelphia Athletics were bursting out of tiny Columbia Park — so owner Ben Shibe built the first concrete-and-steel ballpark in Major League history. But on Shibe Park's opening day in 1909, catcher Doc Powers collapsed with mysterious abdominal pain and was dead two weeks later. Jeff and Mark dig into the real medical story behind his death, bust the myths that have followed him for over a century, and trace Shibe Park's full run — from Ruth's Yankees debut and Ted Williams' .400 season, through Jackie Robinson's record-breaking Philadelphia crowd, all the way to a scoreboard literally catching fire mid-game.

Also in this episode: the guys break down the history of the "Maddux" (a complete-game shutout thrown on fewer than 100 pitches), a listener-submitted WAR showdown between the Oakland Athletics and Houston Astros' all-time position players, a new recurring segment pulling quiz questions straight from old episodes of This Week in Baseball, the tragic on-field death of Detroit Lions player Chuck Hughes, and another round of Wax Pack Heroes with a fresh batch of 1972 cards.

00:00 Show Intro and Banter

02:01 100 Loss Teams Trivia

04:35 What Is a Maddux

05:21 Famous Maddux Games

09:32 Listener WAR Showdown

14:38 This Week in Baseball Quiz

16:08 Chuck Hughes Tragedy

18:58 Shibe Park Origins

22:45 Building Shibe Park

29:43 Meet Doc Powers

31:25 Eddie Plank and Patience

32:52 Doc Powers Falls Ill

33:30 Misdiagnosis Turns Deadly

34:36 Surgery and Final Words

35:49 Myths About His Injury

38:19 Funeral and Benefit Day

40:39 Shibe Park Spite Fence

43:25 Famous Games at Shibe

46:51 Final Game and Demolition

47:46 Wax Pack Heroes Returns

01:02:01 TWIB Quiz answer and Signoff

Connect With Us:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@twostrikenoise

Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/twostrikenoise

BlueSky: @twostrikenoise.bsky.social

Email: twostrikenoise@gmail.com 

Don't let your common cards collect dust! Donate them to help spark a child's interest in the game at http://commons4kids.org/.

#baseballhistory #mlb #baseball #BaseballCards #TwoStrikeNoise #popculture

Topics: Shibe Park history, Doc Powers, Philadelphia Athletics, Connie Mack, Eddie Plank, dead ball era baseball, Jackie Robinson, Ben Chapman, Ted Williams .400 season, Babe Ruth Yankees debut, Greg Maddux Maddux game, Oakland Athletics, Houston Astros, WAR comparison, Chuck Hughes, Detroit Lions, This Week in Baseball, 1972 Topps cards, baseball card collecting, Wax Pack Heroes, MLB history, baseball trivia