CrashingTheGoalie

by Ron Spence

Benjamin F. Shibe was the builder of Shibe Park in Philadelphia – the first of the large, concrete, steel-reinforced baseball stadiums.

He also evolved a number of designs, which revolutionized baseball. What did he invent?

And, which NHL General Manager also introduced some inventions, which revolutionized hockey?

Shibe designed a machine which cut out pieces of horsehide and punched holes in it, in preparation for hand-sewn stitching. This assured a uniform quality of baseballs.

Also, by carefully combining the ingredients of yarn, India-rubber, and cement, Shibe’s baseballs maintained the spherical shape, even after repeated hitting. The yarn was also wound tighter and integrated in the cement to maintain the integrity of the sphere.

Shibe also improved catchers’ masks, chest protectors, shoes and baseball gloves.

His greatest invention, however, truly revolutionized the game.

He invented cork-centred baseballs, which were first used during the 1910 World Series.

They were subsequently used in all baseball games, from 1911 onwards, and were so lively that singles became doubles, doubles became triples, etc. Baseball changed from being a pitcher’s “dead ball” game, to a “live ball” game.

The Boston Bruins’ first General Manager, Arthur Ross designed the rounded goal net, which replaced the old square-backed nets.

He also introduced the use of the vulcanized rubber puck, which replaced the real rubber hockey puck (Uncured natural rubber is sticky, and deforms when it warms up, and becomes brittle when it’s cold.).

Had Ross patented another of his inventions, his estate would be worth tens of millions of dollars more than it is today.

He created a design for two-piece hockey sticks, which had replaceable wooden blades, attached to a metal shaft.

Another of his inventions would have nicely complimented the curved stick. He devised the rounded edge puck, which was somewhat erratic after being fired – sort of like a curve ball on steroids.

Goalies didn’t like this invention, however, so it was never introduced into organized hockey.

This was before the advent of the goalie mask, and could prove to be most interesting today.