For years, Major League games were played during the day. That all started to change on May 24, 1935, with the first night game. It took place in Cincinnati’s Crosley Field with the Reds defeating the Phillies, 2-1. Attendance was 20,422.
President Franklin Roosevelt threw the light switch for that historic game from the White House -- 600 miles away from Crosley Field. The Reds went on to play seven night games in 1935, which included one game at night against every National League team.
For many years, Philadelphia had two teams, the American League A's and the National League Phillies.
Neither played night games at home until the 1939 season at Shibe Park. Cleveland beat the A’s, 8-3, in 10 innings on May 16, the first night game in the AL. The Pirates won the Phillies' first night game, 5-2, on June 1. Only 8,000 fans were there.
Shibe Park also hosted the first All-Star Game at night on July 13, 1943. The AL won that 11th Midsummer Classic, 5-3.
The Phillies were also involved in another night game “first.” Well, sort of. They played the Cubs for Wrigley Field’s first night game on Aug. 8, 1988. Phillies leadoff hitter Phil Bradley homered. With the Cubs leading, 3-1, in the middle of the fourth inning, rain came and the game was postponed after a delay of 2 hours, 10 minutes. The Cubs beat the Mets, 6-4, the next night in the first official night game at Wrigley.
The first World Series night game was Game 4 in 1971, Baltimore vs. Pittsburgh at Three Rivers Stadium.