JULY
6,
1933
NOV
2009: THE BASEBALL GURU ARTICLE
FROM
ONEMOREINNING
NOV.
6,
1933
THE GAME OF THE CENTURY
IN FOUR
PARTS:
PART FOUR
PROLOGUE
The day finally arrived. It was July 6, 1933 and today the
greatest collection of players were assembled to do battle against each other.
There
was a jingle jangle excitement generating itself around the stadium, but
it was even more pronounced inside the park. What was felt as well was the
oppressive heat that covered everything. Anywhere you looked in the stands
you could find knots of people applying wet cloths to their foreheads and
around their arms. Shirts were unbuttoned, children were drinking enormous
amounts of soda, sweat stood out against flesh like rivulets of rain, glasses
became fogged and tempers were growing short. Little, short lived arguments
and fights would break out and then quickly dissipate
away.
On
the field the players were feeling the heat as well. Blouses were not tucked
in, undersocks and undershirts were not being worn and those players who
were practicing looked like they had just stepped out of a shower. Babe
Ruth’s face had grown ruddy, blotched looking. His uniform was bathed
in sweat and he kept running to the dugout to drink large bottles of juice
and later on can after can of soda. The heat was not putting a crimp on his
high spirits though and for that matter that held true for the other players
as well. This was going to be the ultimate game, a test between the best
and the best, and the Babe was here! Above and beyond everything else the
center of attraction was the aging, barrel bellied phenomenon who seemed
destined to be part of an occasion like this. While he took his cuts in the
batting cage, the players took time off to watch. Some leaned against their
bats which were planted against the ground, other, with arms folded across
their chests commented on what they were seeing and were all aware that they
were on the field with the greatest player who ever played the game. Occasionally
during a lull in the action some of the players would go up to Ruth and ask
him for an autograph. Remember, some of them were soon to be Hall of Famers
themselves. “Why sure keed,” he answered. “You know you
ain’t such a bad player yourself,’ he would say while he signed
for them.
Wild
Bill Hallahan, one of the premier pitchers of that period summed it up best
when he said, “We all wanted to see the Babe, Sure he was old and he
had a big waistline, but that didn’t make any difference. We were on
the same field as Babe Ruth.”
During
batting practice there was one point where Ruth hit two tremendous shots
into the stands and Chuck Klein, no mean homerun hitter himself, said to
Chick Hafey, “That son
of a bitch can really belt them. Man oh man, what goddamn power!” Hafey
nodded his head in agreement. After a moment Lefty Gomez (who was the starting
pitcher for the AL that day, ran into the batting cage, wrapped his arms
around Ruth’s chest, and started pulling him out. ‘Give the other
fellows a chance big guy, and anyways us pitchers need the practice.”
His remark was to prove prophetic during the second inning of the game.
The
contest was to start at 2:15. Reporters had been sent to cover the game from
all corners of the world. Coverage by radio was being handled by the CBS
and NBC networks. Before game time there wasn’t a moment that went by
when you wouldn’t find
a ballplayer not being interviewed by someone. Lou Gehrig was called over
several times to say hello to the dignitaries who were in the Stadium. In
the stands were National and American League presidents Joe Heydler and Will
Harridge. The governors of
Mack
and McGraw had chosen some good men for their coaches. Max Carey of the Dodgers
and Bill McKechnie of the Braves represented the National League. Mack chose
Art Fletcher and Eddie Collins for the American League. An eleventh hour
addition to the
Carl Hubbell would have been the starting pitcher for the NL but he
had pitched an 18 inning shutout the other day and was in no condition to
start. The final choice was the brilliant young righthander with the Giants,
Hall Schumacher, or Wild Bill Hallahan and crafty Wild Bill got the nod.
He was starting with just one days rest as was the case with Lefty Gomez,
the starting AL Pitcher.
The
umpires for the game were the best of both leagues. They were Dineen and
McGowan of the AL and Klem and Rigler from the NL. The crowd was 49,200 with
no standing room allowed. Gate receipts totaled $51,000, all of which was
given over to the National Association of Professional Ballplayers. With
all the hoopla for Ruth it seems that the greatest ovation by the fans were
for Lefty Gomez while he warmed up and for Carl Hubbell when he threw some
warm up pitches as well. The National Anthem was played, a scuffle broke
out in the stands in the middle of it, the players were introduced, and history
was made as the very first All Star game was about to be played on the hottest
day of many a year, July 6, 1936
THE
GAME:
FIRST INNING:
NL: Martin and Frisch grounded out. Klein lined out to
Cronin.
SECOND
INNING:
NL:
Hafey singled. Terry singled. Berger
hit into a double play. Bartell struck out.
THIRD INNING:
NL:
Simmons hits into a DP. Dykes singles.
Cronin flies out.
(
FOURTH
INNING:
NL:
Crowder comes in to
pitch. Frisch lines out. Klein grounds out. Hafey pops out.
FIFTH INNING:
NL:
Terry, Berger, and Bartell ground out.
SIXTH INNING:
NL:
O’Doul hits for
SEVENTH
INNING:
NL:
Grove replaces Averill.
Terry singles. Berger forces Terry.
Traynor
bats for Bartell and doubles
Hartnett strikes
out.
English
bats for Warneke and flies out.
EIGHTH
INNING:
NL:
Martin strikes out. Frisch singles. Klein lines out. Hafey lines
out to Ruth who catches it over the wall.
NINTH INNING:
NL:
Terry grounds out. Berger lines out
Cuccinello bats for Hubbell and
ends the game by lining out.
First all star game
final:
al(4)-nl(2)
IT’S BEEN WITH
US NOW FOR 76
YEARS
MAY IT GO ON FOR ANOTHER 76
YEARS
