1938 All-Star Game

1938 All-Star Game

Once again, the outcome looked bright for the National League with the appearance of Cincinnati lefty Johnny Vander Meer. Although he was never a big winner, he had electrified baseball that summer by pitching back-to-back no-hitters against the Boston Bees and Brooklyn Dodgers. With the All-Star Game being played in Cincinnati, he drew the start and only gave up gave up one hit in three innings. Once again, Lefty Gomez started for the American League. He gave up two hits and one unearned run in three innings.

This game was memorable though for one of the strangest plays ever to take place on a baseball field; a homerun bunt. Frank McCormick had opened the seventh with a single and Leo Durocher, the next batter, was ordered to sacrifice. He followed the order as third baseman Jimmie Foxx charged in. Playing the ball, Foxx made the scoop and threw the ball into right field. Joe DiMaggio, in right in deference to Earl Averill, raced in, picked up the ball and fired it home. The throw was too high and sailed over catcher Bill Dickey's head, allowing McCormick to score. Meanwhile, Durocher never stopped running until he reached home.

"Hitting is business. With two strikes you really protect that plate." - Bill Terry

1938 All-Star Game The 1938 Midsummer Classic At-A-Glance
1938 All-Star Game Fast Facts
Game Number	6
Date / Box Score	07-06-1938
Location	Crosley Field
Attendance (Rank)	27,607
M.V.P. Award	Not Awarded Until 1962
League Items	A.L.	N.L.
Starting Pitchers	Lefty Gomez	Johnny Vander Meer
Managers	Joe McCarthy	Bill Terry
Coaches	Del Baker	Bill McKechnie
	Art Fletcher	Frankie Frisch
1938 All-Star Game Fast Facts

1938 All-Star Game Line Score
1938 All-Star Game Capsule
League	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
American	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	7	4
National	1	0	0	1	0	0	2	0	x	4	8	0
A.L. Pitcher(s)						N.L. Pitcher(s)
Lefty Gomez (L) Johnny Allen (4th) Lefty Grove (7th)						Johnny Vander Meer (W) Bill Lee (4th) Mace Brown (7th)
A.L. Home Runs						N.L. Home Runs
None						None

1938 All-Star Game American League All-Star Squad
Lineup	Name	Team	Position	Notes
	Johnny Allen	Cleveland Indians	P
3.	Earl Averill	Cleveland Indians	OF
	Doc Cramer	Boston Red Sox	OF
7.	Joe Cronin	Boston Red Sox	SS
6.	Bill Dickey	New York Yankees	C
5.	Joe DiMaggio	New York Yankees	OF
	Bob Feller	Cleveland Indians	P	Did Not Pitch
	Rick Ferrell	Washington Senators	C	Did Not Play
4.	Jimmie Foxx	Boston Red Sox	1B-3B
	Lou Gehrig	New York Yankees	1B
2.	Charlie Gehringer	Detroit Tigers	2B
9.	Lefty Gomez	New York Yankees	P	Starting Pitcher
	Hank Greenberg	Detroit Tigers	1B	Replaced - Injury
	Lefty Grove	Boston Red Sox	P
	Bob Johnson	Philadelphia Athletics	OF
	Vern Kennedy	Detroit Tigers	P	Did Not Pitch
1.	Mike Kreevich	Chicago White Sox	OF
8.	Buddy Lewis	Washington Senators	3B
	Johnny Murphy	New York Yankees	P	Replaced Greenberg
	Bobo Newsom	St. Louis Browns	P	Did Not Pitch
	Red Rolfe	New York Yankees	3B	Did Not Play
	Red Ruffing	New York Yankees	P	Did Not Pitch
	Cecil Travis	Washington Senators	SS	Did Not Play
	Rudy York	Detroit Tigers	C
BOLD = Fan's / manager's choice to start the game.

1938 All-Star Game National League All-Star Squad
Lineup	Name	Team	Position	Notes
	Mace Brown	Pittsburgh Pirates	P
	Tony Cuccinello	Boston Braves	2B	Did Not Play
	Harry Danning	New York Giants	C	Replaced Phelps
	Paul Derringer	Cincinnati Reds	P	Did Not Pitch
8.	Leo Durocher	Brooklyn Dodgers	SS
3.	Ival Goodman	Cincinnati Reds	OF
1.	Stan Hack	Chicago Cubs	3B
	Gabby Hartnett	Chicago Cubs	C	Did Not Play
2.	Billy Herman	Chicago Cubs	2B
	Carl Hubbell	New York Giants	P	Did Not Pitch
	Cookie Lavagetto	Brooklyn Dodgers	3B	Did Not Play
	Bill Lee	Chicago Cubs	P
	Hank Leiber	New York Giants	OF
6.	Ernie Lombardi	Cincinnati Reds	C
	Hersh Martin	Philadelphia Phillies	OF	Did Not Play
7.	Frank McCormick	Cincinnati Reds	1B
4.	Joe Medwick	St. Louis Cardinals	OF
	Jo-Jo Moore	New York Giants	OF	Did Not Play
5.	Mel Ott	New York Giants	OF
	Babe Phelps	Brooklyn Dodgers	C	Replaced - Injury
	Jim Turner	Boston Braves	P	Did Not Pitch
9.	Johnny Vander Meer	Cincinnati Reds	P
	Arky Vaughan	Pittsburgh Pirates	SS	Did Not Play
	Lloyd Waner	Pittsburgh Pirates	OF	Did Not Play
BOLD = Fan's / manager's choice to start the game.

This was the season of the legendary twin no-hitters thrown by Johnny Vander Meer. A fabulous feat so amazing that we HAD to include it here at Baseball Almanac.

The four errors committed by the American League probably cost them the game, and it was the most errors commited by them during the twentieth century.

In the seventh inning, Frank McCormick hit a single and Leo Durocher followed with a bunt hit towards third. Jimmie Foxx picked up the bunt and threw it into right field. Joe DiMaggio picked that up and threw it over home plate allowing Durocher to score a bunt home run.

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