Baseball's newest contribution to the romance of American sports, the All-Star Game, made its debut on July 6, 1933, at Chicago's Comiskey Park. It was initiated at the insistence of Arch Ward, a sports editor for the Chicago Tribune, to coincide with the celebration of the city's "Century of Progress" Exposition. By the 1930's, baseball had already established itself as America's favorite pastime and the national exposition provided the perfect stage to introduce baseball's best to the rest of the country. Many did not believe that a contest of this magnitude could possibly live up to the fan's expectations, especially for those who lived in the far western states and had never been to a major league baseball game.
The novel idea of a single game made up of the most exciting assemblage of ball-playing talent ever brought together on the diamond at one time, seemed too good to be true. In 1933 and 1934, All-Star teams were selected by the managers and the fans. The National League's manager John McGraw and American League's Connie Mack were chosen to lead a line-up of big hitters including Lou Gehrig, Jimmie Foxx, Al Simmons and the one and only Babe Ruth. "We wanted to see the Babe," said Bill Hallahan, the National League starter. "Sure, he was old and had a big waistline, but that didn't make any difference. We were on the same field as Babe Ruth."
With fellow All-Star, Charlie Gehringer on first in the bottom of the third, The Babe drove one into the right-field stands, the first homer in All-Star history. The crowd, according to one account, "roared in acclamation" and the first All-Star Game, won by the American League on the strength of Ruth's homer, was a resounding success.
"We wanted to see the Babe. Sure, he was old and had a big waistline, but that didn't make any difference. We were on the same field as Babe Ruth." - Wild Bill Hallahan
1933 All-Star Game1933 All-Star Game Official Program The 1933 Midsummer Classic | 1934 ASG → |
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1933 All-Star Game Fast Facts | ||
Game Number | 1 | |
Date / Box Score | 07-06-1933 | |
Location | Comiskey Park | |
Attendance (Rank) | 49,200 | |
M.V.P. Award | Not Awarded Until 1962 | |
League Items | A.L. | N.L. |
Starting Pitchers | Lefty Gomez | Bill Hallahan |
Managers | Connie Mack | John McGraw |
Coaches | Eddie Collins | Bill McKechnie |
Art Fletcher | Max Carey | |
1933 All-Star Game Fast Facts |
1933 All-Star GameLine Score | 1933 Box Score | 1933 All-Star Game Play-by-Play |
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1933 All-Star Game Capsule | ||||||||||||
League | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
National | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 0 |
American | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | x | 4 | 9 | 1 |
N.L. Pitcher(s) | A.L. Pitcher(s) | |||||||||||
Bill Hallahan (L) Lon Warneke (3rd) Carl Hubbell (7th) |
Lefty Gomez (W) General Crowder (4th) Lefty Grove (7th) |
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N.L. Home Runs | A.L. Home Runs | |||||||||||
Frankie Frisch (6th) | Babe Ruth (3rd) |
1933 All-Star Game N.L. Roster1933 National League All-Star Squad |
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Lineup | Name | Team | POS | Notes |
7. | Dick Bartell | Philadelphia Phillies | SS | |
6. | Wally Berger | Boston Braves | OF | |
Tony Cuccinello | Brooklyn Dodgers | 2B | ||
Woody English | Chicago Cubs | SS | ||
2. | Frankie Frisch | St. Louis Cardinals | 2B | |
4. | Chick Hafey | Cincinnati Reds | OF | |
9. | Bill Hallahan | St. Louis Cardinals | P | Starting Pitcher |
Gabby Hartnett | Chicago Cubs | C | ||
Carl Hubbell | New York Giants | P | ||
3. | Chuck Klein | Philadelphia Phillies | OF | |
1. | Pepper Martin | St. Louis Cardinals | 3B | |
Lefty O'Doul | New York Giants | OF | ||
Hal Schumacher | New York Giants | P | Did Not Pitch | |
5. | Bill Terry | New York Giants | 1B | |
Pie Traynor | Pittsburgh Pirates | 3B | ||
Paul Waner | Pittsburgh Pirates | OF | ||
Lon Warneke | Chicago Cubs | P | ||
8. | Jimmie Wilson | St. Louis Cardinals | C | |
Lineup | Name | Team | POS | Notes |
1933 All-Star Game A.L. Roster1933 American League All-Star Squad |
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Lineup | Name | Team | POS | Notes |
Earl Averill | Cleveland Indians | OF | ||
1. | Ben Chapman | New York Yankees | OF | |
7. | Joe Cronin | Washington Senators | SS | |
General Crowder | Washington Senators | P | ||
Bill Dickey | New York Yankees | C | Did Not Play | |
6. | Jimmy Dykes | Chicago White Sox | 3B | |
8. | Rick Ferrell | Boston Red Sox | C | |
Wes Ferrell | Cleveland Indians | P | Did Not Pitch | |
Jimmie Foxx | Philadelphia Athletics | 1B | Did Not Play | |
4. | Lou Gehrig | New York Yankees | 1B | |
2. | Charlie Gehringer | Detroit Tigers | 2B | |
9. | Lefty Gomez | New York Yankees | P | Starting Pitcher |
Lefty Grove | Philadelphia Athletics | P | ||
Oral Hildebrand | Cleveland Indians | P | Did Not Pitch | |
Tony Lazzeri | New York Yankees | 2B | Did Not Play | |
3. | Babe Ruth | New York Yankees | OF | |
5. | Al Simmons | Chicago White Sox | OF | |
Sam West | St. Louis Browns | OF | ||
Lineup | Name | Team | POS | Notes |
1933 All-Star Game Rosters | BOLD = Selected As Starter | Baseball Almanac |
Famous firsts? American League manager Connie Mack, National League manager John McGraw, American League and All-Star home run Babe Ruth, National League home run Frankie Frisch.
Did you know that the first run batted in during an All-Star Game was by a pitcher? That historic RBI belongs to Lefty Gomez who singled in Jimmie Dykes during the second inning.
The first stolen base went to Charlie Gehringer, sacrifice hit to Rick Ferrell, and pinch hitter to Lefty O'Doul who grounded out for Jimmie Wilson in the sixth.