The second All-Star game was held on July 10 at the New York Polo Grounds. Once again, the batting line-up featured some of the best hitters in baseball. This game however, belonged to a pitcher, Carl Hubbell. Although he started off poorly, he turned in perhaps one of the most spellbinding performances ever seen in baseball.
First, Charlie Gehringer led off with a single and moved to second on an outfield error. Then, Heinie Manush drew a walk bringing up Ruth, Gehrig and Foxx with two on, none out. It was a pitcher's worst nightmare. Hubbell accepted the challenge and began turning over his screwball with pinpoint precision. It was a delivery that was designed to break the backs of free swingers. Ruth was the first to fall after taking a called third strike and looking "decidedly puzzled," according to one account. Gehrig followed and went down swinging. Visibly frustrated, he apparently warned Foxx on his way back to the dugout, "You might as well cut. It won't get any higher." The advice didn't help; Foxx went down on strikes. In the second inning, Hubbell made it five in a row when he struck out Al Simmons and Joe Cronin.
If the first All-Star Game had showcased the game's best bats, than the second showcased one of the game's best arms proving that both offense and defense had a place in the Midsummer Classic.
"(Van) Mungo and I get along fine. I just tell him I won't stand for no nonsense, and then I duck." - Casey Stengel
1934 All-Star GameThe 1934 Midsummer Classic At-A-Glance |
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1934 All-Star Game Fast Facts | ||
Game Number | 2 | |
Date / Box Score | 07-10-1934 | |
Location | Polo Grounds | |
Attendance (Rank) | 48,363 | |
M.V.P. Award | Not Awarded Until 1962 | |
League Items | A.L. | N.L. |
Starting Pitchers | Lefty Gomez | Carl Hubbell |
Managers | Joe Cronin | Bill Terry |
Coaches | Walter Johnson | Casey Stengel |
Al Schacht | Bill McKechnie | |
1934 All-Star Game Fast Facts |
1934 All-Star GameLine Score | Box Score |
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1934 All-Star Game Capsule | ||||||||||||
League | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
American | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 14 | 1 |
National | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 8 | 1 |
A.L. Pitcher(s) | N.L. Pitcher(s) | |||||||||||
Lefty Gomez Red Ruffing (4th) Mel Harder (W, 5th) - - |
Carl Hubbell Lon Warneke (4th) Van Mungo (L, 5th) Dizzy Dean (6th) Fred Frankhouse (9th) |
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A.L. Home Runs | N.L. Home Runs | |||||||||||
None - |
Frankie Frisch (1st) Joe Medwick (3rd) |
1934 All-Star GameAmerican League All-Star Squad |
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Lineup | Name | Team | Position | Notes |
Earl Averill | Cleveland Indians | OF | ||
Tommy Bridges | Detroit Tigers | P | Did Not Pitch | |
Ben Chapman | New York Yankees | OF | ||
Mickey Cochrane | Detroit Tigers | C | ||
7. | Joe Cronin | Washington Senators | SS | |
8. | Bill Dickey | New York Yankees | C | |
Jimmy Dykes | Chicago White Sox | 3B | Did Not Play | |
Rick Ferrell | Boston Red Sox | C | Did Not Play | |
5. | Jimmie Foxx | Philadelphia Athletics | 3B | |
4. | Lou Gehrig | New York Yankees | 1B | |
1. | Charlie Gehringer | Detroit Tigers | 2B | |
9. | Lefty Gomez | New York Yankees | P | Starting Pitcher |
Mel Harder | Cleveland Indians | P | ||
Pinky Higgins | Philadelphia Athletics | 3B | Did Not Play | |
2. | Heinie Manush | Washington Senators | OF | |
Red Ruffing | New York Yankees | P | ||
Jack Russell | Washington Senators | P | Did Not Pitch | |
3. | Babe Ruth | New York Yankees | OF | |
6. | Al Simmons | Chicago White Sox | OF | |
Sam West | St. Louis Browns | OF | ||
BOLD = Fan's / manager's choice to start the game. |
1934 All-Star GameNational League All-Star Squad |
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Lineup | Name | Team | Position | Notes |
5. | Wally Berger | Boston Braves | OF | |
4. | Kiki Cuyler | Chicago Cubs | OF | Replaced - Moore |
Dizzy Dean | St. Louis Cardinals | P | ||
Fred Frankhouse | Boston Braves | P | ||
1. | Frankie Frisch | St. Louis Cardinals | 2B | |
8. | Gabby Hartnett | Chicago Cubs | C | |
Billy Herman | Chicago Cubs | 2B | ||
9. | Carl Hubbell | New York Giants | P | Starting Pitcher |
7. | Travis Jackson | New York Giants | SS | |
Chuck Klein | Chicago Cubs | OF | ||
Al Lopez | Brooklyn Dodgers | C | ||
Pepper Martin | St. Louis Cardinals | 3B | ||
3. | Joe Medwick | St. Louis Cardinals | OF | |
Jo-Jo Moore | New York Giants | OF | Replaced - Injury | |
Van Mungo | Brooklyn Dodgers | P | ||
Mel Ott | New York Giants | OF | ||
6. | Bill Terry | New York Giants | 1B | |
2. | Pie Traynor | Pittsburgh Pirates | 3B | |
Arky Vaughan | Pittsburgh Pirates | SS | ||
Paul Waner | Pittsburh Pirates | OF | ||
Lon Warneke | Chicago Cubs | P | ||
BOLD = Fan's / manager's choice to start the game.Audio Moment: Hear The Game! |
Carl Hubbell allowed two on during the first inning then struck out Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, and Jimmie Foxx in succession to hold the junior circuit scoreless.
The hero of the game? Earl Averill who pinch-hit in the fourth inning and knocked a triple scoring two runs. In the fifth inning, he responded again with two additional runs batted in on a hard hit double.
Did you know that during the fifth inning Pie Traynor stole home during a double steal with Mel Ott? The home plate theft was the first and only in All-Star history.