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 GameThe 1938 Midsummer Classic At-A-Glance |
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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 GameLine Score |
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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) |
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A.L. Home Runs | N.L. Home Runs | |||||||||||
None | None |
1938 All-Star GameAmerican League All-Star Squad |
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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 GameNational League All-Star Squad |
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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.Game / Box Links: 1938 Box Score | 1938 Play-by-Play |
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.