July 6, 1933 at Comskey Park
American League 4, National League 2
American League Leads All Star Series 1-0
The first All Star Game was played in Chicago’s Comiskey Park and it was played to coincide with the city’s Century of Progress Exposition. Teams were formed from a combination of a fan vote as well as by the players’ respective managers and when it was all said done, each team had eighteen players on their roster. John McGraw, who had retired as the manager of the New York Giants in 1932, came back for one more game to coach the National League while Connie Mack, the manager who coached his team (the Philadelphia Athletics) more wins then any other manager ran the American League team.
Yankees’ starter Lefty Gomez got the nod for the American League side and just like he’d done all season to his opponents, he held the National League scoreless through three innings of work. He did get into trouble in the second when he gave up back to back singles to Chick Hafey and Bill Terry to lead the inning off, but he got Wally Berger to ground into a double play to end the threat.
Cardinals’ starter Bill Hallahan didn’t fare as well as Gomez. He got through the first inning easily enough but in the second inning he gave up back to back walks to Jimmy Dykes and Joe Cronin with one out. Then Lefty Gomez helped out his own cause and singled home Dykes to give the American League a 1-0 lead.
Not content with just the one run, and wanting to put on a show for the fans, Babe Ruth didn’t disappoint in the third inning. Charlie Gehringer led off the inning with a walk and then Babe Ruth hit a huge two run shot that ended up being the difference in the game. Ruth was in the twilight of his career but he was still the player fans came out to watch and he gave the fans what they wanted in this one. And along with all of Ruth’s other records, he was the first player ever to hit a homerun in an All Star Game.
Alvin “General” Crowder relieved Gomez in the fourth and while he coasted through the first two innings he pitched, he ran into trouble in the sixth. With one out, Lon Warneke tripled and then he scored on Pepper Martin’s ground out to third base. Then Frankie Frisch hit a solo homerun to shave the American League’s lead down to a single run.
On the National League side, Lon Warneke had taken over for Hallahan in the third with nobody out. He held the American League scoreless until his fourth inning of work in the sixth. After just making it a 3-2 game, the American League answered when Joe Cronin led off the inning with a single. Cronin moved to second on Rick Ferrell’s bunt and then he scored on a pinch hit single by Earl Averill to make it 4-2.
Lefty Grove relieved Crowder in the seventh and while he got into trouble in the seventh, he pitched out of the jam and finished the game up without further damage. Carl Hubbell pitched the final two frames for the National League.
If I had to pick an MVP, I’d have to say it was Babe Ruth. His homerun was the difference maker and he also had the best line in the box score. Also give some props to Lefty Gomez who picked up the first win in All Star Game history by throwing three scoreless innings.
