Chicago Tribune sportswriter Arch Ward was barely 36 years old when he dreamed up his All-Star scheme. And he labored overtime to convince people it would succeed. Consider what the man was up against in 1933. The Great Depression had decked America. Baseball owners were counting their pennies carefully. The last thing they needed to hear was Ward’s idea to stop the season for three or four days and bring their cash flow to a complete halt.
Chicago Tribune, May 19, 1933
BY ARCH WARD.
This Is an announcement of the greatest baseball game ever scheduled. It will bring together the strongest team that can be recruited from the National league against the best that can be assembled from the American league.
The game will be sponsored by THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE. It will be played either at Comiskey park or Wrigley field on July 6 and will stand as baseball’s contribution to A Century of Progress Exposition.
Never has the maximum strength of one major league been pitted against the maximum strength of the other. For years baseball fans the country over have been arguing the relative class of the two leagues. National league fans, for instance, had to admit after the 1932 world series that the American league had at least one team that was far superior to any in the National. But they were insistent that the league as a whole was a match for the American. Player talent, they said, was more evenly distributed in the National league.
The game in Chicago July 6 will help to clear up this controversy.
Fans Will Pick Teams.
How would you like to see Gabby Hartnett, Chuck Klein, Lefty O’Doul, Paul Waner, Pie Traynor, Bill Terry, and three or four other equally dangerous hitters in there swinging for the National league? And you American league fans—wouldn’t there be a thrill watching the National league s leading pitchers try to fool Babe Ruth, Jimmy Foxx, Al Simmons, Joe Cronin, Sam West, Lou Gehrig, and Goose Goslin?
Now for the best news of all. The baseball fans of the nation, particularly those who follow the clubs through THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE, will choose the teams. Starting immediately, you may pick the lineup you consider the strongest each league can put on the field and mail your selections to the sports editor of THE TRIBUNE. The players who receive the greatest number of votes for the various positions will appear in the game.
Three Pitchers on Each Team.
There will be three pitchers chosen for each team. They probably will work three innings apiece. This will enable them to bear down with everything they have.
How do you suppose such great sluggers as Gehrig, Ruth, Simmons. and Foxx would fare against Carl Hubbell s southpaw curves for three innings? Before they would have opportunity to study his delivery another pitcher, say Lon Warneke, would be on the mound with an entirely different assortment of curves, speed, and tricks.
Every day admission prices will prevail. Box seats will cost $1.65, grandstand $1.10, and bleachers 55 cents. Applications for tickets will not be accepted until the playing site has been decided.
League Heads Enthusiastic.
The suggestion for the game was made by THE TRIBUNE. But it would have been impossible to bring it about if it had not been for the enthusiastic cooperation of William Harridge, president of the American league, and John Heydler, president of the National league.
The expenses of the game will be underwritten by THE TRIBUNE: All of the profits will be donated to the Baseball Players’ Charity organization, which is in dire need of funds. It is planned out of the receipts of this game to create a trust fund, Investments to be solely In United States government securities, and to devote the proceeds annually to the relief of old players who are destitute.
Presidents Give Approval.
Before the game could be announced it was necessary to obtain consent of the following club presidents:
National league—William L. Veeck, Chicago; William E. Benswanger, Pittsburgh; Sidney Wiel, Cincinnati; Sam Breadon, St. Louis; Jerry Nugent, Philadelphia; ‘Emi Fuchs, Boston; Charles Stoneham, New York; Stephen McKeever, Brooklyn.
American league—Louis Comiskey, Chicago; Frank Navih; ; Phil Ball, St. Louis: Alva Bradley, Cleve- land; Jake Ruppert, New York; Tom Yawkey, Boston; Clark Griffith, Wash- ington; Thomas Shlbe, Philadelphia.
Commissioner K. M. Landls’ rules governing all interleague contests will be followed to insure proper conduct on the field. Mr. Harridge and Mr. Heydler each will appoint two umpires to work the game.
Revise League Schedules.
Arrangement of the big game for the World’s Fair has necessitated a revision of the schedule In both leagues. Selection of a date was the principal complication. There, of course, is no time during the season when all clubs of both leagues are in this section of the country. THE TRIBUNE proposed July 6 because that is the date of an intersectional switch. The National league teams open in the west on July 7 and the American league clubs will be starting In the east.
In the case of the American league several players will have to be brought from New York and Philadelphia and returned to the eastern cities immediately after the game. This may force the postponement of two or three games scheduled for July 7. The game between the White Sox and Athletics, carded for July 6 at Philadelphia, naturally will have to be set back-
Pirates, Dodgers Cooperate.
In the National league Brooklyn is slated to play in Pittsburgh on July 6. The owners of both clubs have agreed to shift this game to another date to make way for the interleague contest in Chicago. A more serious obstacle was the double header scheduled between the Giants and Braves at Boston on July 5. It is impossible to play even a single game in Boston and get to Chicago for a game the next day. The Boston magnates agreed to send any players chosen from their team and go through with the double header, or should Mr. Heydler shift the twin bill to another date, there will be no objection from the Braves, according to Owner Charles Adams.
Approval of the American league owners to seno their strongest team to Chicago was received In a special meeting at Cleveland May 9. Mr. Heydler consulted the owners in the National league individually.
Managers for the two teams will be appointed by the presidents of the leagues within the next two or three weeks.
Mail In Your Sclections!
Don’t forget that you have a voice in the selection of the teams. Go over the list of first basemen in the National league, for instance, and make up your mind which is the best all around man. Put him on your team. Then do the same for every other posi- tion, remembering that you may choose three pitchers for each club. Then send your selections to the sports editor of THE TRIBUNE.
The ballots will be published in a few days to show you how your candidates are running.
Tickets from the first All Star Game at Comiskey Park, 1933
May 22, 1933
BY ARCH WARD
Forty-seven newspapers with a combined circulation approximating 8,000,000 are now cooperating to pick the teams which will represent the National and American leagues in the game of the century in Chicago, July 6.
Big Cities Represented.
New York Daily News, Boston Herald, Washington Star, Detroit News, Cincinnati Post, Cleveland Plain Dealer, Philadelphia Record, Pittsburgh Post Gazette, and the St. Louis Post Dispatch from the major league cities.
Los Angeles Times, San Francisco Chronicle, Seattle Times, Minneapolis Tribune, Columbus Dispatch, Nashville Tennessean, Des Moines Register, Atlanta Journal, Buffalo Courier Express, Sporting News of St. Louis, Louisville Courier Journal, Omaha World Herald, Memphis Commercial Appeal, San Antonio Express, Phoenix Republic, Topeka Daily Capital.
St. Joseph Gazette, Grand Rapids Press, South Bend News-Times, Sioux City Journal, Tulsa World, Little Rock Gazette, Wichita Eagle, Streator Times Press, Evansville Courier and Journal, Lincoln Star.
Indianapolis Times, Quincy Whig Herald, Green Bay Press Gazette, Madison State Journal, Peoria Journal Transcript, Dubuque Telegraph Herald.
Erie Dispatch Herald, Danville Commercial News, Lafayette Journal and Courier, Burlington Gazette, Fort Wayne Journal Gazette.
Chicago Tribune, May 27, 1933
BY ARCH WARD.
Comiskey park will be the site of the game of the century. The location of the greatest attraction in baseball history, scheduled for July 6. was decided by the flip of a coln yesterday in the office of Commissioner K M. Landis.
President William Harridge represented the American league. Leslie O’Connor, secretary to Judge Landis. was delegated by President John Heydler to serve for the National league.
As the coin was tossed Mr. Harridge called heads. And heads it was. He named Comiskey park.
If the game is a sell-out, as baseball fans predict, at least $12,000 hinged on the toss. That represents the additional seating capacity of the White Box park over Wrigley field, which would have been chosen had tails turned up.
50,000 May See Game.
I naturally am happy that the American league won,” said Mr. Har- ridge. “Comiskey park is close to the grounds of A Century of Prog- ress. It has greater seating capacity and a larger playing field. It will he much easier for American league players to catch late afternoon trains to the east, where they must appear in regularly scheduled games July 7.”
The capacity of Comiskey park is approximately 50,000. There are 35,000 seats in the grandstand. 12.500 in the boxes, and 2.400 in the bleachers.
All box and grandstand seats will be reserved. Ticket applications will be handled by officials of the park. No orders will be accepted, however, until June 1. It will take that long to work out details.
No Advance in Prices.
It was agreed among President Harridge, President Heydler. and THE TRIBUNE, which is sponsoring the game, that there would be no increase in prices over the regular daily big league admission in Chicago. Box seats will sell for $1.65. grandstand seats for $1. and bleachers for 55 cents. Never have baseball fans been offered such a bargain. A world series game costs four times as much. On July 6 you can see all the stars, the greatest players in the major leagues, at prices that prevail every day at Chicago games.
The playing field at Comiskey Park is the only symmetrical playing area in the major leagues excepting the Municipal stadium at Cleveland. The distance from the plate to the end of both foul lines is 362 feet, the distance from the plate to the center field wall is 450 feet. The lines at Cleveland are 42 feet shorter than those at Comiskey park and the distance to the center field wall is the same. The walls, therefore, are not parallel with the base lines, making the Comiskey grounds the only ideal playing inclosure from the standpoint of dimensions .
Comiskey Park
1930’s
Favorites Hold Leads.
The team will be chosen by popular vote in a nation-wide poll in which fifty-five papers from coast to coast are cooperating with THE TRIBUNE.
Included in the National league standings this morning are votes from Minneapolis. Minn.; Steator, III.: Little Rock, Ark.; Quincy, Ill., and Topeka, Kas. The Chicago vote, of course, still dominates.
The various localities have different ideas of who is who in major league baseball. Charlie Grimm of the Cubs. for example, leads the National league first basemen In the vote from Little Rock. Billy Herman of the Cubs, is ahead of Frankle Frisch at second base in the Streator returns. Walter Berger of the Braves, who ranks fourth among the outfielders In the grand totals, was only one vote behind Chuck Klein at Streator.
Collins Shows Gain.
Catcher Hartnett and Pitcher Warneke of the Cubs are running in front everywhere. So is Pie Traynor, the Pirates’ third baseman.
Warneke is leading Carl Hubbell of the Giants In the total vote by a 9 to 8 ratio. Red Lucas of Cincinnati Is holding third place. The opinions on the league s most skillful moundsmen are so divided that there are 25 candidates. Five Cubs—Warneke, Bush, Malone, Root and Grimes—have received votes.
Jim Collins, Cardinal first baseman, was the principal beneficiary of the out of town vote. He jumped from seventh place with 57 votes Tuesday to third position and 1,127 votes.
The sincerity of the fans in picking the strongest available players for the game of the century is obvious from the returns. Home town popularity has played no part in the selections. The Cubs listed in early returns have run no stronger in Chicago than they have in Kansas, Minnesota and Arkansas.
Chicago Tribune, June 20, 1933
BY WESTBROOK PEGLER.
Chicago Tribune Press Service.
New York, June 19.—The special ball game between selected teams of the American and National leagues. playable In Chicago on July 6, repre- sents the only constructive original idea which has been introduced Into the baseball industry since the invention of the recording turnstile.
The synthetic or St. Louis type of double header was an Innovation, to be sure, but this does not seem to have been a constructive idea. It has trained the customers to regard a single ball game as a short weight en- tertainment, and in time they may come to’ believe that they should receive a season ticket for the price of one admission. There is such a thing as spoiling the customers.
Mosquitoes Wreck Night Games.
The idea of baseball by lamplight, which was tested a couple of seasons ago, has not succeeded, the failure being largely due to the man-eating transport type mosquitoes which gnawed the patrons and poisoned them with resentment. If the St. Louis double header spoiled the customers, the nocturnal ball game was like to ruin them, and no Industry can regard an idea as constructive which spoils or ruins the paying guests.
Even now the interleague game between selected teams, as distinguished from the world series type of interleague contest, is regarded strictly as an experiment, and both leagues have left themselves In a position to disown the notion. The idea originated with Arch Ward, the sports editor of THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE, who doubtless had it in mind to sell a few papers, which is a laudable desire in a sports editor.
May Change Series Routine.
Although the two leagues are engaged in the same business, they have always maintained a formal coolness toward one another, wherein they bear a resemblance to the Democratic and Republican parties. Any suggestion calling for a merging of interests for the good of the industry had to come from the outside and the acceptance had to have the appearance of public spirited acquiescence.
This Is the present status of the interleague arrangement, which is now developing remarkable popularity among the patrons, not only in Chicago but throughout the major league territory and its minor league colonies and dependencies. The risk to league prestige is negligible, because It is recognized that a single ball game does not decide much. If anything, as to the relative values of the teams concerned, but the eventual benefits may be great it the leagues decide that the experiment didn’t hurt much, after all, and make some arrangement to break up their traditional routine of 154 league games followed by a world series, and substitute some scheme of selection for their champions.
What’s Wrong With Series.
The world series system has been failing somewhat in recent years. as was shown by large patches of vacant seats in various arenas when Ihe athletes were playing out the program known as the annual fall blue ribbon classic of the national pastime. Moreover, the world series system in many cases has excluded great ball players from the championship games who, by any selective system, could not have been passed over.
Walter Johnson was past his prime before he broke Into a world series in 1924, whereas, on his merits, he should have been included on all the teams claiming to represent the best in the American league for many years before that. George Sisler never played in a world series, although many American leaguers did take part in the big games during his time who were not good enough to carry his glove.
WON’T SAY YES, WON’T SAY NO
Lou Gehrig, Yankee first baseman, is getting plenty of inspiration these days, for Miss Eleanor Twitchell, Chicago girl, is at Comiskey park to cheer him against the White Sox. They are reported engaged, but neither will answer reporters’ questions.
June 19, 1933
Perfect Game for Fans.
Although Mr. Ward’s central idea was to sell some papers it would be incorrect to say that his motive in proposing the ball game and in promoting the idea with the leagues was entirely professional. There never was a good sports editor who was not also a sports fan, and Mr. Ward’s professional enthusiasm was tinged or flavored or something with the fan’s natural interest in a contest of real champions. These elements and a goad sports editor s desire to stir up something are responsible for the realization of an idea may have occurred to others in the past but which, If it did occur, was abandoned on the ground that custom and the rules made no provision for it.
Possibly there was some feeling of solicitude for the baseball industry, too. It sports should flop there would be very little employment for sports editors and sports writers, and, anyway, baseball is a and rather wholesome sort of business, as honest as racing would like to bo but never can be, and with none of the royal snobbery of the Jockey club. Not in modern baseball times has there becn a single challenge to the honesty of any in the major leagues, which is a proud record considering the temptations to which they would be subject If they did not avoid temP- entirely. Statesmanship, un- fortunately, cannot say as much for Itself.
No Tammany This Time.
The only trouble with the popular ballot as a means of selecting the representative teams is the tendency of the popular ballot toward abuse and corruption. In time some sort of baseball Tammany would come Into being and the selected teams would take the with left benders at shortstop and popular clam bake heroes doing the pitching. In the present instance, the popular ballot should result in a pure selection, as the citizens were caught flatfooted and nobody has had a chance to organize them for this or that people’s choice.
The Sporting News, June 22, 1933
Gehrig’s Record Is Safe
Lou Gehrig’s consecutive game record will not be imperiled for the July 6 all-star game at Chicago because of his participation in the contest between the leading performers of the National and American leagues, for a re-arrangement of the schedule has been made by President William Harridge that makes it possible for him to keep his mark intact. A game scheduled for New York and Washington on July 5 has been changed to a later date to give members of both clubs a chance to go to Chicago without being lost to their teams in regular games. The only contest charted for July 6 was between Philadelphia and Chicago and that has been transferred to another date.
The American League found it necessary to shift only two of the four games carded for July 7 in order to allow the players time to return to their clubs. The contests between Washington and Cleveland and Boston and St. Louis for that day have been shifted.
The National League will meet this week when it is expected that two playing dates will be changed in order to enable the players of four clubs to appear in Chicago. The games involved are a double-header between Boston and New York on July 5 and Brooklyn at Pittsburgh on July 6. As all of the clubs are scheduled to play in the West on July 7, no re-arrangement of that day’s games are required.
Chicago Tribune June 25, 1933
Final Returns in All-Star Baseball Poll
Final returns are published today in the poll conducted by THE TRIBUNE and 55 associated newspapers to determine the lineups of American and National league teams in the game of the century July 6 at Comiskey Park. Approximately 500,000 votes were cast by baseball fans in all parts of the country.
THE TRIBUNE will give $500 in cash prizes to the fans who came cosest in naming the team. The first prize of $250 will go to the person who came closest to naming the starting lineups )batting order) and the three pitchers for each team in the order they work. The fans who selected the American league’s starting lineup with starting pitchers will receive $100 and a similar prize will be presented for the National league team. Fifty $1 prizes will be distributed among the fans who named the six pitchers. In event that more than the allotted number qualify for the awards, they will go to the fans whose selections reached The Tribune first.
The final standing of players follows:
NATIONAL LEAGUE |
||||
|
FIRST BASE
|
Lombardi, Cincinnati
|
11,901
|
||
|
Terry, New York
|
278,545
|
Lopez, Brooklyn
|
6,820
|
|
|
Bottomley, Cincinnati
|
81,525
|
Hogan, Boston
|
2,464
|
|
|
Grimm, Chicago
|
37,094
|
OUTFIELDERS
|
||
|
Hurst, Philadelphia
|
29,832
|
Klein, Philadelphia
|
342,783
|
|
|
Suhr, Pittsburgh
|
24,697
|
P. Warner, Pittsburgh
|
269,291
|
|
|
Leslie, Brooklyn
|
19,355
|
O’Doul, New York
|
230,058
|
|
|
Collins, St. Louis
|
7,599
|
Berger, Boston
|
136,856
|
|
|
Jordan, Boston
|
1,688
|
Lindstrom, Pittsburgh
|
85,695
|
|
|
SECOND BASE
|
J. Waner, Pittsburgh
|
84,617
|
||
|
Frisch, St. Louis
|
276,802
|
Hafey, Cincinnati
|
52,549
|
|
|
W. Herman, Chicago
|
71,184
|
Ott, New York
|
40,791
|
|
|
Critz, New York
|
47,524
|
Frederick, Brooklyn
|
24,974
|
|
|
Piet, Pittsburgh
|
29,842
|
Cuyler, Chicago
|
12,316
|
|
|
Maranville, Boston
|
25,636
|
Martin, St. Louis
|
11,929
|
|
|
Cuccinello, Brooklym
|
12,555
|
Stephenson, Chicago
|
9,003
|
|
|
Grantham, Cincinnati
|
6,658
|
F. Herman, Chicago
|
7,610
|
|
|
Hornsby, St. Louis
|
5,022
|
I. Wilson, Brooklyn
|
2,194
|
|
|
THIRD BASE
|
Taylor, Brooklyn
|
1,654
|
||
|
Traynor, Pittsburgh
|
304,101
|
Douthit, Chicago
|
1,319
|
|
|
Martin, St. Louis
|
88,462
|
Watkins, St. Louis
|
1,074
|
|
|
English, Chicago
|
67,335
|
PITCHERS
|
||
|
Whitney, Boston
|
23,719
|
Warneke, Chicago
|
312,960
|
|
|
Vergez, New York
|
11,465
|
Hubbell, New York
|
299,099
|
|
|
Stripp, Brooklyn
|
6,932
|
Lucas, Cincinnati
|
142,669
|
|
|
Adams, Cincinnati
|
4,404
|
Hallahan, St. Louis
|
82,683
|
|
|
SHORTSTOP
|
Dean, St. Louis
|
35,050
|
||
|
Bartell, Philadelphis
|
231,639
|
Brandt, Boston
|
34,744
|
|
|
Vaughan, Pittsburgh
|
104,607
|
Silas Johnson, Cincinnati
|
31,942
|
|
|
Durocher, St. Louis
|
31,789
|
Meine, Pittsburgh
|
24,284
|
|
|
Jurges, Chicago
|
22,224
|
Swift, Pittsburgh
|
15,305
|
|
|
Koenig, Chicago
|
10,952
|
French, Pittsburgh
|
13,613
|
|
|
Jackson, New York
|
8,305
|
Swetonic, Pittsburgh
|
12,601
|
|
|
Wright, Brooklyn
|
5,664
|
Carleton, St. Louis
|
10,164
|
|
|
CATCHERS
|
Schumacher, New York
|
4,417
|
||
|
Hartnett, Chicago
|
338,653
|
Clark, Brooklyn
|
4,054
|
|
|
J. Wilson, St. Louis
|
137,927
|
Bush, Chicago
|
2,235
|
|
|
Grace, Pittsburgh
|
47,834
|
Carroll, Brooklyn
|
1,447
|
|
|
Davis, Philadelphia
|
15,318
|
Fitzsimmons, New York
|
1,324
|
|
|
Mancuso, New York
|
14,222
|
|||
AMERICAN LEAGUE |
||||
|
FIRST BASE
|
Averill, Cleveland
|
246,913
|
||
|
Gehrig, New York
|
312,686
|
Chapman, New York
|
108,645
|
|
|
Foxx, Philadelphia
|
127,104
|
West, St. Louis
|
59,670
|
|
|
Kuhel, Washington
|
4,836
|
Goslin, Washington
|
40,950
|
|
|
Alexander, Boston
|
3,556
|
Combs, New York
|
32,890
|
|
|
Davis, Detroit
|
1,451
|
Schulte, Washington
|
30,674
|
|
|
SECOND BASE
|
Manush, Washington
|
24,179
|
||
|
Gehringer, Detroit
|
239,756
|
Haas, Chicago
|
7,135
|
|
|
Lazzeri, New York
|
164,830
|
Vosmik, Cleveland
|
7,132
|
|
|
Melilio, St. Louis
|
32,457
|
Stone, Detroit
|
4,312
|
|
|
Hodapp, Boston
|
32,194
|
Swanson, Chicago
|
3,770
|
|
|
Cisseli, Cleveland
|
15,826
|
Cramer, Philadelphia
|
3,144
|
|
|
Bishop, Philadelphia
|
11,617
|
Porter, Cleveland
|
3,114
|
|
|
Myer, Washington
|
8,003
|
Reynolds, St. Louis
|
2,416
|
|
|
Hayes, Chicago
|
4,835
|
G. Walker, Detroit
|
2,240
|
|
|
Foxx, Philadelphia
|
801
|
Roy Johnson, Boston
|
2,237
|
|
|
THIRD BASE
|
Oliver, Boston
|
2,004
|
||
|
Dykes, Chicago
|
207,982
|
Foxx, Phoiladelphia
|
1,095
|
|
|
Foxx, Philadelphia
|
142,418
|
Fox, Detroit
|
1,662
|
|
|
Kamm, Cleveland
|
67,295
|
Coleman, Philadelphia
|
964
|
|
|
J. Sewell, New York
|
41,232
|
White, Detroit
|
702
|
|
|
McManus, Boston
|
11,521
|
Rice, Washington
|
580
|
|
|
Higgins, Philadelphia
|
2,604
|
PITCHERS
|
||
|
SHORTSTOP
|
Grove, Pholadelphia
|
327,242
|
||
|
Cronin, Washington
|
337,766
|
Gomez, New York
|
253,000
|
|
|
Cruestti, New York
|
34,289
|
W. Ferrell, Cleveland
|
193,120
|
|
|
Appling, Chicago
|
27,755
|
Hildebrand, Cleveland
|
86,232
|
|
|
Kress, Chicago
|
2,883
|
Lyons, Chicago
|
49,956
|
|
|
Burnett, Cleveland
|
2,661
|
Crowder, Washington
|
31,605
|
|
|
Rogell, Detroit
|
1,740
|
Bridges, Detroit
|
26,195
|
|
|
Levey, St. Louis
|
1,643
|
Ruffing, New York
|
19,563
|
|
|
CATCHERS
|
Marberry, Detroit
|
6,163
|
||
|
Dickey, New York
|
297,382
|
Earnshaw, Pholadelphia
|
4,857
|
|
|
Cochrane, Philadelphia
|
174,530
|
Allen, New York
|
4,526
|
|
|
R. Ferrell, Boston
|
29,431
|
Blueholder, St. Louis
|
2,694
|
|
|
Hayworth, Detroit
|
7,634
|
Rowe, Detroit
|
1,626
|
|
|
L. Sewell, Washington
|
3,096
|
Pipgras, Boston
|
1,575
|
|
|
Spencer, Cleveland
|
1.845
|
Weaver, Washington
|
1,537
|
|
|
Berry, Chicago
|
981
|
Whitehill, Washington
|
1,283
|
|
|
Grube, Chicago
|
923
|
Hadley, St. louis
|
864
|
|
|
OUTFIELDERS
|
Brennan, New York
|
472
|
||
|
Simmons, Chicago
|
346,291
|
Jones, Chicago
|
443
|
|
|
Ruth, New York
|
320,518
|
|||
AL LEADS RUTH, KLEIN IN TOTAL FOR STAR GAME
BY ARCH WARD
Hail to Al Simmons, new monarch of major league baseball!
The fans of America have voted him the crown of the greatest test of public sentiment the sport has known.
Simmons this morning tops all players in both leagues in the final tabulation of the nationwide voting conducted by THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE and 55 associated newspapers to pick all star teams for the game of the century at Comiskey park July 6.
This is the first time the fans of the country have had a chance to decide for themselves baseball’s who’s who. For the last month devotees of the game have been casting ballots for the players they thought merited a place in the interleague contest. Every section of the country is represented in today’s standings.
Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Ed Diamond, and Al Simmons at the 1933 All-Star Game in Comiskey Park
500,000 Send in Votes.
Approximately 500,000 participated in the voting. Chicago filed the heaviest returns, which was to be expected, for the poll was initiated by THE TRIBUNE and the game is to be played in a Chicago park. But there was amazing interest everywhere. It is a tribute to the sincerity of the fans to observe that the ratio of votes for the various players was about the same from every center.
Seventeen of the 18 players who have been chosen by President Heydler to represent the National league in the big game were favorites of the fans. The American league roster, which will be announced by President William Harridge in a few days, as expected to follow the popular vote closely.
Simmons collected 346,291 votes. Chuck Klein, National league outfielder, was second with a total of 342,283.
Babe Ruth’s Total is 320,518.
The most interesting contest in the American league poll was between Simmons and Babe Ruth. The great home run walloper, who has been baseball’s idol for a decade, received 320,518 votes. His failure to lead Simmons and Klein foes not necessarily mean that he is losing his popularity. This was not a popularity contest. It was an effort to choose the strongest teams that could be recruited from the major leagues. It is a fairly safe prediction that no player will receive a warmer welcome than Ruth when he steps up to the plate to bust one off the National league’s starting pitcher.
Lon Warneke was the victor in the hardest fight the National league voting developed. Carl Hubbell, New York southpaw, gave him a battle all the way, but te Cubs’ ace wound up with a lead of 12,861. Warneke’s total was 312,960.
1933 All Star Game staring outfielders for the American League.
Babe Ruth, Al Simmons and Earl Averill.
The Chicago Tribune, 7 July 1933:
BY HARVEY WOODRUFF.
American league All Stars, 4; National league All Stars, 2.
That was the score of the baseball game of the century. It was played before 49,000 spectators, who occupied every seat in Comiskey park yesterday afternoon. it was the first time a game ever was played between the greatest players from all teams of the rival organizations. The game was first suggested and then sponsored by The Chicago Tribune.
Into a perfect setting of weather, crowd, and satisfied realization of what had been promised were projected the thrills for which fans had been waitIng for years. Babe Ruth, master showman of all time, was there. Babe did just that which the fans went out to see. He hit with terrific force a line drive which did not rise high in the air. Its momentum carried it into the right field stands for a home run. That drive was responsible for two runs, the Americans’ margin of victory.
Warneke In Hero Role
Lon Warneke, ace of Chicago Cubs’ hurlers, was there. Lon is an Arkansas youngster, only in his third year in fast company. He is the chap who in his second season. led all National league pitchers in won and lost and in effectiveness.
So it was Warneke who was called to the stab when it seemed the affair might become a rout. Wild Bill Hallahan of the Cardinals, starting pitcher, was wild. A base on balls had allowed the extra run on Ruth’s homer.
Then the big lanky chap who said the night before over the radio, “I’ll be out there, bearin’ down all I can,” bore down. He closed the opening by forcing Al Simmons. noted White Sox slugger, to hit into a double play started by the fielding speed of Dick Bartell. So the fans saw a great pitcher thwart great batters.
New York Giants’ Carl Hubbel and Philadelphia A’s Lefty Grove before the All Star game. Lon Warneke of the Cubs
Grove Stems the Tide.
Fans saw Mose Grove, work horse and bulwark of the great Philadelphia pitching staff, in trouble in the seventh inning. They saw him emerge from that trouble, which included a single by Bill Terry and a double by Pie Traynor, without a run resulting.
Then these fans saw and may tell to their children or grandchildren in years to come how Carl Hubbell, left handed star of the Giants, came to the slab for the final two Innings and held to one hit the confident opposition, still champing for more runs.
This checking process was while the National leaguers, desperately attacking, were giving Mose Grove his trouble. How near that attack came to tying the score was a matter of a few feet. It ended when Babe Ruth In the eighth Inning backed against the right field stands to catch a long fly from Chick Hafey’s bat which at its start appeared ticketed for a home run.
Thus all the strength of attack and , all the matching of baseball finesses and strategy, were combined fit this exhibition, the realized long awaited dream of baseball fans.
Game of the Century Box Score
$45,000 for Charity Fund.
With the park filled, the crowd viewing at regular prices the greatest game of all time, all promises rigidly kept, there was till feature. That was the gate receipts approximately $45,000 for the charity fund for disabled or needy ball players of former years.
Just as an example of how conscientiously all those concerned viewed this new venture consider that there were 18 players on each team. Manager McGraw of the Nationals Inserted 17 of them into his lineup at various stages of the combat. Perhaps Reserve Pitcher Schumacher of the Giants also would have appeared had not the fans been promised three Innings each from..Wild Bill of the Cardinals, Lon Warneke of tbe Cubs, and Carl Hubbell of the Giants.
Manager Connie Mack of the Americans used 13 players in acquiring his victory; including the three pitchers advertised in advance. Those who did not appear in formal action were made known to the fans through the loud speaker as they took part in batting practice or performed some other duty which enabled them to take a bow.
What of the crowd. representative of all fans? How did it behave? This great assemblage, too, entered into the spirit of this occasion. It was the most sportsmanlike crowd ever gathered for such an important event. South siders shouted in approval and glee when some American leaguer produced a hit or a brilliant bit of fielding. North siders clamored when the hero was a National leaguer.
Yet there was composite applause from the two elements for the various stars. Those familiar boos and jeers so frequently heard were at a minimum. This crowd of yesterday apparently sensed the occasion as a precursor of more such games to follow in other years and lent Its best behavior.
Gomez, Hallaban Start.
As the teams took the field after preliminary practice, the lineups did not differ materially from those previously announced, with reservations, by the rival managers. Lefty Gomez was on the slab instead of Mose Grove, but many experts had – anticipated that as part of the Connie Mack strategy. Wild Bill Hallahan took up the burden for the Nationals with Warneke and Hubbell to follow. It was because Hallahan lived up to his nickname and because Babe Ruth came through that the American leaguers obtained a three run advantage in the first three Innings, which the battling Nationals tried In vain to batter down.
Five bases on balls in those first three innings were combined with three bits, including Ruth’s homer, for the trio of runs. Even that did not send the Cardinal star to the showers. But when a pass to Lou Gehrig followed Ruth’s homer with none out in the third inning, Lon Warneke was summoned to quell the uprising.
Thus in a contest where many had thought no set of pitchers could stand against such an array of batters one hurler was removed for cause. That cause was his own wildness, rather than bombardment.
1933 American League All-Stars
Top Row, L-R: Batboy; Bill Conroy, Lou Gehrig, Babe Ruth, Oral Hildebrand, Connie Mack (Mgr.), Joe Cronin, Lefty Grove, Batboy, Bill Dickey, Al Simmons, Lefty Gomez, Wes Ferrell, Jimmy Dykes, clubhouse boy.
Bottom Row: L-R: Al Schacht, Eddie Collins, Tony Lazzeri, Alvin Crowder, Jimmy Foxx, Art Fletcher, Earl Averill, Ed Rommel, Ben Chapman, Rick Ferrell, Sam West, Charlie Cehringer, batboy.
1933 National League All-Stars
Top Row, L-R: Gabby Hartnett, Jimmie Wilson, Frankie Frish, Carl Hubbell, Walker, Paul Waner, Woody English, Hal Schumacher, Pie Traynor, Lotshaw
Middle Row, L-R: Bill Hallahan, Dick Bartell, Bill Terry, Bill McKechnie, John McGraw, Max Carey, Chuck Hafey, Chuck Klein, Lefty O’Doul, Wally Berger
Bottom Row, L-R: Hasbrook, Pepper Martin, Lon Warneke, Tony Cuccinello
Americans Get Nine Hits.
With great pitchers and great batters matching their prowess, the Issue might fairly be termed a draw between them on the score Of comparative effectiveness. Likewise there was small difference between batting effectiveness of the two opposing squads. The Americans garnered their four runs from nine hits. The Nationals realized only two runs from their hits. The lone error of the entire contest did not figure In the counting.
In the very first inning, when the Nationals were retired in order notice was given patrons of the caliber of play they might expect. For the third out Manager Joe Cronin of the Washingtons dashed over toward second to get his gloved hand on a seemingly safe line drive from the bat of Chuck Klein. Cronin had been a factor in every putout of the inning.
Dykes Scores First Run.
The American leaguers broke through in the second inning after singles by Hafey and Terry had availed nothing for the Nationals. With one gone, Jimmy Dykes and Joe Cronin were passed in succession. Ferrell flied to left. Lefty Gomez’s clean hit to left center scored Dykes. Ben Chapman ended the inning by forcing Comez at second.
More trouble for Hallahan followed In the third. Gehringer walked. Ruth, at bat, took one of his characteristic swings and the bail sailed at a low elevation but at terrific speed toward the right field stands, landing among the spectators about six feet inside the foul line. Gebrig walked. Then Warneke was summoned to the mound by Manager McGraw. Lon forced Al Simmons to hit Into a double play. Dykes singled past third, but Cronin flied to center. Warneke was given a great hand as hie went to the dugout after emerging from this situation.
Warneke Hits Triple.
Nationals went to the sixth before getting familiar with the home plate. With one gone in that inning, Warneke decided that batting must be added to his pitching to produce results. He pumped around to third when Babe Ruth made something of a mess In handling a safe fly which bounded away when Babe failed to reach It near the right field foul line. Lon scored on Pepper Martin’s out at first. Frankie Frisch then sailed a long hit into the right field stands for a home run. Klein singled to left. but Hafey was out to end the inning. Dykes to Gehrig.
The Americans added their fourth and final run in their half when Cronin opened with a single and took second on Ferrell’s sacrifice, scoring on a single to center by Averill, who batted for Crowder. Chapman caught the opposition flat footed with a beautiful bunt down the third base line. Klein gathered Gehringer’s fly on the right foul line. With two on the paths, Ruth whiffed with his total for the day two hits and two strikeouts.
Grove Gets Out of Trouble.
Lefty Grove had a narrow escape in the seventh. Hartnett fanned with two on base and Woody English ended the inning with a short fly to center.
Again in the eighth, Ruth backed up against the right field stands to take Hafey’s fly which, with a few feet more distance, would have tied the score, as Fisch, now batting right handed instead of left, had singled. The Nationals went out In order in the ninth and the Game of the Century was over.
Score Card from the first All Star Game at Comiskey Park, 1933
Chicago Tribune, August 24, 1933
The success of the interleague baseball game at Comiskey park July 6 has given rise to numerous suggestions for repetition of the event or variations of it in 1934. The most recent or at least the one most widely discussed calls for a radical departure in schedule making by which the American and National leagues next year would try out a mid-season series of interleague contests.
The plan provides for each club to play four games with every team in the other league on a home and home basis, the results and averages to count In the standings.
While the idea has developed some support among National league magnates. we doubt it it is adopted because it is based on the presumption that the sport is in a state of decadence. There is nothing wrong with baseball, no more than any other industry. Give the tans a winning team or an outstanding attraction and they will attend. That is true in all lines of entertainment. The theaters were in a bad way until they found out what became of Sally. A couple of fans put the show business on its feet.
Baseball faced serious financial problems during the war but it bounded back when normalcy was restored. There is no reason to doubt it will repeat when and if its supporters return to work. More than 500.000 participated in the nationwide poll recently conducted by THE TRIBUNE to pick players for the Game of the Century. Although the Cubs and Sox are lagging in the pennant races, you can’t walk fifty yards In a residential district without hearing radio announcers informing housewives of the progress of the day’s game. The interest Is still there.
I recently read an article by a reporter on another newspaper in which he bemoaned the decreased receipts in 1933 baseball. I am wondering if they were greater than the reduction in advertising revenue his newspaper suffered for the same period.
There probably never has been a time when all the clubs in the major leagues operated at a profit. The fans support winners or teams with color- ful figures. Over a span of years most of them get a break.
The figures for attendance at National league games this season are not available, but the American league is less than 10 per cent behind 1932. It the Yankees close in on the Senators to maintain interest up to the closing days of the campaign the season’s records may surpass last year’s
The proposed interleague series for 1934 might help the leading clubs but I do not see how it would stimulate interest among the tail enders. For instance, could you become excited about a duel between the Cincinnati Reds and the St. Louis Browns?
Let’s suppose that at midseason in 1934 the Cubs are leading the National league and the Yankees are ahead In the American. That would be a natural, Chicago versus New York. Let’s suppose further that the Yankees repeated their feat of 1932 by winning tour straight from the Cubs. Can you imagine the effect on the world series in event the same clubs carried through their league seasons victoriously?
Including the interleague games in the standings would lead to complications, too. The Giants, for example, might owe their leadership in the National league race to victories over the Boston Red Sox or St. Louis Browns. They then would not be the champions of the National league but the champions of the National and American leagues. And Washington might yell murder.
Judging from the difficulties encountered in getting 16 club owners to agree on one interleague game, and an exhibition at that, we doubt if they ever will unanimously favor a program of 32 interleague games involving so many complications.
1933 BASEBALL SEASON HIGHLIGHTS
For the only time in history, there were two Triple Crown winners, both in Philadelphia. Chuck Klein won the National League Triple Crown with 28 home runs, 120 RBI’s and a batting average of .368. In the American League, the Athletic’s Jimmy Foxx won the Triple Crown with 48 home runs, 163 RBI’s and a .356 batting average.
The St. Louis Browns drew only 88,000 fans all season.
As part of the renovations of Boston’s Fenway Park, a new wall—later known as the “Green Monster”—is erected in left field.
1934 College All Star Game
When the fair did a rerun in 1934, Ward created the College All-Star Game, which pitted the best college football players against the reigning professional champ in Soldier Field. It was played before a crowd of 79,432 on August 31, 1934, was a scoreless tie between the all-stars and the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field
Soldier Field, 1934
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