1954 Major League Baseball All-Star Game

The 1954 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 21st playing of the midsummer classic between the all-stars

All-star game

An all-star game is an exhibition game played by the best players in their sports league, except in the circumstances of professional sports systems in which a democratic voting system is used...

of the American League

American League

The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...

(AL) and National League

National League

The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...

(NL), the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball

Major League Baseball

Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...

. The game was held on July 13, 1955, at Cleveland Municipal Stadium in Cleveland, Ohio

Ohio

Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...

the home of the Cleveland Indians

Cleveland Indians

The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...

of the American League.

Summary

The American League rallied in the bottom of the eight inning, to defeat the National League in an 11–9 slugfest at Cleveland Stadium. Both teams combined for an All-Star Game record 20 runs, on 31 hits, which included six home run

Home run

In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...

s. Al Rosen

Al Rosen

Albert Leonard Rosen , nicknamed "Al", "Flip", and the "Hebrew Hammer", is a former American professional baseball player who was a third baseman and right-handed slugger in the Major Leagues for ten seasons in tthe 1940s and 1950s.He played his entire 10-year career with the Cleveland Indians in...

led the American League offense, going 3-for-4 with two home runs and five runs batted in.

Starters

Starting pitcher

In baseball or softball, a starting pitcher is the pitcher who delivers the first pitch to the first batter of a game. A pitcher who enters the game after the first pitch of the game is a relief pitcher....

Whitey Ford

Edward Charles "Whitey" Ford is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who spent his entire 18-year career with the New York Yankees. He was voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1974.-Early life and career:...

(AL) and Robin Roberts (NL) matched zeroes until the third inning, when the American League hitters stacked themselves to an early 4–0 lead in the bottom of the inning. Minnie Miñoso opened the frame with a single

Single (baseball)

In baseball, a single is the most common type of base hit, accomplished through the act of a batter safely reaching first base by hitting a fair ball and getting to first base before a fielder puts him out...

and Nellie Fox

Nellie Fox

Jacob Nelson Fox was a Major League Baseball second baseman for the Chicago White Sox. Fox was born in St. Thomas Township, Pennsylvania. He was selected as the MVP of the American League in...

walked

Base on balls

A base on balls is credited to a batter and against a pitcher in baseball statistics when a batter receives four pitches that the umpire calls balls. It is better known as a walk. The base on balls is defined in Section 2.00 of baseball's Official Rules, and further detail is given in 6.08...

, while Roberts struck out

Strikeout

In baseball or softball, a strikeout or strike-out occurs when a batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters....

Mickey Mantle

Mickey Charles Mantle was an American professional baseball player. Mantle is regarded by many to be the greatest switch hitter of all time, and one of the greatest players in baseball history. Mantle was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1974.Mantle was noted for his hitting...

and retired Yogi Berra

Yogi Berra

Lawrence Peter "Yogi" Berra is a former American Major League Baseball catcher, outfielder, and manager. He played almost his entire 19-year baseball career for the New York Yankees...

on a grounder, but could not overcome a three-run homer by Rosen to make it a 3–0 game. Ray Boone

Ray Boone

Raymond Otis Boone was an American Major League Baseball player. He batted and threw right-handed.Boone was born in San Diego, California. An infielder, he broke into the major leagues on September 3, , with the Cleveland Indians...

followed with a solo homer before Roberts retired Hank Bauer

Hank Bauer

Henry Albert "Hank" Bauer was an American right fielder and manager in Major League Baseball. He played with the New York Yankees and Kansas City Athletics ; he batted and threw right-handed...

.

Opening the fourth inning, the National League rallied for five runs to take a 5–4 lead. Sandy Consuegra

Sandy Consuegra

Sandalio Simeon Consuegra Castello [con-SWEH-grah] was a Cuban-born relief pitcher in Major League Baseball. From 1950 through 1957, Consuegra played for the Washington Senators , Chicago White Sox , Baltimore Orioles and New York Giants...

retired the first batter he faced, but Duke Snider

Duke Snider

Edwin Donald "Duke" Snider , nicknamed "The Silver Fox" and "The Duke of Flatbush", was a Major League Baseball center fielder and left-handed batter who played for the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers , New York Mets , and San Francisco Giants .Snider was elected to the National Baseball Hall of...

, Ted Kluszewski

Ted Kluszewski

Theodore Bernard "Big Klu" Kluszewski was a Major League first baseman from 1947 through 1961. He batted and threw left-handed.-Career:...

and Ray Jablonski

Ray Jablonski

Raymond Leo Jablonski was an American third baseman in Major League Baseball with an 8-year career from 1953 to 1960. Born in Chicago, Illinois, he played for the St...

hit consecutive singles and Jackie Robinson

Jackie Robinson

Jack Roosevelt "Jackie" Robinson was the first black Major League Baseball player of the modern era. Robinson broke the baseball color line when he debuted with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947...

a double

Double (baseball)

In baseball, a double is the act of a batter striking the pitched ball and safely reaching second base without being called out by the umpire, without the benefit of a fielder's misplay or another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....

, tying the game at four. Bob Lemon

Bob Lemon

Robert Granville Lemon was an American right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1976....

relieved Consuegra, but gave up a two-out, RBI-double by the pinch-hitter Don Mueller

Don Mueller

Donald Frederick Mueller is a retired outfielder who played 12 seasons in American Major League Baseball . The first ten of those years were spent with the New York Giants, for whom he batted over .300 for three consecutive seasons and led the National League in hits in 1954...

before retiring Granny Hamner

Granny Hamner

Granville Wilbur Hamner was an American shortstop and second baseman in Major League Baseball. Hamner was one of the key players on the "Whiz Kids", the National League champion Philadelphia Phillies...

for the third out.

Meanwhile, Chico Carrasquel

Chico Carrasquel

Alfonso Carrasquel Colón, better known as Chico Carrasquel was a Venezuelan professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a shortstop for the Chicago White Sox , Cleveland Indians , Kansas City Athletics and the Baltimore Orioles...

kept the American League attack alive with a lead-off single in the bottom of the fourth against Johnny Antonelli

Johnny Antonelli

John August Antonelli is an American former left-handed starting pitcher who played for the Boston and Milwaukee Braves, New York and San Francisco Giants, and Cleveland Indians....

. Carrasquel moved to third on a one-out single by Miñoso and scored on a sacrifice fly

Sacrifice fly

In baseball, a sacrifice fly is a batted ball that satisfies four criteria:* There are fewer than two outs when the ball is hit.* The ball is hit to the outfield....

by Beto Avila, tying the score at five.

The National League picked up two more two-out runs off Bob Porterfield

Bob Porterfield

Erwin Coolidge "Bob" Porterfield is a former right-handed Major League Baseball pitcher. He played for twelve seasons between 1948 and 1959 for the New York Yankees, Washington Senators, Boston Red Sox, Pittsburgh Pirates and Chicago Cubs...

in the fifth to pull back in front, 7–5, after a single by Snider and a two-run homer by Kluszewski. In the bottom of the inning, Berra hit a single off Antonelli and Rosen belted his second home run of the game to tie the score at seven.

The American League put the game away in the sixth, 8–7, with an RBI-single by Avila off Warren Spahn

Warren Spahn

Warren Edward Spahn was an American Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher. He played his entire 21-year baseball career in the National League. He won 20 games each in 13 seasons, including a 23-7 record when he was age 42...

that brought home Williams.

In the eight inning, the National League bats stayed hot against Bob Keegan

Bob Keegan

Robert Charles Keegan was an American right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball for the Chicago White Sox from 1953-1958. He was originally from Rochester, New York....

. Willie Mays

Willie Mays

Willie Howard Mays, Jr. is a retired American professional baseball player who played the majority of his major league career with the New York and San Francisco Giants before finishing with the New York Mets. Nicknamed The Say Hey Kid, Mays was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1979, his...

singled and Gus Bell

Gus Bell

David Russell "Gus" Bell, Jr. was an American center and right fielder in Major League Baseball who played with the Pittsburgh Pirates , Cincinnati Reds/Redlegs , New York Mets and Milwaukee Braves...

unloaded it with a pinch-hit, two-run homer to put again away the game, 9–8. Dean Stone

Dean Stone

Darrah Dean Stone is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. The 6'4", 205 lb. left-hander was signed by the Chicago Cubs as an amateur free agent before the 1949 season. He played for the Washington Senators , Boston Red Sox , St...

came in relief with two outs and Red Schoendienst

Red Schoendienst

Albert Fred "Red" Schoendienst is an American Major League Baseball coach, former player and manager, and 10-time All-star. After a 19-year playing career with the St...

running on third. Schoendienst attempted to steal home and was thrown out by Stone. This third out set the stage for Larry Doby

Larry Doby

Lawrence Eugene "Larry" Doby was an American professional baseball player in the Negro leagues and Major League Baseball....

, who pinch hit for Stone with one out in the bottom of the inning and tied the game with a solo home run against Gene Conley

Gene Conley

Donald Eugene Conley is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who played eleven seasons from to for four different teams. Conley also played forward in the 1952-1953 season and from 1958 to 1964 for two teams in the National Basketball Association...

. After that, Mantle and Berra singled and Rosen walked to load the bases. Carl Erskine

Carl Erskine

Carl Daniel Erskine is a former right-handed starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played his entire career for the Brooklyn & Los Angeles Dodgers from 1948 through 1959...

replaced Conley and retired Mickey Vernon

Mickey Vernon

James Barton "Mickey" Vernon was an American first baseman in Major League Baseball who played for the Washington Senators for the majority of his career, as well as four other teams: the Cleveland Indians , Boston Red Sox , Milwaukee Braves and Pittsburgh Pirates...

for the second out, but gave up a two-RBI single to Fox that sealed the 11–9 victory for the American League.

The American League (7) and the National League (6) used 13 pitchers in the game. Stone took the win and Conley was tagged with the loss while Virgil Trucks

Virgil Trucks

Virgil Oliver Trucks is a former starting pitcher in Major League Baseball. From 1941 through 1958, Trucks played for the Detroit Tigers , St. Louis Browns , Chicago White Sox , Kansas City Athletics and New York Yankees . He batted and threw right-handed...

earned the save

Save (sport)

In baseball, a save is credited to a pitcher who finishes a game for the winning team under certain prescribed circumstances. The number of saves, or percentage of save opportunities successfully converted, is an oft-cited statistic of relief pitchers...

. Trucks walked Snider to open the ninth inning, but retired Stan Musial

Stan Musial

Stanley Frank "Stan" Musial is a retired professional baseball player who played 22 seasons in Major League Baseball for the St. Louis Cardinals . Nicknamed "Stan the Man", Musial was a record 24-time All-Star selection , and is widely considered to be one of the greatest hitters in baseball...

, Gil Hodges

Gil Hodges

Gilbert Ray Hodges was an American Major League Baseball first baseman and manager. During an 18-year baseball career, he played in 1943 and from 1947–63, spending most of his career with the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers...

and Randy Jackson for the last three outs of the game.

It was the first victory for the American League after losing the last four games, even though the Junior Circuit still leading the contest 13-8.

Opening lineups

{|
{| cellpadding="10"
|- align="left" style="vertical-align: top"
|
{| cellpadding="1" width="500px" style="font-size: 90%; border: 1px solid gray;"
|- align="center" style="font-size: larger;"
| colspan=2 | National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...

|| ||American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...

|- style="background:lightblue;"
| Player || Team || Pos || Player || Team || Pos
|-
| Granny Hamner

Granny Hamner

|| Philadelphia Phillies || 2B || Minnie Miñoso || Chicago White Sox || LF
|-
| Alvin Dark

Alvin Dark

Alvin Ralph Dark , nicknamed "Blackie" and "The Swamp Fox", is a former shortstop and manager in Major League Baseball who played for five National League teams from 1946 to 1960. Named the major leagues' Rookie of the Year with the Boston Braves when he batted .322...

|| New York Giants || SS || Bobby Avila

Bobby Avila

Roberto Francisco Ávila González to Maria Gonzalez and Jorge Avila, was a Major League Baseball second baseman and right-handed batter who played for the Cleveland Indians , Baltimore Orioles , Boston Red Sox , Milwaukee Braves and Tigres del México...

|| Cleveland Indians || 2B
|-
| Duke Snider

Duke Snider

|| Brooklyn Dodgers || CF || Mickey Mantle

Mickey Mantle

|| New York Yankees || CF
|-
| Stan Musial

Stan Musial

|| St. Louis Cardinals || RF || Yogi Berra

Yogi Berra

Lawrence Peter "Yogi" Berra is a former American Major League Baseball catcher, outfielder, and manager. He played almost his entire 19-year baseball career for the New York Yankees...

|| New York Yankees || C
|-
| Ted Kluszewski

Ted Kluszewski

Theodore Bernard "Big Klu" Kluszewski was a Major League first baseman from 1947 through 1961. He batted and threw left-handed.-Career:...

|| Cincinnati Redlegs || 1B || Al Rosen

Al Rosen

|| Cleveland Indians || 1B
|-
| Ray Jablonski

Ray Jablonski

Raymond Leo Jablonski was an American third baseman in Major League Baseball with an 8-year career from 1953 to 1960. Born in Chicago, Illinois, he played for the St...

|| St. Louis Cardinals || 3B || Ray Boone

Ray Boone

|| Detroit Tigers || 3B
|-
| Jackie Robinson

Jackie Robinson

Jack Roosevelt "Jackie" Robinson was the first black Major League Baseball player of the modern era. Robinson broke the baseball color line when he debuted with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947...

|| Brooklyn Dodgers || LF || Hank Bauer

Hank Bauer

Henry Albert "Hank" Bauer was an American right fielder and manager in Major League Baseball. He played with the New York Yankees and Kansas City Athletics ; he batted and threw right-handed...

|| New York Yankees || RF
|-
| Roy Campanella

Roy Campanella

Roy Campanella , nicknamed "Campy", was an American baseball player, primarily at the position of catcher, in the Negro leagues and Major League Baseball...

|| Brooklyn Dodgers || C || Chico Carrasquel

Chico Carrasquel

|| Chicago White Sox || SS
|-
| Robin Roberts || Philadelphia Phillies || P || Whitey Ford

Whitey Ford

|| New York Yankees || P
|-
|}

Rosters

{| class="toccolours" style="font-size: 95%;"
|-
! colspan="10" style="background-color: #0d2b56; color: #FFFFFF; text-align: center;" | 1954 National League All-Star Game roster
|-
| valign="top" | Pitchers *

Catchers *
| width="px" |
| valign="top" |

Infielders *

Outfielders
| width="px" |
| valign="top" |

Manager

Coaches

Did not play

|-
|}

{| class="toccolours" style="font-size: 95%;"
|-
! colspan="10" style="background-color: #A50024; color: #FFFFFF; text-align: center;" | 1954 American League All-Star Game roster
|-
| valign="top" | Pitchers * * *

Catchers *
| width="px" |
| valign="top" |

Infielders * * * *

Outfielders
| width="px" |
| valign="top" |

Manager

Coaches

Did not play

|-
|}

Umpires

{|class="wikitable"
|-
!Position !! Umpire
|-
| Home Plate || Eddie Rommel

Eddie Rommel

Edwin Americus Rommel was an American right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who spent his entire career with the Philadelphia Athletics from 1920 to 1932. He is considered to be the "father" of the modern knuckleball...

|-
| First Base || Lee Ballanfant

Lee Ballanfant

Edward Lee Ballanfant was a professional baseball umpire. Ballanfant started as minor league infielder from 1915 to 1925. In 1925 he served as player/manager for the Greenville Hunters for part of the season....

|-
| Second Base || Jim Honochick

Jim Honochick

George James John Honochick was an American League umpire. His career started in 1949 and ended in 1971. During his career, he officiated six World Series and four All-Star games...

|-
| Third Base || Bill Stewart
|-
| Left Field || Tom Gorman
|-
| Right Field || Joe Paparella

Joe Paparella

Joseph James Paparella was a professional baseball umpire who worked in the American League from 1946 to 1965. Paparella umpired 3,142 major league games in his 20 year career. He umpired in four World Series and four All-Star Games . -External links:*...

Line Score

{|
|valign="top"|
{| cellpadding="10"
|- align="left" style="vertical-align: top"
|
{| cellpadding="1" width="350px" style="font-size: 90%; border: 1px solid gray;"
|- align="center" style="font-size: larger;"
| colspan=6 | How the runs scored
|- style="background:lightblue;"
| Team || Inning || Play || NL || AL
|- align="center" style="vertical-align: middle;" style="background:lightblue;"
|-
| AL || 3rd || Rosen homered, Miñoso and Avila scored
Boone homered || 0 || 4
|-
|
|-
| NL || 4th || Kluszewski singled, Snider scored, Musial to third
Jablonski singled, Musial scored, Kluszewski to second
Robinson doubled, Kluszewski and Jablonski scored
Mueller doubled, Robinson scored || 5 || 4
|-
|
|-
| AL || 4th || Avila sacrifice fly to left, Carrasquel scored || 5 || 5
|-
| NL || 5th || Kluszewski homered, Snider scored || 7 || 5
|-
| AL || 5th || Rosen homered, Berra scored || 7 || 7
|-
| AL || 6th || Avila singled, Williams scored || 7 || 8
|-
| NL || 8th || Bell homered, Mays scored || 9 || 8
|-
|
|-
| AL || 8th || Doby homered
Fox singled, Mantle and Berra scored || 9 || 11
|-
|}
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External links

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